7,000 Argentine scientists sign open letter against Macri's trickle-down policies.
Over 7,000 Argentine researchers from all disciplines signed an open letter Saturday in opposition to the recently-inaugurated President Mauricio Macri's domestic policies. The letter emphasized three points: the "gigantic transfer of funds to the wealthy and monopolies," the "abuse of decrees of necessity and urgency to circumvent the democratic system," and an "ideological persecution carried out by state agencies" against opponents or those who simply do not share the Macri administration's right-wing outlook.
The signatures represented scientists from the National Research Council (CONICET), the Argentine Aerospace Agency (INVAP), National Industrial Institute (INTI), National Agricultural Institute (INTA), and the National University Council (CIN), among others. It was the first such open letter to an Argentine government by the country's scientific community since the one published in response to Gen. Juan Carlos Onganía's brutal purge of academics shortly after taking power in a 1966 coup.
We are concerned because the country is being taken down a political path opposite to that of national development, and in which individual liberties are threatened, Dr. Eduardo Dvorkin, head of the National Academy of Natural Sciences, said. "Our daily work is built on the foundations of critical thinking, such that we cannot look away while measures are enacted that are aimed at reversing socioeconomic gains behind the guise of conscience-numbing speech."
The Macri administration, the letter pointed out, is heading "a conservative restoration in the country which in two months has replaced a model aimed at self-development, with universities, research centers and small and medium business as the basis for growth," with "a corporate-sponsored model, which instead of promoting development promotes imports and a massive transfer of resources to the top."
We scientists do not live in an isolated world, they concluded. "There is a link between the model of development and scientific activity - for when there is no interest in the development of industry and sovereignty, there is no room for scientific development."
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They know they are putting their lives on the line with this act, and they deserve praise, and support.
Thank you, forest444. Thanks for the information regarding General Onganía's assault on earlier scientists, etc. This new dictator-supporter cannot be trusted to repeat ALL the sins of the ones he publicly supports, and admires. Can only he won't last too long.
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Gen. Juan Carlos Onganía.
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Onganía, you see, at least appointed an Economy Minister (Krieger Vasena) who spent generously on public works, promoted home ownership and industrial development, and raised taxes on the rich in such a way that only punished those who hoarded and speculated - the exact opposite of what Macri's neocon JP Morgan goons have been doing.
Inflation declined, the economy grew, and construction took off. The country's still dotted with the many large public works from that era.
Nevertheless, Onganía was a thug who was very quick to use police to bash academics, students, and of course those in the labor movement. After a couple of years of this, strikes degenerated into violent riots, and a veritable brain drain began with thousands of scientists, engineers, lawyers, professors, artists, and doctors leaving the country.
His obsessive Catholic fundamentalism (Onganía was the first Argentine President to belong to the Opus Dei) even kept police busy fining and arresting girls just for wearing miniskirts (in the 1960s!).
Macri is better than Onganía in one respect though: he doesn't seem to have a problem with girls.
