Photo Post: Would this be Possible in Argentina?
OK, this is an admittedly bad photo. But the point isn’t to showcase my photography skills.
The point is to inquire about honesty in Argentina and ask if it would be possible to do something like this here. Would it be?
To clarify, this is a photo of a newspaper stand at the Dallas airport in Texas. The “stand” allows people to grab a copy of USA Today. In exchange people are supposed to put a folded dollar bill in the clear receptacle.
The business model is based on the honor system. That is, you could, if you wanted, take a copy of the paper and walk away without paying for it. The odds are that nobody would say a thing. You would not go to jail or even face ridicule.
But most people don’t do this. They put the dollar in the receptacle.
So, the question is, could this kind of “honor system” work in Argentina?
Popularity: 1% [?]
No. there’s no concept of honour in Argentina’s society.
And you’ve talked about that sometime ago in a very good post. The example goes top down and ARG’s govs were never able to show any sense of honour.
Fua, volvió el tero.
I was actually asked by some of my Argentine friends the other day if this really exists in the US or if its only in the movies. They couldn’t believe that people don’t just take the newspapers. LOL!
no, it wouldn´t. But some of us were raised in a different way. And we do believe in a honour system
No chance. Argentines’ brains would explode, either that or they’d call it the most idiotic idea ever.
Let me point out several things, to analyze things in context:
1) Answering the question: no, it won’t work in Argentina. Because of three complementary reasons:
a) People would think that they can take the newspaper (or the pot of money) because
b) No newspaper stand would even try the system in the first place because
c) Newspaper seller would think that people would take the newspaper because of ‘a)’
2) The photo was taken in an airport. Which admitelly is a place where nobody would like to screw up, specially in USA, since the TSA guys would start touching your balls if you get caught.
3) Those newspapers have so much ads inside that the selling price is symbolic, the business (and the stand) would work even if people would take them without paying, basically the newstand is paid to “sell” that newspaper.
3) For good or for bad, every society makes it choices of what is acceptable and what is not. For example let me change the question: Is this other picture possible in USA? http://www.flickr.com/photos/7153539@N07/1696682231
4) Ironically, “item 3)” is more or less what the headline in the photographed newspaper is about: http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20101110/1abluecross10_cv.art.htm , but that doesn’t seem to be outrageous.
– Thanks for the blog.
couldnt have put it better myself, alfC
What a great answer.
I would add this picture
http://www.flickr.com/photos/maiteburgos/4687997208/
Last time I had to explain to my former boss (from US) that the best universities are free I almost had to grab pen and paper to explain it. He couldn’t believe it.
It’s sad, It would be great to have that kind of “services” here. It would work in some places, Shoppings or small towns in the country side.
Here we (as an Argentine) live in a different society than the US society. Here we don’t grab a machine gun and then enter to a university to kill kids. We don’t kill our boss when we got fired.
Let’s take another example: Do you think US society would have the same level of honor and respect for others like the Japanese society right now?
Some news paper with a can full of many doesn’t measure the honor of a society. It could measure poverty, education and many other things, but if the US people thinks that, you’re wrong.
- Droping Nuclear Bombs is not something honorable.
- Helping to create unstable governments in poor countries for US benefit is not honorable.
- Using false arguments (like weapons of mass destructions) to create wars is not honorable.
- The use of dominant position for own benefit instead of help who need it most(I’m not talking about charity) is not honorable.
Next time, when talking about honor, grab a mirror.
- Droping Nuclear Bombs is not something honorable.
You said the words. Killing civilians and letting so many people suffering the consequences in the time your economy and belly grows is not so honorable.
Thsi concept works well in Scandinavia an (at least) in Northern Germany, where along country roads you encounter small tables loaded with fruit and vegetables.
On the table is a small open box containing change (money). You read the price, drop your payment into the box, take change if necessary and take your merchandize.
Extremely few – if any – would even dream of stealing the cash. Money in the boxes is only stolen some twice or three times a year countrywide.
For anyone who steals, the penal code prescribes a doubling of the penalty for theft, because the stolen money is unprotected – i.e. instead of e.g. one year in jail, the thief is sentenced to two, and in jail the treatment the thief receives from other prisoners is harsh (you would be lowlife, despicable).
Keep in mind that they do this in the airport, probably after customs which is a place where if somebody reached that point has a bit more understanding that somebody who has never put a step into an airport.
I guess that if you put this system in Ezeiza it might work, maybe there’ll be a loss but not total loss like Mr. G suggests above.
This is a nation totally without ethics or any understanding between right and wrong. Why dont they have a vehicle inspection system to check safety, emissions, muffler? Simple, I think the answer is quite simple. The corruption and dishonesty here is so omnipresent that without it, the economy would crash and the country would be unrecognizable. Cant have a good country when so many people are bad.
Darin: Speak for yourself. I, as an argentine, would never, EVER, take a newspaper without paying for it OR inserting a $1 bill when required. And I do not stand alone.
To generalize is always WRONG.
Would it be accurate if I said that americans are crazy because of all the shooting incidents taking place in universities? It wouldn’t. Some are crazy, some aren’t. Some argentines will always find a way to get ahead of you, and some, like me, will not. I just hate it when foreigners preach about honesty and corruption in another countries. As if there wasn’t corruption and dishonesty in the U.S. (and I would know, since I lived in the U.S.)
Every country has its’ faults, no country is perfect.
Bravo, Cee. As a yankee who travels Argentina frequently, I have to agree with you.
Mr., Darin.
Let me tell you something., the Argentine people that you tallking about is not really people that born in Argentina or come from the old word., those people are inmigrant from Peru, Bolivia,Paraguay,Haiti,Jamaica and some african countries., the real argentina people, they are out of the country long time ago., I tallking the people that come from Spain, Italy,Germany,France,Poland and some others european countries.,those inmigrants that apointed before,they are the ones that live like it a pieces of sh#@#@.,in the other hand, if the goverment do not do any thing about it the very good people never going to come back to Argentina.
Another sample:
Right here in the USA, we have inmigration that come from Mexico,Nicaragua,Guatenala,El Salvador,Nigeria,Haiti, and some of then live in the same way, that they live in they own country., my question is: the USA goverment do something about those people., the awnser is “NO”.
You have to be in the down town Los Angeles.,in south central of Los Angeles,in the Bronx (NY)., and others cities of the United States.
Argentina is not the only country in the word that have that kind of problems., and when you met the real Argentina people, you going to see the different and you going to stop talking about that Argentina or the people is a trash., next time you need to talk about somebody country., look it your self in the mirrow.
“Why dont they have a vehicle inspection system to check safety, emissions, muffler? ”
Sorry, but in my city that vehicle inspection is mandatory by law if you want to drive on the city or on any road of the countr. The checking is done almost entirely by machine, with the exception of the lights of the vehicle, on my family we have all the cars checked, so if you want to talk, first “study a little” about that “trash pepople you talk about. (Clarification: my city is on the Cordova province)
And about the corruption: On the USA there is not exist corruption?, there are no robbery and killing?, the government do not lie to the citizen? The country do not go to war killing people (civilians included)?
Just check how many people the corruption on Argentina have killed and how many “casualties of war” USA have on his shoulders.
Always before talk do a background check please…
I will write something brief not to bore you:
Another reason why it would not work, beyond whether there is honour or not in Argentina (which can be culturally constructed after several generations, in Argentina or anywhere), the economic difficulties in Argentina do not provide the incentive to comply with this system.
One possible reaction might be that people will all the newspapers and sell them as recycled paper (cartoneros do it, for example).
There is an economic incentive to do so. In the US is much economically reasonable to look for other ways to generate income. If someone would take all the newspapers and try to sell them as recycled paper, they would be acting, economically speaking, unreasonably. If you factor all the variables (effort, time, etc.) and how much you would get you are loosing time.
Also it is much more feasible for a large part of the population to generate the money needed to buy a newspaper in the US than it is in Argentina (or Peru or Nigeria).
Of course, the cultural factor exists, even if you have the dollar some Argentines might be willing to break the honour system. But that can be changed with time. If other generations are born with economic stability they have less incentive to “loose their time” breaking rules when you can be using to work and make more money.
hope it adds to the discussion
Poverty is no excuse for thievery.
I’m 100% with you, but add lack of education, no respect for the law and you’ll get the idea.
Anyway, here if you want to work, you can. I won’t be the ideal job, or is not even a real job, like selling flowers in 9 de Julio.
I disagree, I have seen many signs of honor system potential. Obviously there are many dishonorable things going on too. Example the bus lining up system. Sometimes even when the line gets scrambled people go out of their way to hold the order. Ok their are tons of things were people are trying to get away with stuff. I think it is natural in a place where you are obviously being screwed left and right. Not saying it is any different in the US. Just we have a lot of people who have the means to pay for their necessities on all levels. Paying on the Train and bus is an interesting example too. Depends which train or bus lines you are on the level of honesty. It is not the richest or poorest it is the folks in between. Internal consequences are the best deterents, guilt. Guilt is a scarce commodity in terms of material things because most people there think it is injust so they act accordingly.
USA today is not worth stealing, let alone actually paying for!
Historically, newspapers are sold in the U.S. at “stands” where you put in your coins and then you take your paper; nothing stops you from taking the whole stack, but people don’t. This is why Americans are often called “naive” in other cultures. Honesty is basic, not to say that everyone is of course, but the assumption is that a “man’s word is his bond,” and we pay for our purchases.
In Buenos Aires you can’t get toilet paper in a restroom without first coughing up a peso or two.
Once I went to Argentina and sort of posted the same situation to my uncle. My uncle who had lived in NYC during the early 70′s tried explaining it to me (Argentine Society). Basically he said that all of Argentina was like the South Bronx (in the 70′s the South Bronx was a very economically depressed area).
What he was trying to say was that the country had reached a level of depression which was all encompassing. There was a level of apathy and reject of what was considered normal society that it has basically broken down.
It’s not that there is no honor in Argentina but rather it’s gotten to the point that being having honor is considered a weakness. And you can’t be weak in a depressed society because they will eat you alive! You need to survive in order to live.
It would work at the airport in Ezeiza.
It wouldn’t work on the streets of Buenos Aires, NYC, Chicago, nor LA.
It would probably work in small towns in both Argentina and the US.
Plus, who would want to see the newspaper and magazine stalls go out of business here? I love those guys!
I just saw your comment and I totally agree with you Mike. I think there are a lot of similarities btw societies in the US and Argentina. In this case, we have to consider this is happening at an airport and not in the street where there are locked boxes and no paper let alone.
Actually these systems do exist outside the airports, such as in grocery stores, pharmacies, etc. Have seen then in Houston, Dallas, etc. not just small towns. Also, a similar coin operated system exists on street corners and stores where you open a small coin operated cage to retrieve a newspaper. (These are major papers not something like ‘USA Today”) After opening the cage you could actually take all the papers if you wanted , but no one does.
It would be interesting to video this honor system being tried in BA.
Actually I was on FLorida Street last year and my wallet fell out of my pocket and this guy and woman chased after me and gave me back my wallet it had 2000.00 peso in it. Nothing was stolen,,,,, I gave him 250.00 as a reward but he declined several times. Finally after 20 minutes I convinced him to take it. Which he did.
So there are honest people in BA AS……
Here in Buenos you will steal all the papers looking all around first.Then will put few in your chest before getting in your motorcicle. With the rest you will make some economy planting those papers in the bathroom .And with he the rest of them will put the vegetables and the eggs in the proper place
If a police officer in the U.S.A. tries to get bribed for any reason, you’ll end up in jail.
I’m sure there are exceptions. A police officer in the U.S.A. is paid well, has benefits, has health insurance, has a pension plan and if he adheres to the rules he is compensated appropriately. Would he risk all of this for a few extra dollars from a bribe? It isn’t simply an issue of honesty. You are talking about two completely different economies. My Dad use to always say to me, “It is really easy to act macho, when you are not in the ring with the gloves on!” I would like to know what things were like in the U.S.A. during the Great Depression. Would anyone risk a good job, their reputation and perhaps their freedom for stealing some petty little object?
I think most people would not. Of course there are exceptions to the rule.
What I can say is that in the U.S.A. we have many dishonest thieves at a much greater level (e.g. Bernard Madoff.)
Simple one-word answer to this one: NO
I always find it strange when people jump on the US about the public health care system – alfC’s photo of a public hospital in BA and the question of whether it could even happen in the US. I’m not sure where these folk have lived or traveled, but 2/3 of the hospitals in the US are non-profit, public hospitals. That number is declining, particularly during the last ten years, but the majority of the country relies on public health care.
And Randy’s idea that a comparable honor system is the order in which people line up for the bus? Come on, that’s just peer pressure – you cut in line and you risk the wrath of the others already there – it’s not honor, it’s self preservation. Watch, on a typical day, how many people just bypass even paying, particularly if there are a lot of people boarding the bus all at once so there’s less risk of the bus driver noticing or figuring out who didn’t pay.
Well, you touched some fibers here, Taos.
My answer is “NO, AND FOR GOOD REASONS”. Newspapers publish news for free on-line and nobody thinks they’re stealing by reading them that way; of course you can contribute for the printed advertisements in the if you want, it’s up to you. In fact, some newspapers in Argentina are distributed for free just because no Argentine would pay to buy advertisements. On the other side, I have never seen a vending machine in the streets in any city lived in or visited in the US were you could get a Coke or a burger or oil and pay “if you have honor”.
Argentines and Americans have a long history of honoring different things and dealing with their economy hazards in a different way.
(I was tempted to write that we have different sets of values but that is definitely not true and it would be a very stupid generalization on my part)
It wouldn’t work, no. I was amazed in Sweden when I saw in a Hostel, they kept coke cans in a fridge at the living room. If you felt like one, you just needed to grab one and put money in a box.
Yet, there are some examples that tell you it’s not like we don’t have honor at all when it comes to selling and buying. The concept of “fiar”. If the kiosquero, grocer, newseller know you…you can just say: “I’ll pay you later” and that’s it.
When I came to the US I saw this and I asked myself the same question, but the “machine” I saw and noticed it was more common here in the US are different from the one in the picture.
In this one you put the money and then the door unlocks so you can take a newspaper.
I was surprised to see something like that, and that this would work here… since in my mind I could never even imagine that working in Argentina. Or at least in Buenos Aires
However I don’t think it has anything to do about “Honor”
As someone pointed out before, some people are struggling and selling paper would give them some income… some “someone” would take all the newspaper and run.
When I visited General Acha, in La Pampa (Argentina) I saw a the place where you park bike full of unlocked bikes… and I had the same reaction “This could never be seen in Buenos Aires”
So who knows, maybe in small towns or cities like Santa Rosa, Bahia Blanca, or Mendoza this would work.
When I was in New York, I was surprised to see the machines that made impossible for people to get in to the subways without paying.
But in San Francisco and Salt Lake City the system works again, on honor. If you ride for free, probably, no one would catch you.
This was the case in Buenos Aires too, but little by little it’s becoming more and more guarded.
Now, about Argentine honor. Many times you here of people loosing money and soon, someone returned it. I lost my wallet one time, I thought I lost it forever, but all along it was in the Lost and Found office. (With all the cash I had included)
My sister lost her wallet in the train; someone found it, called my sister and arranged to meet so it could be returned.
My mom found an envelope with US$ 20, 000.- She went out of her way to find its owner.
Over all, Argentines are nice people; I don’t understand why some of the things that are being said here are so negative towards argentines.
Yes, I think honesty should be improved as a culture in Argentina, but after all our history trusting and being betrayed doesn’t give room for more trust.
I think Argentina is as honest as it can be. Trust is the issue. Would I trust them to just take one newspaper? No way.
I LOVE the US, and Americans in general, but I still think the Argentine culture is by far friendlier. And for that reason alone I feel proud to be an Argentine.
Hernaan, People are saying some negative things about Argentines because they are masters at cheating. I can’t tell you how many times people have tried to cheat me, big time and small time. It never ends. Some Argentines are fairly honest but most are not, that’s my experience.
Friendliness? I don’t agree. At least in BA the people are stuck up and distant. An invitation to a home is rare.
Yeah, us Argentines seem to have a rather distorted vision of ouserlves. We consider ourselves candid, open minded and smarter. Three big lies we like to tell ourselves in order not to face the fact that we are not a great nation and that we are to blame for that.
People living in big cities are always stuck up. At least that has been my personal experience. Everyone minds their own business and a few go out of their way to help you.
No house invitations? That is weird. At least in the circle I move in, people are always friendly to foreigners. Argentines are curious about other cultures and what better way to learn over dinner and a few drinks afterwards? I’m afraid you were unlucky and met ‘socially challenged’ argentines. Hope you have better luck next time.
I can assure you Argentines in general are far from being friendly to foreigners.. Of course, being Argentine yourself you’d never admit that.. You’ll just keep jumping to defend your country and dismissing any evidence that does not favor it, regardless of reality. Besides, the Argentines who care about other cultures are VERY far in between.. The vast majority don’t give a damn about the rest of the world. Their crude jingoism wouldn’t allow it..
It doesn’t surprise me why nobody invites you. If you think we are all scammers, there you go.
What do you think? Because you’re a foreigner you have free pass to all our homes?
Honor System in Argentina: The buses, 1.10 for short rides, 1.25 for longer rides. I can’t tell you how many Americans and Europeans just put in 1.10 for everything, saying, “Why would I put in the extra money when no one will ever realize that I don’t?” Although I can never be sure, it seems most locals are pretty honest about this (yes, there are people who “enforce” this, but really not very often).
I’m sure there are more.
No way this would work in Argentina, in Buenos Aires, no way, los portenos son todos “cagadores” (before I get abused, I am Australian with Argentinian roots, have most of my family in Argentina! some in BA). I have lived and travelled extensively throughout Argentina and love the place, but this would maybe work in country towns, like SM de los Andes or similar towns. But no way in big cities like BA, MDP or Cordoba!
I wonder why all of you are living in Argentina when all you do is criticize? I agree with yankimike, this works in small town USA and it would work in small town argentina. maybe the question should’ve been more specific to Buenos Aires, Capital Federal. I live in NYC and Buenos Aires and also in a tiny town in Long Island, Cutchogue. In Long Island, farm stands leave their merchandise unattended and you just pay and leave the money in a box. Once in a while, money has been taken, but more often than not, it works. That would NOT work in NYC. I stayed in Cordoba, Argentina for a couple of weeks, and we never locked our doors or our cars. We went to the market, took the refrescos we needed, and left the money on the counter. That would NOT work in Buenos Aires either. I have, however, seen many instances of honesty, generosity, and caring here in Bs As. My mother, who is getting very forgetful, overpaid for lunch to the tune of 300 pesos instead of 30. The restaurant was closed on the following day, but on the day after that, they fully reimbursed her with a huge apology.
lili, I don’t live in Argentina, I currently live in London. As I said, I know Argentina well, speak Spanish with a very Argentinian accent, to the extent that non-Argentine Spanish speakers think I am Argentinian!…. in Argentina they think I am porteno!…. I agree with your points, would work in small towns. But it does not change the fact that many Argentinians, especially los portenos will take you for a ride given half the chance, “si te pueden cagar, te cagan” that is a sad fact of Argentina. Todo se crean vivos, la famosa vivesa Argentina! Por eso esta el pais como esta! ….. in any case, interesting to see that the Restaurant took two days to reimburse your mother! They should have done it immediately (would never happen in London or Sydney!)
it took 2 days because the restaurant was closed on sunday, and mom had dinner there late saturday night. more credit to them. I know that what you are saying resonates with me, too, but, the taking advantage of people, especially of tourists, also happens in NYC, Paris, Rome and many other big cities. Again, i just think the question was not asked correctly! And, I am in the habit of “trying to catch people” doing something right, as I feel it serves the universe better. a whole other discussion, I suppose!
“la famosa vivesa Argentina!” is not the phrase. “La famosa viveza criolla” it is. Sadly is the stupid idea of trick the other for the own benefit. But NOT all the Argentinians live by that stupid phrase.
I am argentine, i am proud to be argentine, but i do not like the big cities. BA is the biggest so is the city that i do not like the more. I think that if all the people on argentina “think” a little more and see that with a good population distribution over the country land, a lot of the problem of the society will be “fixed” this talk about the Honor would be unnecessary.
When i saw the japanese people after the tsunami, my first thought was How the people in my country would react to a disaster similar? (myself included)
See a newspaper vending does not give me the answer. The crises are what make flourish the true character of a civilization.
On my case, i lost my wallet with money and when i get it back (on the police office) trhere wasnt any money left. One of my firend lost his wallet, and recovered all of it…
I know a lots of places where the front door keep unlocked, and a system of newspaper vending machine could work, but i do not think that it could work on a big city. Not because this “honor”, just because the risk is high and the newspaper would not take the risk.
Also, with the news that there is usually prefer to read from internet.
Sadly this wouldn’t work in Argentina. Au contraire, they would tell you “que boludo!” if you were to drop money when taking one of the newspaper.
I went to my hometown in Argentina for Christmas and noticed these type of things everywhere. For example, at a red light, many times I found myself being the only one waiting for it to go green, seeing motorbikes and cars zip right by me. Even I was thinking “que boludo!” about myself for being the only one doing what’s right.
Mariano, I totally know what you mean about the traffic in Argentina, total lack of respect for the laws! But not as bad as China! I was in China for a month, travelling around in 2004 and I can say hands down beats Argentina in the traffic/lack of respect for driving protocol etc!
Some people here are in denial. How on earth could the restaurant have made such a HUGE mistake in the first place? What surprises me is that they returned the money at all. Buses? There are inspectors. They come around often enough to encourage people to pay the correct fare. I don’t know any foreigners who cheat on this but I probably don’t know any foreigners who ride these miserable, noisy, polluting buses beyond the basic zone.
I have had people try to cheat me in Rome (Argentina and Italy have this in common) but never in New York or Paris. It may happen but I don’t see a pattern as in BA.
If expats really think Argentines are as honest as Britons or Americans they are in for a rude awakening if they buy or sell property or do any other serious business in Argentina without taking extreme precautions, precautions that would not be necessary in their home countries.
Paul, from my experience, Argentinian people are not very good at self criticism/accepting criticism or for that matter acknowledging their flaws and dealing with it!
I got cheated in NYC! Was an awful experienced since it had never happened to me before (maybe because I am argentinian and I will most likely realize what’s going on).
But yes, I was cheated in NYC. Never got my money back. I still loved living there but, it DOES happen in NYC too. Maybe not to you, but it happens.
cee,
The fact that you were cheated in ny once proves nothing.. You can’t label a whole country based on one isolated incident.. Everyone knows that cheating is not socially accepted in the US, while in Argentina it is a cultural trait.. It’s all about the infamous ‘viveza criolla’, remember? In the US, there’s nothing even remotely close to that… So next time you try to put down the US, please try to come up with something more intelligent, ok?
as I said, i am always looking to catch people trying to do something right! I have traveled extensively and lived in many countries. I have purchased and sold properties and been in business for many decades. Have had great fortune everywhere, and maybe it just has to do with having the right attitude. It just hurts me that so many people have so many bad things to say about Argentina, which has been invaded by a wave of visitors in the last five years. Yes, it is, like I said a huge city, where there is crime. Like in every big city, I make sure I cross all the tees and dot all the i’s. And, as a fully functioning adult, I make a choice to live here or not. And if I felt things were as dicey here as many people feel, I would not be here at all, but somewhere else. I respect and value and honor all of your opinions as I hope you do mine. Have a wonderful day , everyone!
I’ve lived in NY for about 8 years, the “SHAME ON YOU” is used in NY as much as it is in Bs As. The answer is YES, its possible, every thing is possible.
What is not posible for me to understand, is how come there are no public hospitals in US for people with low income, wich is the mayority… and i written “public hospitals”, a place where you walk in, get helped and walk out, not “medical schools” where you have to deal with a lot of paper work, insurance, so on… where 99% of the time all you would get is a pain killer..
What is not possible for me to understand,…is that some people reading this thread, think it is about the US medical system. IT IS NOT. Reread the article.
No way., if you do this thing in Argentina.,somebody going to take not only the money., they take it the all news paper with him and resale in differents places.
Ive never met so many dishonest people, amoral actually, as here. Diego is doing the typical knee-jerk reaction and is trying to muddy the waters. I never had less respect for any society that I have ever personally lived among. Now we’re back on track!
Dear friends:
News papers is a news paper., some body tall about the hospital systems right here in the USA., well., if you need to be have a medical attention., not all hospital going to take care you withuot insurance., why..?., because we live in a system that is only about money., if you have not insurance cover, you a dead body.
Let me put to you a sample:
If you need to go to a special doctor for especific case., first you have to go to your regular doctor.,he asking some questions and after that he referering to you to the especilist., that`s means., you regular doctor charge it to your insurance company for you to visit him., then the other doctor, charge again your insurance company plus the prescriptions that you have to buy in the pharmacy., so try to not be sick if you don`t like to wasting your money that you pay to your insurance company., like it I say…is all about money.,
Some of the points being made here are inaccurate. If you do not have medical insurance in the USA, and you get sick, it is against the law to deny you medical treatment. And the treatment cannot be substandard. If a physician does something for a patient that has insurance and denies it for a patient who does not have it, he would be liable for breaking the standard of care. There are many private and government agencies that will help such an individual.
It has been my personal experience that there are beautiful attributes to the Argentine culture and the American culture. I have learned to take all the positive things from each culture and incorporate them into my life. All cultures and countries have positive and negative things about them. Just like individuals aren’t perfect, neither are countries or cultures. The best way to live and get along is to accept the good things and forgive the bad ones. If anyone should judge us it wil be God!
I have in the past, commented about the fact that newspaper machines could not be a reality in many countries. And also have made the statement that when a country will have all side walks handicapped ready then that shows a great respect for human life.
In the USA you could go to a graveyard and have a picnic. Death is respected here as well as life. That says something for a culture and country. This is an example of being positive and focusing on the positive attributes of a country and a people.
The negative side to American culture would be to point to the holocust that is going on in the USA with the number of abortions. That also shows a lack of value for human life. You drill a hole through a human being’s head and suck its brain out and call it a procedure instead of murder. That would be pointing to the negative.
I have probably offended some bloggers with that last statement. But it is being used as a real human example of how things can get out of control when people try to compare and contrast cultures and countries with the myopic lens of “we are number one.” This does not do any good. And frankly, you will have no friends or make any if you accustom yourself to this sort of dialogue. Loving people for who they are has opened many doors for me and has created an unbelievable amount of wealth that cannot be measured with money. And this you can bank on to take with you when God decides to take you to his side. I taught my daughters when they were very young to live by these words: “Love people and use money. Don’t use people and love money.”
Hey people, what do you think? Would this be possible in Argentina?
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This point is good to compare and contrast realities in the two countries, which is OK, but some of the comments are a bit too agressive (typical).
Is there any country or society in the world that is perfect? NO.
I really wish people just paid for a paper without taking advantage of it, but it would not happen, at least nor for a long time. Cultures are more complex than that… and in the mean time, I agree with DocConosur, we just need to take the positive aspects of both countries and spread them all over the place – the negative things should be discouraged, criticized and discarded. Period.
There is no point in arguing…
If there is one word that could characterize some of the previous comments being made here, it is “hubris” or “hubristic.” This is not to say that all Americans or Argentines fit the definition of the noun or adjective. But in all my years of dealing with people from every corner of plane Earth, I have found that this word can describe many people, from many countries, cultures and races. For me there are two kinds of people in the world, those that are here to help humanity and those that are here to hurt it. The question is, who does your conscience tell you, you are, and can you live with yourself?
A quote my Daddy taught me as I was growing up may be helpful to some of the commentators: “The difference between Genius and Stupidity, is that Genius knows its limits.” Boundries mt friends. They are essential for a healthy discourse! “Love Thy Neighbor as You Would Love Thyself.”
There were 2 typos. It should read Planet Earth. And Boundries my friends.
Lamentablemente el sistema de dejar el dinero a cambio del diario no funcionaría en Argentina. Tampoco creo que en otros países latinoamericanos o del Mediterráneo europeo.
Hi, my first time visiting your blog.
I strongly believe that this system WOULD work in Argentina.
We do have a larger % of “unhonored people” (call them what you’d like, thieves, immorals, etc.), which at some political times might grow. But it always remain, in my perspective and with no data to support this, below a fifth of the population.
In other words, I think that if someone put a valuable newspaper (i.e. relatively serious, not one of the free ones) with a box for $2 notes, 80% of the people taking the paper would put -or try, if they do not have change- the money.
The problem would be that single guy that would run away with the box, the stand, and all the newspapers!