Thius is a part two for BS: Still alive in Argentina , which was getting too long.

Here vare a couple of "new readers start here" posts (for people who couldn't open up the thread as it got longer.)

From: Escamillo
Date: 08-May-02 - 06:01 AM

12 days went on, this is just to report that this is worsening day by day. Legal actions against Argentina started to show up in Washington DC, and the IMF presses for an immediate derogation of the Bankrupcy Law which prevents foreign creditors to seize the assets of debtor local companies. Everything signals that large capitals are pushing to force the sale of all Argentinean companies and resources for a vile price, and this is not geopolitics, it's just plain robbery.

In fact, the dilemma has no solution. A company which ought 1 million dollars to its suppliers abroad, now owes 3.3 million and raising. If the internal prices accompanied the raise, in a genuine inflation process, it would be possible for them to gather the 3.3 millions, but the problem is that there are no new emissions, salaries are frozen, and the circulating money is locked at the banks and being lent to a broken government at annual rates of 100%

Today the Bank of Nova Scotia (under a 30 day suspension) accepted deposits from Otamendi Hospital to pay salaries, but then refused to pay to the employees, argueing that the bank is suspended and there is no obligation to pay. However they claim to those employees to cancel their credit card obligations, bringing money from elsewhere !The employer argues that they have paid the salaries on time, and everybody has to go to work. Moreover, those employees had been compulsively bankerized, and it was the employer who had chosen the Scotia for all of them. WE'VE JUST REACHED DELIRIUM TREMENS. Canadian friends, please don't feel attacked at all, it could have been any other bank.

The IMF is "preparing" a new, viable plan for Argentina. S.O.S.

On the other hand, steel industries reached 100% production capacity, oil exports are raising, cereals started to move, and many small manufacturers started production at the ruins of their facilities. Rich countries threatened to boicot Argentine products, but there has to be some market out there.

Politicians, banks and corporations have decided to kill the hen of the golden eggs and bring their own. They don't know that there is no replacement.

Un abrazo - Andrés (applying for a place at the NYCFTTS)

Subject: RE: BS: Still alive in Argentina
From: katlaughing
Date: 08-May-02 - 10:13 AM

Looking for stuff made in Argentna is good, but I have a feeeling, in most of the USA, it would difficult to find much. We could also be contacting our representatives in Congress, Parliament, etc. if it would do any good. Sometimes it feels like pissing in the wind...sorry, Andres, I am more hopeful than that.

Maybe we should start a bumper sticker campaign...some short phrase about Argentina which catches a person's eye and makes them aware of the situation? This needs some kind of grassroots movement...let's think about this and see what our creativity can come up with, eh?

Andres, I know you don't want to leave and it owuld definitely be Argentina's loss if you did, but please know, you, Graciela, and your sons, pets, etc. are always welcome in our home.

Un abrazo,

kat

From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 08-May-02 - 11:06 AM

Andres told us about Argentine guitars on another thread, and that's one thing, where we could maybe urge music shops to look into the possibility of their stocking them. They sound as if they are bargains too, so we win both ways.

And there's some great Argentine music to try to get hold of and buy and play and give as presents.

If there are any banks in our countries which are actually trying to play fair by the people of Argentina, that would be good to know as well.