Ricardo Forster
Ricardo Forster (born 26 September 1957) is an Argentine philosopher, historian of ideas and political critic. He is professor and researcher at Universidad de Buenos Aires and University of Maryland. He is also member of the editorial board of "Pensamiento de los Confines" magazine. Along with Horacio Verbitsky, Nicolás Casullo and others created Espacio Carta Abierta (""Open Letter Spot""), a propagandistic group in defense of the Kirchner government, in 2008, after an attempt to raise taxes on agricultural exports led to large street protests. He also had a small incursion in television as presenter of "Grandes pensadores del  siglo XX" (""Greatest thinkers of 20th-century"") in Encuentro, in years 2009–2010. In 2013, he ran for National Deputy representing the city of Buenos Aires. He was fourth on the list of the government-backed Party for Victory (Frente para la Victoria) party. The party came in third place with less than 22% of the vote and Forster did not get elected to Congress. In June 2014, the position of "Secretary of Strategic Coordination of National Thought" was created by the Kirchner administration and Forster was named its first office holder. The Secretary was given the task to "design, coordinate  and instrument a factory of National Thought" and its creation and Forster's naming were criticised by the opposition but applauded by Carta Abierta. Forster is also an essayist and writer. In his works he develops his thinking on diverse subjects, which include political philosophy, nihilism, the entire concept of essay (topic of his doctoral dissertation), and social sciences in general.