Comments on: Argentina To Ban Some Foreign Foods, Beverages http://www.argentinepost.com/2010/05/argentina-to-ban-some-foreign-foods-beverages.html Information & Insight on Argentina Sun, 05 Feb 2012 17:45:44 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Jonathan http://www.argentinepost.com/2010/05/argentina-to-ban-some-foreign-foods-beverages.html#comment-4528 Jonathan Wed, 19 May 2010 05:40:27 +0000 http://www.argentinepost.com/?p=4000#comment-4528 I'm sorry. I seem to have missed the part where you mentioned where one can actually buy a good US peanut butter in Argentina. Where was that again? I’m sorry. I seem to have missed the part where you mentioned where one can actually buy a good US peanut butter in Argentina. Where was that again?

]]> By: sam http://www.argentinepost.com/2010/05/argentina-to-ban-some-foreign-foods-beverages.html#comment-4516 sam Thu, 13 May 2010 16:44:39 +0000 http://www.argentinepost.com/?p=4000#comment-4516 "early stages of communism"? I'll be polite and just say, "no". “early stages of communism”? I’ll be polite and just say, “no”.

]]> By: Paul http://www.argentinepost.com/2010/05/argentina-to-ban-some-foreign-foods-beverages.html#comment-4513 Paul Thu, 13 May 2010 00:29:59 +0000 http://www.argentinepost.com/?p=4000#comment-4513 The food bans are nothing new. Argentina did this sort of thing in the past, long before the expats came on the scene. It's deja vu. Allison, the attitude you saw on those Argentine websites is not surprising. Argentines are not really patriotic, though. It's more more a sign of the deep seated isolationism and resentment coming out. When the peso was worth a dollar Argentines loved nothing better than to fly to Miami, have fun and go crazy buying clothes and anything else they could bring back. Nobody cared about national industries. People here would just LOVE to be able to live like the American middle class but they can't so they get churlish and support populist measures like foreign food bans. It's this sort of attitude that forever holds the country back. Early stages of Communism? Don't worry. It won't happen here. The food bans are nothing new. Argentina did this sort of thing in the past, long before the expats came on the scene. It’s deja vu. Allison, the attitude you saw on those Argentine websites is not surprising. Argentines are not really patriotic, though. It’s more more a sign of the deep seated isolationism and resentment coming out. When the peso was worth a dollar Argentines loved nothing better than to fly to Miami, have fun and go crazy buying clothes and anything else they could bring back. Nobody cared about national industries. People here would just LOVE to be able to live like the American middle class but they can’t so they get churlish and support populist measures like foreign food bans. It’s this sort of attitude that forever holds the country back. Early stages of Communism? Don’t worry. It won’t happen here.

]]> By: sam http://www.argentinepost.com/2010/05/argentina-to-ban-some-foreign-foods-beverages.html#comment-4512 sam Wed, 12 May 2010 22:47:04 +0000 http://www.argentinepost.com/?p=4000#comment-4512 I think the big picture here is not about well-off Argentines and expats with dollars eating imported delicacies, it is about (typically) ham-fisted protectionism in violation of scads of international trade agreements -- many with our closets neighbors. Argentina is already shut out of enough of the world's commerce. Further isolation is moving in the wrong direction. I think the big picture here is not about well-off Argentines and expats with dollars eating imported delicacies, it is about (typically) ham-fisted protectionism in violation of scads of international trade agreements — many with our closets neighbors. Argentina is already shut out of enough of the world’s commerce. Further isolation is moving in the wrong direction.

]]> By: Allison http://www.argentinepost.com/2010/05/argentina-to-ban-some-foreign-foods-beverages.html#comment-4510 Allison Wed, 12 May 2010 18:11:29 +0000 http://www.argentinepost.com/?p=4000#comment-4510 As a girl I work with so eloquently put it, Argentina is entering early stages of communism.... Is this the case? I was reading about the ban on another spanish language site, one with a majority argentine audience, and the comments were quite interesting in relation to this post. Most of the comments went something like this: I like foreign products, but I put my tastes below my pride for our national industries. Something to think about I guess. Being a foreigner myself i do love the occasional milano cookie, or perusing the foreign foods section of jumbo or carrefour, but then again, didn't we all move to this country to leave our own? As a girl I work with so eloquently put it, Argentina is entering early stages of communism…. Is this the case?
I was reading about the ban on another spanish language site, one with a majority argentine audience, and the comments were quite interesting in relation to this post. Most of the comments went something like this: I like foreign products, but I put my tastes below my pride for our national industries. Something to think about I guess.
Being a foreigner myself i do love the occasional milano cookie, or perusing the foreign foods section of jumbo or carrefour, but then again, didn’t we all move to this country to leave our own?

]]> By: Katharine http://www.argentinepost.com/2010/05/argentina-to-ban-some-foreign-foods-beverages.html#comment-4509 Katharine Wed, 12 May 2010 18:06:53 +0000 http://www.argentinepost.com/?p=4000#comment-4509 This is absurd. Prices of average Argentine products - like dry pasta - will shoot up and just add to the inflation at the moment. Does anyone know if Bombay Sapphire and Tanqueray are made in Argentina or they import it? This is absurd. Prices of average Argentine products – like dry pasta – will shoot up and just add to the inflation at the moment.

Does anyone know if Bombay Sapphire and Tanqueray are made in Argentina or they import it?

]]> By: taos http://www.argentinepost.com/2010/05/argentina-to-ban-some-foreign-foods-beverages.html#comment-4500 taos Tue, 11 May 2010 23:18:14 +0000 http://www.argentinepost.com/?p=4000#comment-4500 No, Coke and Pepsi are both produced here in Argentina, so there's no risk there. This just applies to products that aren't produced here but that do have an Argentine-made competing brand. No, Coke and Pepsi are both produced here in Argentina, so there’s no risk there. This just applies to products that aren’t produced here but that do have an Argentine-made competing brand.

]]> By: Coen http://www.argentinepost.com/2010/05/argentina-to-ban-some-foreign-foods-beverages.html#comment-4499 Coen Tue, 11 May 2010 17:54:36 +0000 http://www.argentinepost.com/?p=4000#comment-4499 They will ban Coca-Cola and Pepsi as well? Hard to believe They will ban Coca-Cola and Pepsi as well? Hard to believe

]]> By: Ivanna http://www.argentinepost.com/2010/05/argentina-to-ban-some-foreign-foods-beverages.html#comment-4495 Ivanna Tue, 11 May 2010 09:58:01 +0000 http://www.argentinepost.com/?p=4000#comment-4495 Well, I think it was more entertaining to read this comment thread than the article itself, haha. I've learnt a lot from everyone's opinion :) Well, I think it was more entertaining to read this comment thread than the article itself, haha. I’ve learnt a lot from everyone’s opinion :)

]]> By: Paul http://www.argentinepost.com/2010/05/argentina-to-ban-some-foreign-foods-beverages.html#comment-4492 Paul Tue, 11 May 2010 00:56:53 +0000 http://www.argentinepost.com/?p=4000#comment-4492 Gavin. Sorry my attitude is disheartening but it's based on years of experience. Yes, Menem had the right idea, as you say. There was a lot of optimism during his first term. That optimism has completely evaporated. As you suggest, the problem with the privitisations is that there was no control (like the US and the banks). There was no way, however, that Menem could have made such radical reforms without corruption. He would not have had support. Nothing would have happened. What Menem did was revolutionary. I am convinced that the man truly had a vision of Argentina as a first world country. Unfortunately he made mistakes in his second term and world conditions conspired to undo the good. Used to failure, people here just gave up and reverted to their old ways. They keep voting in the same old demagogues and nothing changes. Gavin. Sorry my attitude is disheartening but it’s based on years of experience. Yes, Menem had the right idea, as you say. There was a lot of optimism during his first term. That optimism has completely evaporated. As you suggest, the problem with the privitisations is that there was no control (like the US and the banks). There was no way, however, that Menem could have made such radical reforms without corruption. He would not have had support. Nothing would have happened. What Menem did was revolutionary. I am convinced that the man truly had a vision of Argentina as a first world country. Unfortunately he made mistakes in his second term and world conditions conspired to undo the good. Used to failure, people here just gave up and reverted to their old ways. They keep voting in the same old demagogues and nothing changes.

]]> By: Gavin http://www.argentinepost.com/2010/05/argentina-to-ban-some-foreign-foods-beverages.html#comment-4489 Gavin Mon, 10 May 2010 18:44:15 +0000 http://www.argentinepost.com/?p=4000#comment-4489 Paul - You are right, I wasn't old enough to even remember the pre-Menem years. However, it is my knowledge of the Argentine boom and bust cycle that is saddening to me, and even your attitude of "get used to it, its Argentina" is disheartening. My point was that Menem had the right idea and executed poorly. This Kirchner mess could have completely been avoided if someone with a bigger vision was following through on the Washington Consensus. The only good news is that I know Argentina will some day swing back more conservative economic principles and my only hope is that it can do free-markets correctly this time. I think to really do it correctly they need to create a free-trade market internally in Latin America first (similar to the EU), but we all know how unlikely that is. Paul – You are right, I wasn’t old enough to even remember the pre-Menem years. However, it is my knowledge of the Argentine boom and bust cycle that is saddening to me, and even your attitude of “get used to it, its Argentina” is disheartening. My point was that Menem had the right idea and executed poorly. This Kirchner mess could have completely been avoided if someone with a bigger vision was following through on the Washington Consensus. The only good news is that I know Argentina will some day swing back more conservative economic principles and my only hope is that it can do free-markets correctly this time. I think to really do it correctly they need to create a free-trade market internally in Latin America first (similar to the EU), but we all know how unlikely that is.

]]> By: Paul http://www.argentinepost.com/2010/05/argentina-to-ban-some-foreign-foods-beverages.html#comment-4485 Paul Mon, 10 May 2010 11:09:16 +0000 http://www.argentinepost.com/?p=4000#comment-4485 Gavin and others who think Menem was so bad: I doubt that you lived here when he was President and I doubt that there are many on this board who were here BEFORE Menem. If Menem had not privatised services few, if any, of the expats on this board would be here. It took YEARS to get a telephone installed and if you had one the service was TERRIBLE. The other services were just as bad - frequent power cuts, for example. Yes, there was corruption but that's the way of life here. There was no other way of making the transition to private services. Would you like to revert to incompetent state ownership? As for the disappearance of imported items, it will affect very, very few people here. Only a tiny group of Argentines live like American expats with dollar incomes. These silly economic policies come and go in this country. There is seldom ever any logic or long term planning, so you should just learn to live with it if you plan to stay here. Gavin and others who think Menem was so bad: I doubt that you lived here when he was President and I doubt that there are many on this board who were here BEFORE Menem. If Menem had not privatised services few, if any, of the expats on this board would be here. It took YEARS to get a telephone installed and if you had one the service was TERRIBLE. The other services were just as bad – frequent power cuts, for example. Yes, there was corruption but that’s the way of life here. There was no other way of making the transition to private services. Would you like to revert to incompetent state ownership? As for the disappearance of imported items, it will affect very, very few people here. Only a tiny group of Argentines live like American expats with dollar incomes. These silly economic policies come and go in this country. There is seldom ever any logic or long term planning, so you should just learn to live with it if you plan to stay here.

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