# What Is Fundamentally Wrong With Argentina? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 11, 2013, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-fundamentally-wrong-with-argentina/649987 "2013-02-11T16:51:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2013, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-fundamentally-wrong-with-argentina/649987/1 "2013-02-11T16:51:50Z")
The country is wealthy, self-sufficient in oil, and has modern universities-so why does is (seemingly) lurch from one crisis to the next? I just read that the currency is now (effectively) devalued-after the government has alienated just a bout every foreign investor they have. Now Kirchner is making noises about the Falkland Islands again-so what is wrong with this country? Does it need a total change of government? ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2013, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-fundamentally-wrong-with-argentina/649987/2 "2013-02-11T17:26:54Z")
The same thing that’s wrong with countless other countries: entrenched corruption. Even if the guy at the top means well, there are too many self-absorbed crooks below him to ever allow things to change in a positive way. Of course, the fact that the current leader is wagging the dog on the Falklands/Malvinas doesn’t suggest that he means well at all. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2013, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-fundamentally-wrong-with-argentina/649987/3 "2013-02-11T19:15:17Z")
She- but she does sound more like she thinks she’s playing Tropico than like she’s actually trying to manage a modern, real country. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-fundamentally-wrong-with-argentina/649987/4 "2013-02-12T05:15:46Z")
[Resource curse](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resource_curse) ---
**Author:** ![Carryon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc29f/32.png) [@Carryon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carryon)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-fundamentally-wrong-with-argentina/649987/5 "2013-02-12T12:38:47Z")
Would the distance be a factor? The only large market would be Brazil and that’s still emerging. Places like NZ and Australia have large markets somewhat closer like Indonesia, China and Japan. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-fundamentally-wrong-with-argentina/649987/6 "2013-02-12T12:43:36Z")
All of the above. Still, it is an emerging country with an increasingly educated population. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-fundamentally-wrong-with-argentina/649987/7 "2013-02-12T12:55:38Z")
Ultimately all of Latin America suffers from the political and social systems inherited from the Spanish colonial days.