Unsurprising… They’re looking for an excuse to crack down…
I know a bit about soccer holliganism in European history… for real! 
Of course, as the example of Serbia in the 1990s showed up, that can cut both ways. At least one of the major militias in the Bosnian war were made up in part of soccer fans.
They need it, as the situation isn’t improving, quite the opposite, since the number of poor people has been increasing every month in the country.
I think that in the Argentine case, as in the rest of Latin America, the abuse of power against the elderly is frowned upon. I don’t know much about Latin American culture, but two things should never be done: disrespecting the mamacitas and the abuelitas.
ETA
Ugh… I wish people would just learn from history! No, some right wing dickhead promising to gut the public sector is not going to “fix” the economy… there is not reason to believe the hack and slash approach to the economy is gonna work. It never has and never will.
that’s insane… No wonder why people are out on the streets!
I think it is part of national character of the Argentine People. I can’t see the same thing happening in Brazil, as the economy in Brazil is faltering too and Mr. Lula looks confused…
Maybe so? I think the US has the same problem with not getting out on the streets as in Brazil. Certainly, some people will, but so far, the Black Lives Matter movement seems like it was kind of the limits. But who knows, if things get that bad that fast, maybe more people will be moved to protest…
I’m thinking more of the pensioners.
The points about insurgency remind me of something I read in the lead-up to the 2003 Gulf War. The author pointed out that after a successful invasion the real problems would begin. Quoting from memory, they said that during The Troubles in Northern Ireland, IRA membership peaked at around 400 people. The British response at the time tied up 10,000 troops.
And they wouldn’t just be dealing with a bunch of really pissed off civilians, but also a highly trained military force.
Can we (the US) elect him?
A lot of people would like him to run for the leadership of the left leaning New Democrat Party (NDP), particularly since they are going to get crushed in the upcoming election, but sadly, he says he’s retiring from politics.
I wish I had his speaking skills.
He’s a fiery speaker; an old school NDPer, much like Bernie Sanders, I would say.
I read an article by a Brazilian journalist who lives in Argentina about these retirees. It seems that since the late 1980s, the elderly have been gathering in front of the National Congress to protest and demand better living conditions. The police were usually called, but there were no remarkable episodes of violence. According to this journalist, the local governments have always preferred to “starve” the pensioners to death and no one seemed to care much. Now that a president who champions extreme freedom has taken power, things have changed. It seems that violence has become the norm. An elderly soccer fan was attacked by the police during one of these protests and all his friends, young and old, decided to side with the abuelitos and abuelitas.
Sometimes it only takes one person, like the elderly soccer fan.
