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Notes on El Salvador

mattlakeman.org

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Re: Notes on El Salvador

#81

Post by ojbyrne »

rsync wrote: post #78
grecy wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They all still are fine. I drove the entire pan American highway from Alaska to Argentina from 2009 to 2011. I have dozens of Friends that have done it, and I moderate a Facebook group where thousands are doing it right now. As the marketing for tourism Colombia goes “the only danger is you’ll never want to leave”

"I drove the entire pan American highway from Alaska to Argentina ..." How did you cross that part of Colombia that is impassable and has no road and blah blah blah ? Genuinely curious as I was dissuaded from a similar trip by the supposed inability to go all the way through Columbia.

You take a ferry. https://www.fodors.com/world/mexico-and-central-america/pana...

Re: Notes on El Salvador

#82

Post by searealist »

SV_BubbleTime wrote: post #66
macintux wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can’t speak to the original comment, but I think part of a “deep state” is institutional inertia/tradition. A state without that deep-rooted sense of continuity is much more fragile. Having a civil service without political allegiance seems to be critical to preservation of a democratic system.

Why are you under the impression that the bureaucracy class does not have a political leaning/allegiance? We know it does, 95% of DC votes for the people that want larger government.

The "deep state" organizations skew 90%+ Democrat.

Re: Notes on El Salvador

#84

Post by nemothekid »

This is a great article; I didn't think I would read the whole thing but AFAIK, its a reasonable thorough account on the rise of Bukele.

As an aside, I find it incredibly amusing that the China-funded library is decorated with rather Western culture - Harry Potter, Star Wars, and even Mario. Even Chinese money is used to uphold American cultural hegemony.

Re: Notes on El Salvador

#85

Post by cjbgkagh »

nemothekid wrote: post #84

This is a great article; I didn't think I would read the whole thing but AFAIK, its a reasonable thorough account on the rise of Bukele. As an aside, I find it incredibly amusing that the China-funded library is decorated with rather Western culture - Harry Potter, Star Wars, and even Mario. Even Chinese money is used to uphold American cultural hegemony.

I make a distinction between western culture of Magna Carta onwards as distinct from mass marketed corporate manufactured culture. Encouraging the later probably serves Chinese interests.

Re: Notes on El Salvador

#86

Post by rablackburn »

nemothekid wrote: post #84

This is a great article; I didn't think I would read the whole thing but AFAIK, its a reasonable thorough account on the rise of Bukele. As an aside, I find it incredibly amusing that the China-funded library is decorated with rather Western culture - Harry Potter, Star Wars, and even Mario. Even Chinese money is used to uphold American cultural hegemony.

> (...) and even Mario

Cool Japan would like a word with you ;)

Re: Notes on El Salvador

#87

Post by sdsd »

nemothekid wrote: post #84

This is a great article; I didn't think I would read the whole thing but AFAIK, its a reasonable thorough account on the rise of Bukele. As an aside, I find it incredibly amusing that the China-funded library is decorated with rather Western culture - Harry Potter, Star Wars, and even Mario. Even Chinese money is used to uphold American cultural hegemony.

>Even Chinese money is used to uphold American cultural hegemony.

It makes me think of German barbarians who, after sacking the urbs aeterna, couldn't think of a better name for themselves than Holy Roman Empire.

Re: Notes on El Salvador

#88

Post by kovezd »

rablackburn wrote: post #86
nemothekid wrote: post #84

This is a great article; I didn't think I would read the whole thing but AFAIK, its a reasonable thorough account on the rise of Bukele. As an aside, I find it incredibly amusing that the China-funded library is decorated with rather Western culture - Harry Potter, Star Wars, and even Mario. Even Chinese money is used to uphold American cultural hegemony.

> (...) and even Mario Cool Japan would like a word with you ;)

Curiously, Mario's inception was a result of Nintendo's expansion to America, and the need to provide arcade games with a relatable narrative.

Re: Notes on El Salvador

#89

Post by roshin »

If the extremely low crime rate is true, that is amazing. However, my concern is that as a de facto dictator, he can fudge the statistics. Just like Mussolini was credited for making the trains run on time only to later be found out that he simply forced the news to report that the trains ran on time. Although, if, as the author writes, people on the street love him and they all claim that crime is down. Then maybe the ballpark figure is right.

Re: Notes on El Salvador

#90

Post by wolverine876 »

fvdessen wrote: post #9

Gang crime seem to be a common weakness of democracies. There's a notable list of countries that had to resort to elect a quasi-dictator to get rid of gangs. As my hometown is coming to grip with a bubbling gang war, I wonder if there is a better way.

> Gang crime seem to be a common weakness of democracies.

I've read many histories and that hasn't been a problem. I've lived all my life in democracies and it's never been a problem anywhere that I've lived.

I also don't see a correlation. Countries with high levels of corruption, of every form of government, have organized crime problems. Haiti has a very serious gang problem but never much democracy. You might not read about gangs as much in dictatorships because, first, the government is a gang - they are a gang that took over government. And also there's no free press.

And on the other side of the correlation, modern democracies are the safest, most prosperous places in the history of humanity. And they have a free press to report on everything. Nothing is perfect, of course; but compare them to the alternative (and to history), not to the almighty.

Also, the premise that democracy is optional is irrational. If the people don't get to select their leaders, who the f- does? Who will do better? If they are so clearly better, why not have a vote?

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