Argentina has great people. It also has a culture of horribly corrupt and self-serving governments. The name of the game, if you are in government, is to cheat, lie and steal. Every one of those fuckers has nicely padded bank accounts out of the country somewhere. The've robbed that country out of so much it is hard to describe.

I lived there for many years. I saw it first hand. I also became aware of the history and how corruption and manipulation has been a core part of governmental culture.

In conversations with friends I can't help but draw parallels between what has happened in Argentina over the decades and what happens in the US.

One of the most famous examples of government manipulation and vote-buying was when Evita (way back when) would show-up at neighborhoods and hand out bikes, refrigerators, blenders, etc. to the population. Of course, they were buying votes. Same with their "sindicatos" (unions) and other groups.

These governments have used the guise of socialism (down with the rich, etc.) to drum-up popular support and remain in power. The reality is that most of them should probably have been tried and thrown into prison for treason.

In the US the Democratic party exhibits some of these traits. The corruption in places like Argentina is very obvert. It's amazing how everyone knows about it and it is very much a matter of daily national conversation.

Here in the US it used to be more subtle. Not now. Democrats openly channel benefits towards government and private unions as a way to buy their votes. If a being from another planet landed in the US and listened to Obama speak it would conclude that the only important people in this nation are "teachers, police, firemen and construction workers". Why? Because that is all he mentions in his speeches. Translated: "union, union, union, union".

If you succeed in buying union ("sindicato" in Argentina) votes you are buying the votes of their immediate family as well as all union retirees. That amounts to millions upon millions of people. Brilliant, if you think about it.

It goes far deeper than this. The Argentinian goverment figured this out a long time ago. Create class divisions. Get those on the dole worked-up about those with money. This guarantees millions of easy votes and you remain in power. It is also easy when this ideology permeates colleges and universities and kids come out of school actually believing this shit. If you are a college or university graduate, pull way back, realize that you may have been subject to indoctrination and try to see the world for what it actually is before parroting what your radical professors told you.

What's sad about this is that, both here and in Argentina, it all comes at the expense of the country in general. Those in power remain in power and live the good life (Another vacation or golf trip Mr. Obama?) and truly live outside of the realities of the country. The masses get their blenders, bikes, refrigerators, playstations, bonuses, etc. and buy into the idea that they are being oppressed by everyone and are entitled to take from everyone in order to live. The country goes to hell and nobody wins. Our kids will have to deal with the real consequences of this mess.

Argentina is a warning to everyone in the world. Watch and learn. See what can happen when government goes wild and acts not for the benefit of the entire country but for themselves and nobody else. Manipulating the masses is a tried-and-true way to acquire votes with few, if any, real consequences after the fact.

I have friends who still live there. Some have businesses and are terrified. Some are doctors and are living from paycheck to paycheck --if they get paid at all. Nearly every Argentinian has stories of someone getting held-up, sometimes at gun-point, when coming or leaving home or going about their daily life. The government does nothing. And, in fact, a lot of these criminal elements end-up being the voting masses that support them (living in favela-type encamptments all over the place). It's amazing to see people who live like shit support the very party that keeps them there. In the US that's welfare recipients. Legalized vote buying. How many welfare recipients do you think ever vote Republican? How many people in Argentina do you think vote for political parties who will take away their entitlements and put them to work for their own benefit and that of the country. Right.

The solutions to these problems can only evolve internally.

In Argentina I am afraid that it might be so far gone that only a major event, such as nation-wide unrest and an ousting of the government can ever hope to find a solution. This wouldn't be the first time this would happen over there.

In the US it is still thankfully quite civilized. All you have to do is be intelligent about how you vote and things can change.

As a Libertarian I have to make a choice between two parties that don't quite represent me. So, in many ways, it is about the lesser evil. Casting a vote for a Libertarian candidate would, at this juncture, be irresponsible.

Casting a vote for the Democratic candidate would be even worst. The last thing this country needs is more union workers earning $300K for life when they retire. I could not, in good conscience, saddle my kids and the generation after them with that ridiculous burden.

And, while I don't necessarily agree with all of the Republican platform (I'm an heterosexual atheist and don't have issues with gays at all) I must cast my vote in their favor. I, for one, would really like to see what a real businessman could do with the mess we have created in the US over the last fifty years.

Obama was an exciting bet in 2008. In retrospect, the guy wasn't even qualified to run a cookie baking operation, much less an entire country. We made a mistake. I hope we all fix it in November.