Argentina: What Went Wrong

by Colin M. MacLachlan, Douglas Brinkley (Preface)

Why has Argentina failed so spectacularly, both economically and politically? It is a puzzle because the country seemed to have all the requirements for greatness, including a well-established middle class of professionals. Its failure raises the specter that other middle-class societies could also fail. In Argentina , MacLachlan delivers history with a plot, a sense of direction and purpose, and fascinating conclusions that reveal a much more complex picture of Argentina than one might have had in mind prior to reading this book.

Argentina traces the roots of the nation from the late colonial period to the present, and examines the impact of events that molded the failure of political accommodation in 1912, the role of the oligarchy, the development of a middle class, gender issues, the elaboration of a distinct culture, the era of Peron, the army, and the dirty war. The conclusion suggests the reasons for the nation's difficulties. The IMF, World Bank, and international financial markets play a role, but so does a high level of political corruption and mismanagement of the economy that emerged from political and economic failure. Juan and Eva Peron tried to override politics to create an economic and social balance between urban labor and agriculture interests, but failed. The dirty war arose from that failure. Nationalism forged a culture of victimization and resentment that continues to this day. Laying aside standard explanations, MacLachlan presents a portrait of Argentina that emphasizes the role of a destructive nationalism―and a form a corruption that turns citizens into clients.

240 pages, Hardcover

First published April 30, 2006

Reviews

[Oana · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has an overview approach about Argentina.I picked it thinking is about the financial crises but it is much more than that.It states the cultural, political, economical,heritage factors about Argentina and how all of them contributed to the living standards of the people.
It was an interesting read, especially as I see many similarities between Argentina and my country, Romania.
I wanted a little bit more info about the economic crises - this book offers an overview.
There are a lots of info, facts and for me it was better to read it in small dozes.I learned a lot and it really helped me gain some knowledge about that part of the world.

[HelenJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very informative text book style that I read in short bursts and enjoyed. As a straight through read it would have been too much like work ;-)