Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, wife of current president Néstor Kirchner and former senator of the Buenos Aires province, creamed the opposition and has become Argentine’s first presidenta electa, or first elected female president. Let’s let the BBC speak:
Argentina’s current first lady, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, has secured victory in the country’s presidential election.
With ballots counted at almost all polling stations, Mrs Kirchner had an unassailable 44.9% lead.
Her nearest rival, former lawmaker Elisa Carrio, has admitted defeat, trailing on 23% of the vote.
Mrs Kirchner will succeed her husband Nestor Kirchner and become Argentina’s first elected female president. (more)
I’m a busy man, so I’m afraid I don’t have time to make any insightful commentary, but I just wanted to share the big news from my neck of the woods.
I wish I had the time to blog more about my life down in la República Argentina. So many fascinating, fun, and interesting things have happened that I don’t even know where to start. Technically, I could write about everything, but I’m not gonna write sloppily written entries because that just ain’t my thing. I need lots of time to brainstorm, write, edit, and polish them.
Why must I actually study during study abroad?
I’m really sad that I have to return to the US in two months. Really. Yeah, I miss my family and all, but after spending eight months and a week in this country, I’m finally getting the hang of things. I don’t feel as foreign, and I know Buenos Aires far better than my own hometown. Plus, my Spanish has improved drastically. Despite having studied it for six years, I came here without being able to hold a decent conversation and understanding what people say, but now I can pretty much talk about everything from President Bush to the dog crap on the sidewalks. I still have an accent, but whatever. People either think I’m Brazilian because of my intonation (”¿Sos brasileiro, no?“–”You’re Brazilian, right?”), or they just have no clue because my accent is pretty neutral since it shows few signs of my English-speaking background. Oh, how much I loathe the American accent. So many Americans that come down here speak Spanish as if it was English. It makes me cringe. And now, I’m developing actual friendships with Argentines and not just Americans. Obviously, meeting locals is the key to truly learning the language and culture of another people.
I guess there’s nothing else I can do but make the most of my last few weeks here.
According to The New York Times, the US Army has begun recruiting anthropologists and sociologists to help with military operations in Afghanistan:
Since Gen. David H. Petraeus, now the overall American commander in Iraq, oversaw the drafting of the Army’s new counterinsurgency manual last year, the strategy has become the new mantra of the military. A recent American military operation here offered a window into how efforts to apply the new approach are playing out on the ground in counterintuitive ways.
In interviews, American officers lavishly praised the anthropology program, saying that the scientists’ advice has proved to be “brilliant,” helping them see the situation from an Afghan perspective and allowing them to cut back on combat operations.
The aim, they say, is to improve the performance of local government officials, persuade tribesmen to join the police, ease poverty and protect villagers from the Taliban and criminals. (more)
Um, isn’t it obvious that learning the savage’s culture is essential for civilizing, er, I mean, bringing democracy to them? You can bomb and shoot them all you want, but it takes much more to keep them under control.
Anthropology arose during the great era of European colonization when the white man traveled the world and encountered strange and interesting savages. Due to his superior culture and intellect, he realized early on that he must learn about the cultures of his subjects to find ways to best dominate and civilize them. Perhaps America’s military leaders should have learned from the masters. How else are you gonna play your subjects against each other if you don’t know what ticks them off?
In the video, Col. Martin Schweitzer, commander of the 82nd Airborne Division unit, discusses the changes that the social scientists have brought to the military’s tactics: “… [I]n ‘02 we used to kick in doors, and ‘07, the Afghan army or Afghan police knock on the door and request to come in.” And they needed academics to tell them that kicking in doors instead of kindly knocking pisses people off?
Okay, it’s good the Army finally realizes that force alone does more harm than good, but it just amazes me that it took them nearly six years to seriously ask why the Afghans behave the way they do. Dude, just do a friggin’ Wikipedia search! If look beyond your own narrow world view, it’s really not that hard to learn about someone else’s culture.
It’s not like me to put up so many short posts, but I just have to share this hilarious music video that was originally aired on September 29 on NBC’s Saturday Night Live:
Fantastic Mahmoud Ahmadinejad impression.
Oh, and I just love this part:
We can take a trip to the animal zoo
And laugh at all the funny things that animals do
I’m totally using that line on a girl one day.
“Iran So Far Away” is actually a pretty good song, despite it’s comically odd, homosexual subject matter. Andy Samberg, you’re a genius.
A recent BBC article discusses the plight of the Toba people, an indigenous group that inhabits northern Argentina:
Many look much older than they are, and are suffering from tuberculosis or the effects of Chagas disease, caused by a parasitic insect.
These are illnesses with their roots in poverty and all the patients are much thinner than they should be, many too emaciated to be operated on.
The families who brought them here, often from long distances, sit with them since they have nowhere else to go and have little or no money for food.
In recent months, it has been reported that some Toba have died from malnutrition, something those in the capital, Buenos Aires find hard to accept in a country where the economy is growing at the rate of 8% a year. (more)
And here I am complaining that I constantly have dry eyes.
Only something this wild would happen in Argentina:
A 24-year-old Argentine man has married a woman 58 years his senior.
The groom, Reinaldo Waveqche, told reporters after the ceremony in Santa Fe, northern Argentina: “I’ve always liked mature ladies.” (more)
I’m completely speechless.
The groom, with his mullet, mustache, and fashionably-trimmed beard, looks so stereotypically Argentine. If you wanna know how most guys look down here, there’s your answer.
Thanks to the creator of Zabeha Pork for the link.
