General Strike on Friday in Argentina

I am so glad I have no classes scheduled on Friday! The more I use crowded public transportation, the more I am willing to offer language classes.

I was in that area to attend the last class of a course. Everything was desert and the transit was minimal around the closed road. It looked like a mid sized European city and I have never seen downtown so empty (I was near Callao green subway station).

My friend and I had an ice-cream and strolled around the block, then we walked toward the venue of my class, which was on Callao y Corrientes. One block ahead of us there was a row of policemen, with those high portable gates. Two block behind us, three motorcycle of the city police cut transit, so it was empty AND safe (most stores were open).

However I saw big trash collector (the grey blocks) in the middle of the street (?) and one was burned down (they were installed 2 weeks ago brand new!).

We had a few minutes to spare before I had to go upstairs and we chatted, but after two minutes I heard shots. I have never been around firearms so I can't tell if they were firecrackers or gun shots. I got scared and my friend and I parted. I went immediately upstairs, she went back home.

I stayed scared for the whole three hours, frantically checking on La Nación to see if it was safe or if hell exploded again (it was 6 PM when I was there). Then I misclicked on something and the voice of the President started from my phone in the middle of the class. I wanted to bury myself. I didn't even try to justify myself as I was the only foreigner. It might be everyday protests for them but they scare a lot a town girl like me.

From The Bubble: http://www.thebubble.com/the-c…on-reform-bill-explained/

From what I read on La Nación (especially this one) and on foreign newspapers, it all boils down to Argentinian being childish and mischievous against any change, unable to be far-sighted?

Quote

El Presidente Mauricio Macri sostiene que si la reforma previsional no sale de Diputados tal como la aprobó el Senado, la inercia del aumento del gasto social se transformará en una bola de nieve que hará explotar a la economía.

[...]

el total del gasto social se está volviendo cada vez más alto, más rígido y menos controlable.

[...]

dicen las estadísticas, por ejemplo, que el gasto en seguridad social representó, entre 2010 y 2015, el 44 por ciento de todo el presupuesto primario. Pero en 2016 ya había trepado al 48 por ciento y para 2017 va a terminar cerrando en un 54 por ciento. Dicen también, las planillas excel del Presupuesto 2018, que el gasto en Seguridad Social trepará hasta el 57 por ciento. "A este ritmo nos estrellamos más temprano que tarde" reflexionó.

¿Pero por qué se aceleró tanto el gasto? Macri le adjudica la responsabilidad a Cristina Fernández quien decidió incluir en el sistema a más de 4 millones de personas que no habían hecho los aportes para jubilarse.

[...]

Pero a partir de la inscripción de los nuevos beneficiarios sin aportes, en vez de seguir distribuyendo los pagos sobre el número total de todos los jubilados, lo que hubiera afectado a los "viejos", se decidió seguir haciendo la cuenta original y pagarle a los recién inscriptos con plata de "otra caja". Es decir: en vez de repartir porciones más chicas de la misma torta, se decidió "comprar otra" imprimiendo billetes o endeudando al Estado. Entre 2010 y 2015 ese nuevo escenario le costó al Poder Ejecutivo aproximadamente 65 mil millones de pesos adicionales. Pero hoy ese "gasto" se elevó hasta representar casi el 100 por ciento del déficit primario. Es decir: unos 400 mil millones de pesos.

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