I really liked this post Martin in Homoeconomicus about attempts to launch a plan of industrial development in Argentina of the 1870s. watering was completed, the same way failed and became extinct at other times sought to industrialize historical, such as import substitution during the First World War or the Pinedo Plan of 1940 . In all these cases, prevailed in favor of free trade areas in Argentina continue to fulfill their role as "granary of the world."
Beyond the objective conditions that might have enabled the industrial development, social and cultural characteristics of the dominant sectors in favor of a behavior is clearly not "entrepreneur." In this article refers to a English economist Luis Olarte published in 1925 in Revista de Occidente, which was cited this year by Horacio Verbitsky and then Carlos Leyba .
"Everywhere you can create wealth, but none with the speed and simplicity of resources in America. And being so easy to create wealth there, it's all men, population of immigrants. Behind They have come so far without delay that it takes to leverage your efforts will: capital, technology. This is how the social tone of the Argentina-optimism, activity, safety in the future, disregard for spending. "
"In Argentina, spent enormous, spends far more than they spend in the same proportion of wealth in European societies. Generally, it is saved. Have many children, living with all the spending possible, boasts of having expensive jewelry, will visit Europe frequently. Everything is done generously, boldly, in the certainty that after everything has to fix, that the country will prosper and will cover, eventually, open gaps credit in the private economy. All this enormous expenditure, the exaggerated level of material life, characteristic of Argentina, are consequences. The first is the difficulty to form a superior culture .(...)"
"also requires its estimates of national independence. Argentina, while their men worked tirelessly to make compared to rising prices, has been resolved so far its cultural problem brokered the technical, industrial instruments and foreign methods. But he has scrounged up all these things at the expense of not doing nation, at the expense of its independence. Efforts have been made foreign engineers, foreign managers, foreign intellectuals, we have tried also foreign capital, foreign machines, foreign transportation. "
" Argentina is a barrage of other industrial countries that value, that subject to dependency and too economically decide their fate; owner of a magnificent land, rich in food and industrial raw materials eagerly demanded that Europe has not felt the need to look comprehensively the national body. As to create superior culture in a country of effort needed to create economic independence, is also needed for a significant proportion of national income . But Argentina, living in the capital and technology and markets of Europe, handed the reins of its economy to Europe, and also has ventured to share the fate of Europe, which is a random luck for the day tomorrow. Perhaps the Argentina need more than just thinking to produce the strong reaction it change its trends. "
" Argentina is a country that has successfully assimilated training and develop prodigiously aspects of modern civilization. His guidance has responded to its geographical and social circumstances, and ideological currents that have dominated European life in the period utility that evolution has taken place in Argentina. European utilitarianism was not, however, but a phase of European culture, and the secret of his success was unprecedented at other stages, much less practice, they discovered the fundamental laws of industrial activity and created the discipline of thinking . It was not possible to adapt to a phase secondary and subordinate to European culture without being spiritual crucibles depending on where that culture was brewing. But as the Spiritual crucibles were not transferable and Europe was limited to give a loan, and imposing certain allegiance, formulas, techniques and industrial items, Argentina was formed with that inevitable dependence. "
" Today Argentina "His intelligent men, at least, has aspirations to better control their body growth and to forge an economy and a superior culture of their own. you concerned about the influence of foreign capital is concerned about the creation of a national industry. In this way is to find several obstacles, the most feared of all the confidence that success creates in the ways of life and experienced, especially when seeking a life grata. "Leyba
As noted, these fragments can also serve warning against excessive optimism about the present time, with China occupying in some sense the ancient site of Europe.
What is certain is that it finishes the lie to the heads of hardened steel Argentina still idealize previous to 1943 (or 1930) and insist on blaming all the ills of the country to Perón and Peronism. As Artemio say, psssssss ...!
PS: Many thanks to all visitors and commentators, and my apologies for the outstanding answers, I say goodbye until Monday. Happy 2011 to everyone!