LOOMING GENERATION CONFLICT - OLD VERSUS YOUNG

GOOD BY OLD CONTINENT Part 3

In addition to Europe’s looming financial crash there is the threat of a Generations Conflict. With a predominantly old population running almost all aspects of life, the youth of Europe is a minority. In Austria and Germany for example, the old outweigh the young, thus the entire structure of society is built around the needs and lifestyle of the old generation. Young couples with children have to adapt to the “rules and regulations” of the old.    

In some cases young parents have to hush their children when entering the apartment building in order not to disturb the majority of old people living there, in order not to face complaints. Most restaurants and hotels cater for the elder and are not very child friendly, for pensioners dominate the “market” and thus the young minority has to adhere to the needs of the old.

In Austria with its aging population there are many pensioners and early retirees who receive large pensions which enable them to enjoy a lucrative life and thus are the driving force in most market sectors who in return adjust to the needs of those who are able to spend. On the other side of the coin young people, with an average monthly net income of 1300 Euro have to struggle to survive and on top of that have to adjust to the lifestyle dictated by the aging majority. 

Furthermore the young generations of Europe are increasingly worried about their own state pensions, social welfare system which in most likelihood they will not be able to obtain when they are about to retire. Thus the “Generations Pact”, as referred to in Germany and Austria is in jeopardy for the young working generation sees themselves betrayed, paying for the old generation but without receiving the benefit themselves. Thus frustration is growing among the young and a generation conflict is looming over aging Europe.

Looming Generations Conflict, aging society, dept crisis and immigration denial are the most pressing subjects Europe has to analyze in order to avoid disaster.  

SHARE OF THE CAKE - PORCION DE LA TORTA

IS THE ARGENTINE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR REALLY IN SUCH DISARRAY AS PORTRAYED BY LOCAL MEDIA AND POLITICIANS CAMPAIGNING FOR UPCOMING PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS?  

ESTA  EL SECTOR AGRÍCOLA ARGENTINA REALMENTE EN TAL DESORDEN COMO LO RETRATAN  LOS MEDIOS LOCALES Y LOS  POLÍTICOS EN CAMPAÑA PARA LAS PRÓXIMAS ELECCIONES PRESIDENCIALES?

Listening to local media, representatives of the farming sector and the political opposition, one assumes that the Argentine agriculture sector is in disorder and facing massive losses of profit due to Government policies.
Escuchando a los medios de comunicación locales, a los representantes del sector agropecuario y a la oposición política, podemos suponer que el sector agricultor argentino está en desorden y enfrentando pérdidas masivas de ganancias debido a las políticas del Gobierno.

Looking deeper into the matter one might come to a slightly different conclusion then mainstream media, politicians  and certain entities of the agriculture industry are trying to portray to the public, for international facts and figures differ to those shown in Argentina.

Mirando más profundamente, podríamos llegar a una conclusión un poco diferente que los grandes medios, los políticos y algunas entidades de la industria de la agricultura  tratan de mostrar a la opinión pública, ya que los hechos internacionales y cifras difieren de los que se muestran en la Argentina.

First of all one should not forget that a large number of agriculture producers in Argentina are influential foreign enterprises who own vast amount of fertile farmland in the country. Thus these entities decide in which direction the agriculture market is heading, in order to earn large profits.
En primer lugar no hay que olvidar que un gran número de productores agrícolas  en Argentina son influyentes empresas extranjeras que poseen gran cantidad de tierras fértiles en el país. Así, estas entidades decidan en qué dirección se dirige a los mercados agrícolas, a fin de obtener grandes ganancias.

One does not need to be an expert to realize that soybean production is more profitable then cattle breeding, thus large agriculture producers shifted their focus on this commodity which leads farmers to abandon the cattle market and shift towards the highly profitable soybean production.
Uno no necesita ser un experto para darse cuenta de que la producción de soja es más rentable que la cría de ganado, por lo que los grandes productores  cambiaron su foco y abandonaron el mercado ganadero por la producción de soja de alta rentabilidad.

Claims that Argentina exports less meat then Uruguay and Paraguay causes outcry within the farming community and politicians such as De Narváez.

Las afirmaciones de que la  Argentina exporta menos carne que Uruguay y Paraguay provoca indignación en la comunidad agrícola y los políticos, como De Narváez.

See http://tn.com.ar/politica/0005652/la-rural-inauguracion-oficial

To say that the sole reason for a declining cattle market in Argentina is government policies, seems somewhat out of context, for such decline is a worldwide phenomenon.  The USA for example faces similar tendencies, and according to statistics provided by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Argentine cattle stock has been almost constant for the last couple of years.

Decir que la única razón para un mercado ganadero en retroceso en Argentina son las políticas del gobierno, parece un poco fuera de contexto, ya que eso es un declive  mundial. Los EE.UU., por ejemplo, se enfrentan a una tendencia similar, y de acuerdo a estadísticas proporcionadas por la Organización para la Alimentación y la Agricultura de las Naciones Unidas, el  stock ganadero argentino ha sido casi constante durante los últimos dos años.

See http://www.lmic.info/memberspublic/InTheCattleMarket/Archives/2011/cattlemarkets0131.pdf

See: http://faostat.fao.org/site/573/DesktopDefault.aspx?PageID=573#ancor

Public debate on agriculture policies in Argentina thus only focuses on agriculture products such as soybean crop and meat production. One rarely reads or hears about Argentina’s  export ranking of other high yield commodities such as sugar, wine, tea, tobacco, cotton, citrus fruit, honey, maize, sorghum, squash, sunflower seeds and wheat.  

El debate público sobre las políticas agrícola ganaderas en Argentina se centran sólo en  el cultivo de soja y la producción de carne. Rara vez se lee o escucha sobre el ranking de exportación de la Argentina de otros productos de alto rendimiento como el azúcar, vino, té, tabaco, algodón, semillas de girasol cítricos, miel, maíz, sorgo, calabaza, y el trigo.

Argentina is the world's second-largest corn exporter behind the U.S., exporting almost 18 million tons of corn in 2010.
Argentina es el segundo mayor exportador de maíz detrás de los EE.UU., exportando casi 18 millones de toneladas de maíz en 2010.

Argentina is the world’s second largest producer of honey (worldwide honey prices are soaring due to an increasing shortage around the world) and the third largest producer of sunflower seeds, lemons and limes.
Argentina es el segundo productor mundial de miel (los precios de la miel mundial se han disparado debido a una escasez cada vez mayor en todo el mundo) y el tercer mayor productor de semillas de girasol, limones y limas.

Looking at these figures one will understand why there is an ongoing struggle between the government, the agriculture sector and lobbyists,  for there is a vast amount of money involved and foreign agriculture producers such as MONSANTO, CARGILL etc. are eager to protect their interests in Argentina for they are fully aware what potential the Argentine Agriculture Sector has. Total volume of agricultural production (comprising wheat, corn, and soybean) is expected to be more than 90 million tons – a 50 percent hike in volume over 2008-2009.

En cuanto a estas cifras se comprenderá por qué hay una lucha constante entre el gobierno, el sector de la agricultura y los grupos de presión, ya que hay una gran cantidad de dinero en juego y los productores extranjeros agricultores, como Monsanto, Cargill, etc están dispuestos a proteger sus intereses en Argentina ya que son plenamente conscientes del  potencial del sector agrícola argentino. Volumen total de la producción agrícola (comprende trigo, maíz y soja) se espera que sea más de 90 millones de toneladas - un alza de 50 por ciento en volumen en 2008-2009.

One should also not forget that Argentina profits a lot from trade deals with China, something foreign agriculture producers are eager to have a share of.

Only recently has China opened the Asian giant's markets to Argentine corn, beef, wine, biofuels and barley.

No hay que olvidar los beneficios que Argentina obtiene de un montón de acuerdos comerciales con China, algo que los productores extranjeros agricultoresestán ansiosos de tener. Sólo recientemente, China ha abierto los mercados del gigante asiático a la Argentina para ingresar maíz, carne, vino, biocombustibles y  cebada.

The agricultural sector in Argentina consistently achieves extremely high levels of productivity, reaching higher yields per hectare of soybean and wheat than other major world producers such as Brazil, the United States and Canada.
El sector agrícola en la Argentina siempre alcanza niveles extremadamente altos de productividad, obteniendo un mayor rendimiento por hectárea de soja y el trigo que otros productores más importantes del mundo tales como Brasil, Estados Unidos y Canadá.

Farmers associations, International Agriculture Producers, the agriculture lobbyists, as well as politicians, all are aware of the potential the agriculture sector in Argentina has and how it will grow even faster, due to the increase in worldwide food demand and raise in food prices, triggered by speculators.

Las asociaciones de agricultores, productores de la Agricultura, los grupos de presión agrícolas, así como los políticos, todos son conscientes del potencial del sector agrícola que la Argentina tiene y cómo va a crecer aún más rápido, debido al aumento de la demanda mundial de alimentos y al aumento de  los precios de los alimentos, provocada por los especuladores.

 See also: 

Ver también:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/25/us-markets-grains-poll-idUSTRE76O43220110725

http://boingboing.net/2011/04/29/how-goldman-sachs-cr.html

Thus it is only natural that every involved entity wants the larger piece of the cake and thus uses whatever means necessary to showcase their viewpoint on agriculture policies and how they affect agricultural producer’s profits.

Por lo tanto, es natural que cada entidad involucrada quiera el pedazo más grande de la torta y entonces utiliza todos los medios necesarios para mostrar su punto de vista sobre las políticas agrícolas y cómo afectan a las ganancias del productor agrícola.

Sources:    

Fuentes:                                                                                                                       

http://agroinvest.wordpress.com/category/argentina-economic-overview/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Argentina

http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Americas/Argentina-AGRICULTURE.html#ixzz1Sx8Hmn16

http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Americas/Argentina-AGRICULTURE.html

http://www.farmchemicalsinternational.com/magazine/?storyid=3177&style=1

http://www.dowjones.com/

An interesting article to read in relation to above subject is:

Un interesante artículo para leer en relación con el asunto de referencia es

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304803104576423893039347666.html

PEAJE - EXPENSIVE COMMUTING

Food for thought

Alimento para el pensamiento

Argentine luxury – Highway travel

Argentina De lujo  - Viajar en autopistas

Out of a total population of approximately 40 million Argentines, 15.2 million live within close proximity of Buenos Aires, thus making it the second largest Latin American metropolitan area after Sao Paulo in Brazil.

De una población total de aproximadamente 40 millones de argentinos, 15,2 millones viven en las cercanías de Buenos Aires, por lo que esta es la segunda  área metropolitana más grande de América después de Sao Paulo en Brasil.

See http://www.mpsargentina.org/turistic.html

Given the density of this metropolitan area, a large amount of people are forced to commute to work from the outskirts of Buenos Aires.

Teniendo en cuenta la densidad de esta área metropolitana, una gran cantidad de personas se ven obligadas a ir al trabajo desde las afueras de Buenos Aires.

Whereas public transport such as trains and subways are very cheap, commuting by car on  highways to and from Buenos Aires is considerable more expensive than in most European counties.

Considerando que el transporte público, como ferrocarriles y el metro son muy baratos, los desplazamientos en coche en las carreteras desde y hacia Buenos Aires es bastante más caro que en la mayoría de países europeos.

Commuting from Pilar, a popular countryside residential area located 55km North West of Buenos Aires, to work downtown using the “Autopistas del Sol” highway which is the only feasible option during peak hours, toll expenses are approx 14$ Pesos, coming and going once per day, equals 70$ Pesos per week, 280$ per month, 3360$ Pesos per year which equals to 560 Euro!!!! (Exchange rate 6$ to 1 EUR) 

El viaje desde  Pilar, una zona residencial popular situada a 55 km al noroeste de Buenos Aires, al centro para trabajar usando  la "Autopista del Sol", que es la única opción viable en las horas pico, los gastos de peaje son unos 14 $ pesos (ida y vuelta) una vez por día, es igual a $ 70 pesos por semana, 280 $ por mes, $ 3360 pesos por año, lo que equivale a 560 euros!! (Tipo de cambio $ 6 a 1 EUR)

Commuting 29 km from the northern suburbs of Buenos Aires to the city center at peak hours, using the highway for one roundtrip, toll expenses’ amount to 2544 $Pesos per year which equal 424 EUR!!!! 

Los viajes desde los suburbios de zona norte , a 29 kilómetros de Capital Federal  al centro de la ciudad en las horas pico, por la autopista implica un gasto de ida y vuelta de $ 2,544 pesos al año que equivalen a 424 euros!!

Compared to the 560 Euro per year, Argentine commuters pay on highway toll, European countries, with the exception of France are considerable cheaper.

Si comparamos  los 560 euros al año que los viajeros argentinos pagan como  peaje a la autopista con los países europeos, con la excepción de Francia son considerablemente más baratos.  

Here are some comparisons:

Vignette (road tax system)

Aquí están algunas comparaciones:
Vignette (sistema de impuesto de circulación)

AUSTRIA - Approx 76 EURO (456$ pesos) for 1 year unlimited use of countries entire highway system 

Aprox 76 euros (456$ Pesos) para 1 año sin límite de  uso en las carreteras de todo el país

SPAIN  - Approx 45 EURO (270$ pesos) for 1 year unlimited use of most of countries highway system

45 euros (270$pesos) para 1 año sin límite de  uso en las carreteras de todo el país 

SWITZERLAND -  Approx 31 EURO (186$ pesos) for 1 year unlimited use of countries entire highway system

Aprox 31 euros (186$ Pesos) para 1 año sin límite de  uso en las carreteras de todo el país

GERMANY Free highway usage 

libre uso de la carretera

Use of alternative commuting is rather limited due to infrastructural shortcomings, especially train connections to and from city outskirts are insufficient and outdated. Due to the heavily populated area, use of freeways as alternative commuting is becoming increasingly difficult because of permanent traffic congestion's, thus commuters using their car have no alternative but to utilize the privatized highway system. Subsequently private operating companies such as “Autopistas del Sol”  have no scruple charging higher tolls then in Europe, for lack of alternatives. 

Adding to the toll fuel cost and vehicle attrition, the feasibility to commute becomes “Food for thought”.   

El uso de rutas alternativas es bastante limitada debido a las deficiencias de infraestructura, especialmente las conexiones de trenes hacia y desde las afueras de la ciudad son insuficientes y anticuadas. Debido a que las zonas se encuentran densamente poblada, el uso de rutas sin pago como rutas alternativas es cada vez más difícil debido a las congestiones de tráfico permanente, por lo que los viajeros con su coche no tiene más remedio que utilizar el sistema de autopistas privatizadas. Posteriormente, las empresas privadas que operan como "Autopistas del Sol" no tienen escrúpulos en utilizar el cobro de peajes más altos que en Europa.

Agregando a la cifra de costo de combustible y desgaste del vehículo, la posibilidad de conmutar se convierte en "Alimento para el pensamiento".

See related links:

Ver los enlaces relacionados:

http://www.ausol.com.ar/cuadrotarifario.asp

http://www.ruta0.com/rutas_argentinas.aspx?d1=Buenos+Aires&desde=7&h1=Pilar&hasta=222&tipoq=1&tipo=1&clima=Si

http://www.kfz-auskunft.de/info/autobahngebuehr.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilar,_Buenos_Aires_Province

BOSNIA - EUROPEAN UNION’S STEPCHILD

THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY (IC) AND ORGANIZED CRIME (OC) ARE THE MAIN OBSTACLES IN SOLVING THE CURRENT POLITICAL SITUATION OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA (BIH). 

The notorious inability of the EU to find a common political consensus on pressing subject such as the current dept crisis management, immigration policies, unified air traffic control, to name but a few, reflect on the inability to find a united approach regarding BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA (BIH) and its acceptance in the EU. Some EU countries, for historical reasons, follow their own agenda with BIH, where others seem indifferent to the developments occurring, right in front of the doorstep to EUROPE. 

This division in opinion among EU states, as how to proceed with the membership negotiations and growing rift among the 3 BOSNIAN ethnicities are the perfect constellation to further escalate the already fragile situation.

By stalling EU membership negotiations, BOSNIANS, in particularly the BOSNIAK (Muslim) entity might turn their back on the EU entirely and seek support from TURKEY and other ASIAN Muslim states. And who can blame them? TURKEY’S and most ASIAN Muslim states are far better off economically then the EU and contrary to the EU, these countries are eager to accept young educated immigrants, of which BIH has plenty off. 

The older generation of BIH grew up in an ethnic unified environment and has close ties to EUROPE because many citizens of FORMER YUGOSLAVIA immigrated to EUROPE in order to work, thus providing financial support for their relatives and families in BIH.

The Diaspora still works in favor for the old generation of FORMER YUGOSLAVIA, thus ties to EUROPE still are strong due to the economic support, but with the economic situation in EUROPE worsening rapidly, the incentive to join the EU are diminishing rapidly, even among the older generation.   

Unlike EUROPE, the BALKAN has a rather young and growing population with a large amount of disillusioned youth at disposal. Thanks to the visa regime the EU placed upon BIH after the war, for fear of mass migration, travel to EUROPE for young BOSNIANS was impossible and only contributed to the fact that the young generation of Bosnia lost its ties, identification and association with EUROPE, thus student movements in BIH, in particularly in the Muslim part of BIH, increasingly voice their anger on the prolonged EU membership negotiations and see no need to join the Union. Most young Bosnians nowadays ask the question: Who needs Europe, with its stagnating economy, increasing “Islamophobia” and hostility towards immigrants? 

TURKEY and countries such as SAUDI ARABIA, MALAYSIA, EGYPT to name but a few are investing heavily in BIH and encourage young BOSNIAKS to study in their country, providing them  job perspectives, excellent career opportunities and last but not least treat them as fellow Muslims. See also http://www.isaintel.com/2011/01/31/as-predicted-turkey-steps-in-to-help-bosnia-form-new-govt-while-spreads-disinformation-on-%E2%80%98flag-row%E2%80%99/

One should not underestimate the youth movements among the BOSNIAK entity. Currently there are no indications that the BOSNIAKS youth will turn towards Islamic fundamentalism, should however the economic situation in the country deteriorate, they could easily be the target of fundamentalist recruiting techniques and thus shake the entire political landscape in the region.     

  

The EU and the IC however seem to turn a blind eye on development in BIH for reasons that are not comprehendible, or as some argue, are deliberate. The “Internationals” as all foreign entities in BIH are referred to, earn vast amounts of money. Official posts such as the Office of the High Representative (OHR), OSCE chief etc are appointments which are limited to a certain period of time, thus a continuous flow of “new” ideas etc. should be imminent. On the other hand, international consultants, analysts, advisors etc. are in most cases permanent positions. Thus their objectives are to prolong the current eco - political situation in BIH, in order to continue earning high wages. Thus impartial analysis and conflict resolutions on BIH are almost none existing.   

The “Internationals” are also under the influence from lobbies who manipulate the political landscape in BIH. Milorad Dodik, the Bosnian Serb leader of the REPUBLIC SRBSKA (RS) for example uses his warmongering rhetoric’s to “play” the “Internationals” as he deems necessary to archive his political objective in the RS. There are allegations that Dodik has strong lobbies within the EU and the USA who support his cause.

Organized Crime and “grey” Economy of BIH

Last but not least, the other entity in BIH which is not interested in a solution to the Bosnian problem and its acceptance in the EU are the Organized Crime syndicates. OC and the so called “grey” economy are far too developed and infiltrated in all levels of BIH society then to be eliminating them from one day to the other.

The close proximity of the SANDZAK    (see  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sand%C5%BEak ) region, a OC stronghold and home to a BOSNIAK minority, most of whom are running their “international business” from there due to its geographic location in the Balkans and close proximity to main drugs and human trafficking routes to Europe, further stalls political as well as economic progress in BIH.  

See also:

http://www.bmlv.gv.at/pdf_pool/publikationen/crime_omero.pdf  

http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2011/sc10243.doc.htm

GOODBYE OLD CONTINENT Part 2

NON EXISTING MULTICULTURAL AWARENESS

 

Lack of multicultural awareness and the unwillingness of center right politicians to promote immigration cause a negative chain reaction which in the long run will have devastating consequences for Europe as an entity.   

In this day and age to isolate one from multicultural influences is something no county can afford, nevertheless Europe is doing exactly that, thanks to the growing ultra conservative political movements that currently are sweeping across Europe. 

The signs are not looking promising. Ultra nationalistic and conservative politics foster hate and limit visionary thinking.  Right governments and political movements use the aging generation’s fear of foreign “invasions” in their live, in order to achieve their objectives, which are to isolate themselves and their countries. Increasing hostility towards immigrants and foreign visitors in Europe is on the increase. Multicultural awareness among the young and old generation in Central Europe is almost none existent.  Prejudice is ever present.  German speaking countries in Europe generally look down upon Mediterranean people, considering them as lazy and corrupt and thus regard themselves superior. Southern European countries on the other hand look at the northern Europe as being arrogant who lack empathy.

If common people of the European Union lack multicultural awareness, one cannot expect politicians in Brussels to have a broader vision. Europe’s diversity in cultures is also its subsequent downfall as a continent.

RIGHT VERSUS LEFT (edited version)

Where as in South America, which most of the industrial world severely underestimates, there is a political center left move and growing economy, Europe moves in the opposite direction. Most of Central Europe now has center right governments and a stagnating economic growth rate. The right plays with the fear of the common man regarding immigration and the subsequent loss of national identity jobs etc. The European left on the other hand promotes ideas and ideologies that are out of context in the current political and economic situation.

With a dangerous shift to the right, Europe also faces the dilemma on disintegration versus integration of immigrants. Foreigners are simply not welcome and more. Countries such as Austria implemented one of the harshest immigration policies in Europe, thus exposing itself to the dilemma of loosing qualified and experienced workforce needed to fill the void in certain industry sectors. In recent past Germany was short of 10 000 engineers but refused to facilitate immigration policies in order to permit Asian workforce to fill the void. 

GOODBYE OLD CONTINENT Part 1

EUROPE HAS REACHED ITS ZENITH 

Europe, the once striving continent everyone admired for its cultural heritage, economic prosperity, high living standards and social welfare system, seems to have reached its zenith and now faces the abyss, if it refuses to tackle some of the core problems that engulf the continent.

1.            DECLINING AND AGING POPULATION 

Most Central European countries are confronted with a declining population due to low birthrates and resisting migration. Despite this fact and the consequences of current immigration policies looming over the continent, populist governments refuse to promote immigration for fear of losing votes from the older generations who are the majority voters in the industrial world and who fear immigration most.

This old generation is weary of changes and feels threatened by migration and foreign influence.  There is a growing hostility to anything foreign in Europe.

If Europe continues with this policy, countries such as Austria and Germany will become a large “old people’s home” for the poor. Without immigration Europe will not be able to sustain its social welfare state and economic growth will plunge even deeper.  Growth will eventually halt and subsequently government revenues will stagnate, just when governments need them most, thus jeopardizing exactly these conditions, Europeans cherish most: social security, welfare system, health systems  as well as a high living standard.  

2.            RIGHT VERSUS LEFT

Where as in South America, which most of the industrial world severely underestimates, there is a political center left move and growing economy, Europe moves in the opposite direction. Most of Central Europe no has center right governments and a stagnating economic growth rate. The right plays with the fear of the common man regarding immigration and the subsequent loss of national identity etc. The left on the other hand promote ideas and ideologies that are out of context in the current political and economic situation.

 Still to come:

• DISINTEGRATION VERSUS INTEGRATION

• LOOMING GENERATION CONFLICT - OLD VERSUS YOUNG

• PENSION SYSTEM

• EUROPE’S DECLINING EDUCATION STANDARD AND LACK OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT  

ELECTION TIME EQUALS “CRIME TIME” ON PRIME TIME ON TV MEDIA IN ARGENTINA

2011 October elections in ARGENTINA

Crime rate and public security debate – a political tool to steer fear and gain votes

Tasa de criminalidad y el debate de la seguridad pública - una herramienta política para dirigir el miedo y ganar votos

You can tell when it’s General Election Year in Argentina, because it’s the period when the political debate about public insecurity and increased crime rates celebrate their resurrection, triggered by the political opposition parties and the media supporting them.
Se puede decir cuando es año de elecciones generales en Argentina, porque es el período en el que  el debate político sobre la inseguridad pública y las tasas de aumento de la delincuencia celebran su resurrección, provocada por los partidos políticos de oposición y los medios de comunicación que los apoyan.

Mark my words, in the next months to come there will not be one week wasted in which print and TV media are going to showcase how unsafe and dangerous Buenos Aires and Argentina in general have become.
Marquen mis palabras, en los próximos meses por venir, no habrá pasado una semana en la que los medios impresos y la televisión no muestren lo insegura y peligrosa que Buenos Aires y toda la república Argentina se han convertido.

If one watches main news channel TN (TODO NOTICIAS), belonging to the CLARIN Media Group who allegedly is in disagreement with the current Government, one soon realizes that their news coverage is focused on portraying a crime invested country. In general it seems that the channel is set to emphasis on “negative” news coverage, for one hardly sees them reporting positive topics regarding Buenos Aires or Argentina.

 

Si uno mira principalmente el  canal de noticias TN (Todo Noticias), perteneciente al Grupo Clarín, un  medio de comunicación que supuestamente está en desacuerdo con el actual Gobierno, uno se da cuenta de que su cobertura de noticias se centra en retratar a un país ahogado en crimen. En general, parece que el canal se focaliza con énfasis en la cobertura "negativa" de noticias, porque rara vez  vemos  la presentación de informes sobre temas positivos en Buenos Aires o Argentina.

On the other hand there are the opposition politicians who utilize this topic to their advantage by constantly reminding the public, with the help of the media, on how unsafe the country is.  TV exposure as well as public appearances are welcome tools. 

Por otro lado,  están los políticos de la oposición que utilizan este tema para su ventaja recordando constantemente a la opinión pública, con la ayuda de los medios de comunicación, sobre la inseguridad en el país. La exposición mediática y las apariciones púbicas son  herramientas muy bienvenidas. 

Constant exposure to bad news regarding crime rate increase and insecurity triggers fear in people, something politicians use to try to gain votes by promising to tackle the problem.  

La exposición constante a las malas noticias respecto al aumento de la tasa de criminalidad y la inseguridad,  provoca miedo en la gente, los políticos lo usan para tratar de ganar votos con la promesa de abordar el problema.

Francisco de Narvaez, a local politician running for a post in the upcoming elections, for example distributes flyers in which he offers advices to citizens on how to avoid being mugged, robbed etc  instead of trying to provide a solution on how he will tackle the root of the problem.

Francisco de Narváez, un político local que se presenta para un puesto en las próximas elecciones, por ejemplo, distribuye volantes en los que ofrece consejos a los ciudadanos sobre cómo evitar ser asaltado, robado, etc en lugar de tratar de ofrecer una solución en la forma en que abordará la raíz del problema.

Needless to say if people are permanently exposed through media and politicians, to such topic, sooner or later they will believe that life in Buenos Aires is dangerous, even if they themselves have not fallen victim to a violent crime. 

Huelga decir que si las personas están permanentemente expuestas a través de los medios de comunicación y los políticos, a tal asunto, tarde o temprano se va a creer que la vida en Buenos Aires es peligrosa, incluso si ellos mismos no han sido víctimas de un crimen violento.

One should not forget that approximately 40% of the entire Argentine population lives in and around Buenos Aires, thus it is obvious that in such dens area the crime rate is higher than in rural areas, no matter what security measures a government implements. Nevertheless public insecurity and increased crime rates are a worldwide phenomenon, which need to be addressed. 

No hay que olvidar que aproximadamente el 40% de la población total de Argentina está en Buenos Aires y alrededores, por lo tanto es obvio que en la zona de tanta densidad el índice de criminalidad es más alto que en las zonas rurales, no importa qué medidas de seguridad implementa un gobierno. Sin embargo, la inseguridad pública y las tasas de aumento de la delincuencia son  un fenómeno mundial, que es necesario abordar.

As for Argentina there is a lot of room for improvement but if one looks at statistics the picture looks definitely different than local media and the opposition parties in Argentina try to sell to the public.
En cuanto a la Argentina hay mucho margen de mejora, pero si uno mira algunas estadísticas la situaciones se ve definitivamente diferente a la cual  los medios de comunicación locales y los partidos de oposición en la Argentina tratan de vender al público.

Out of 16 Latin American states, Argentina is ranked as the 2^rd safest, together with Cuba. Only Chile outranks Argentina and thus is considered the safest country in LATAM.

De los 16 Estados de América Latina, Argentina está clasificada como la 2da más segura, junto con Cuba. Sólo Chile supera a Argentina y por lo tanto es considerado el país más seguro de LATAM.

Crime rate per 100,000 inhabitants
Tasa de criminalidad por cada 100.000 habitantes

• El Salvador 77
• Honduras 67
• Guatemala 52
• Venezuela 49
• Colombia 35
• Panama 24
• Brazil 22
• Dominican Republic 22
• Ecuador 19
• Mexico 15
• Nicaragua 13
• Bolivia 11
• Costa Rica 11
• Argentina 5.5
• Cuba 5.5
• Chile 1.7

Internationally Argentina ranks 55^th out of 135 nations, with Iraq ranking No. 1 with the world highest crime rate and Morocco with the lowest crime rate.      

Looking at Argentines crime rate development of the last 10 years, one will see a steady decline. 2002, the year Argentina defaulted naturally showed the highest crime rate, but with the economy improving also the crime rate declined and is currently at 5.5.

Argentina ocupa el puesto 55o internacional de 135 países, con Irak rankeado como el  N º 1,  con la tasa de criminalidad más altas del mundo y Marruecos con la menor tasa de delincuencia.
En cuanto al desarrollo de la tasa de criminalidad de los últimos 10 años de la república Argentina, se verá una disminución constante. 2002, año en que Argentina dejó de pagar, naturalmente, mostró que la tasa de criminalidad  fue la más alta, pero con la mejora de la economía también la tasa de criminalidad se redujo y se encuentra actualmente en 5,5.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_intentional_homicide_rate

2000  2001  2002  2003     2004  2005  2006  2007  2008  2009  2010

7.2      8.4      9.5     7.9      6.3      5.8     5.3     5.3     5.8      5.5     5.5    

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_intentional_homicide_rate#cite_note-67

Looking at these figures it becomes obvious that economic growth reduces crime, as has been the case in Argentina for the last 8 years, crime is on the decline. For the opposition admitting this fact during election year however would be devastating and thus playing with the fear of the people by using the “crime rate card” is only obvious.

En cuanto a estas cifras,  se hace evidente que el crecimiento económico reduce la delincuencia, como ha sido el caso en la Argentina durante los últimos 8 años, la delincuencia va en declive. Para la oposición, admitir este hecho durante el año electoral, sin embargo, sería devastador, y por lo tanto jugar con el miedo de las personas mediante el uso de la "tarjeta de tasa de criminalidad" sólo es obvio.

Food for Thought

Using the “crime rate” as a political tool not only is a phenomenon in Argentina but is also used extensively in many countries across the globe.  Of course one cannot compare Argentina with Austria for example but media and politicians tend to exaggerate the situation in Argentina. The only way to reduce crime is to provide social security and economic stability

Alimento para el Pensamiento

Utilizando el "índice de criminalidad" como una herramienta política, no sólo es un fenómeno en Argentina, pero también se utiliza ampliamente en muchos países de todo el mundo. Por supuesto no se puede comparar a Argentina con Austria, por ejemplo, pero los medios de comunicación y los políticos tienden a exagerar la situación en Argentina. La única manera de reducir el crimen es proporcionar seguridad social y económica

Sources:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_intentional_homicide_rate

http://www.unodc.org/