News of James Neilson

James Neilson

Former editor of the Buenos Aires Herald (1979-1986).

The UN gets the Milei treatment

28-09-2024 06:22 Hypocrisy is the glue that holds the UN together. It would fall apart if the democratic members began demanding the immediate expulsion of countries whose regimes refuse to observe the rules they pledged themselves to respect.

by James Neilson

As I see it

Israel’s terrible swift sword

21-09-2024 06:20 Israel not only tore apart Hezbollah’s communications’ network and undermined its morale, but also scored a major propaganda triumph. For a small country whose very survival depends entirely on its military prowess, this is a matter of literally vital importance.

by James Neilson

Trump, Harris: Battle for the White House.

As I see it

Waiting for the next leader of the free world

14-09-2024 06:08 In the United States, politicians enjoy shouting insults at one another, a habit that has been picked up by Javier Milei, who greatly admires “The Donald.”

by James Neilson

As I see it

A most illiberal libertarian

07-09-2024 06:06 Is Milei a democrat? Probably not; it is increasingly clear that, by instinct, he is an authoritarian who does not take kindly to even mild criticism.

by James Neilson

As I see it

A window of opportunity for autocrats

31-08-2024 05:37 Donald Trump is far from being the only North American politician who would like to see his country leave the rest of the world to its own wretched devices.

by James Neilson

As I see it

Milei’s party a prey to infighting

24-08-2024 05:29 In democratic countries, leaders of a ruling party that has little to fear from an opposition in disarray soon find themselves confronting internal rebellions. In Argentina, Javier Milei’s party finds itself in a similar situation.

by James Neilson

As I see it

Alberto left twisting slowly, slowly in the wind

17-08-2024 06:43 Was Alberto Fernández an exceptionally bad character or was he just a typical member of what Javier Milei calls “the caste” who felt he was entitled to make up his own rules?

by James Neilson

AS I SEE IT

Maduro still has plenty of fans

03-08-2024 14:54 For Xi Jinping and his underlings, the alleged ability of the Chinese Communist Party to solve quickly problems that keep Western politicians awake at night is a major selling point which they use to impress leaders of underdeveloped countries who see democracy as a threat.

by James Neilson

Donald Trump, Kamala Harris and Joe Biden.

AS I SEE IT

Almost half a year to go

27-07-2024 14:11 In a sane universe, the all too evident shortcomings of Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, let alone Joe Biden, would make it impossible for one of them to become what their compatriots plausibly say is the “most powerful” person on earth.

by James Neilson

AS I SEE IT

Trump has remade the GOP

23-07-2024 14:47 Many now think that Trump has put himself on course to win the November presidential election in the United States by a landslide.

by James Neilson

As I see it

Goodbye to all that, perhaps

13-07-2024 07:32 Like Mauricio Macri before him. Milei is convinced that for Argentina to prosper he and his supporters will have to win the “cultural battle.”

by James Neilson

As I see it

The US and Europe in meltdown mode

06-07-2024 05:50 All this political turmoil reflects what is going on beneath the surface. In every Western country, people are dissatisfied with the way things are and fear they could soon get far worse.

by James Neilson

Biden, Macron, Scholz, Sunak – all having a hard time of it.

As I see it

A bad time for politicians everywhere

29-06-2024 04:19 Once upon a time, successful politicians were held in high regard. This is no longer the case.

by James Neilson

As I see it

Milei may have to come down to earth

22-06-2024 05:53 When talking high theory, the president is in his element, but he is far less self-confident when it comes to practical matters; he must feel they are beneath him and can be left to his sister.

by James Neilson

As I see it

A sea change in the Western world

15-06-2024 06:40 Abandoned to their fate by leading Democrats and socialists, people are turning towards politicians who are willing to take on the system they think has betrayed them.

by James Neilson

Javier Milei, breaking through the walls.

As I see it

The country needs a proper civil service

08-06-2024 05:36 Rather than merely slimming down a pathologically obese public sector, it would be far better to concentrate on greatly improving its quality.

by James Neilson

As I see it

The greatest show on earth

01-06-2024 05:56 Milei is playing the leading part in an imaginative cosmic drama he himself dreamed up in which, backed by heavenly forces, he battles the leftist foes of everything that is good.

by James Neilson

As I see it

Anti-Semitism comes back with a vengeance

25-05-2024 06:04 Though there has never been any shortage of reasons to persecute Jews, the chief one which underlies most others is envy.

by James Neilson

As I see it

Hail to the new populist caudillo

18-05-2024 06:49 Will Milei’s daring experiment work and give Argentina an economy that is at least as efficient as those of what is known as the developed world? Or will the cure he is intent on subjecting it to prove to be so painful that it kills the patient?

by James Neilson

As I see it

The Milei show rolls on

10-05-2024 06:29 To those who in the past placed their bets on Argentina and lost a great deal of money as a result, Milei’s spiel must have sounded like something a confidence trickster might say.

by James Neilson

As I see it

The perils of cyberspace

04-05-2024 05:37 A world in which everybody is electronically connected to everybody else and to the Internet is not one in which people feel closer to one another. Engrossed as they are with the talking pixels they see before them, they do their best to steer clear of flesh-and-blood creatures.

by James Neilson

As I see it

Give us more education

27-04-2024 05:07 Though academe has been on iron rations for decades, with professors long being accustomed to having to survive on a pittance, the feeling that Milei had it in for the universities because he thinks they breed lefties gave teeth to Tuesday’s demonstrations.

by James Neilson

As I see it

The worst journalists in the world

20-04-2024 06:07 Milei wants to control the narrative and, by doing so, change the way Argentines think about the world. Does hurling insults at journalists help win him more adherents?

by James Neilson

As I see it

Milei and the new new right

13-04-2024 05:34 Javier Milei has been warmly welcomed by adherents of the latest edition of the “new right,” but Argentina’s president sees just about everything through an economic lens.

by James Neilson

As I see it

Looking for unity offshore

06-04-2024 06:54 Despite the diplomatic points that can be scored, the current status quo looks likely to prevail for some time to come.

by James Neilson

As I see it

A sacred cow under attack

30-03-2024 06:38 It often seems that until all those who were physically or emotionally involved in it have departed, it will continue to be difficult to look at that unhappy period.

by James Neilson

As I see it

The dragon is getting older too fast

23-03-2024 06:32 Not that long ago, many took it for granted that China would soon overtake the United States to become the world's top nation, but there are plenty of good reasons to think they were mistaken.

by James Neilson

Bullrich, Pullaro and a crisis in Rosario.

As I see it

Drug-lords in the crosshairs

16-03-2024 06:35 By Latin American standards, Argentina is a law-abiding country whose inhabitants are far less prone to commit murder or be gunned down by thugs than is the case elsewhere in the region. Why do so many people in high places believe that the threat has become so frightening that the military should be called in?

by James Neilson

As I see it

The world has become too complicated for politicians

09-03-2024 06:27 Can Argentina or, for that matter, any other country buck the trends that are causing such concern not only in the West but also in China and Russia?

by James Neilson

As I see it

Politicians in the dog house

02-03-2024 05:01 Business, especially big business, has long had a bad press in Argentina. This is partly due to the willingness of politicians to blame it for their own failures, as happens whenever inflation gets out of hand.

by James Neilson

As I see it

The world is not for the weak

24-02-2024 06:07 Though local nationalists have always insisted that Argentina is a victim of imperialist greed, the truth is that she has always been one of its principal beneficiaries.

by James Neilson

Opinion & Analysis

Political deadlock threatens economic change

17-02-2024 06:00 Unfortunately for President Milei, the political community he has joined has its own largely tacit rules which have little to do with economic efficiency.

by James Neilson

As I see it

Milei runs into a roadblock

10-02-2024 06:51 In most places, the old guard has managed to fend off those besieging it. Even if on occasion the establishment’s forces have had to beat a retreat, they have usually retained enough power to thwart their enemies.

by James Neilson

As I see it

An outsider at the centre of things

03-02-2024 08:11 Milei’s game plan is straightforward enough. Unfortunately, as governments the world over are well aware, squeezing the money supply is always a painful process.

by James Neilson

As I see it

The dreaded Orange Man is on the way back

27-01-2024 06:16 Versions of the same drama, in which upstarts successfully take on those who believe themselves entitled to lord it over everybody else, are being staged in many parts of the world where ordinary folk feel they are getting a raw deal.

by James Neilson

As I see it

Milei goes to the Magic Mountain

20-01-2024 06:53 What goes down splendidly with teenagers in La Matanza does not necessarily appeal to fabulously wealthy individuals who could be persuaded to invest in Milei’s ambitious project.

by James Neilson

As I see it

The Kirchnerites have Milei in their sights

13-01-2024 06:21 The fate of the new government will depend largely on Milei’s ability to persuade people that the fearful emergency he goes on about is not just a figment of an overheated imagination but something terribly real.

by James Neilson

As I see it

Doomsday prophecies are back in fashion

06-01-2024 07:28 There are signs that the current vogue for doomsday prophecies is having a more demoralising effect than previous ones.

by James Neilson

As I see it

For many politicians, payback time has arrived

31-12-2023 08:16 President Javier Milei, who wants to reshape Argentina from the ground up, is already being besieged by furious Kirchnerites, trade union bosses and “social movement” activists.

by James Neilson

As I see it

People everywhere want change

23-12-2023 06:09 As democracy depends on the majority feeling satisfied with its lot, the sour mood that is affecting large chunks of the population in high-income countries is causing anguish among those who fear that authoritarianism could make a comeback.

by James Neilson

As I see it

Javier Milei meets Mr Micawber

16-12-2023 06:23 As happened to Mr Micawber on one occasion, Argentina continues to languish in debtors’ prison. People here are well aware of this unfortunate fact, which is why Milei has won popular backing for the ruthless cost-cutting programme that is now underway.

by James Neilson

As I see it

Milei steps into the breach

09-12-2023 03:53 Javier Milei will soon find that completely reshaping a long-established political and economic order is sure to be a terribly difficult undertaking.

by James Neilson

As I see it

A president without money to spend

02-12-2023 09:56 For any government, whether populist, neoliberal, Trotskyite or flat-earthist, catering to the pressing needs of the millions of people who are on welfare would remain a huge problem.

by James Neilson

As I see it

Javier Milei has a steep mountain to climb

25-11-2023 14:25 Is a “change of mentality” taking place? We should soon know the answer to that particular question – much will depend on how people react to the hard times that are barrelling towards us.

by James Neilson

As I see it

Who is the scarier?

17-11-2023 00:27 Seeing that from the very beginning whoever wins will be forced to take measures that make life even more difficult for many who voted for him, he could become very unpopular indeed well before he has settled in.

by James Neilson

As I see it

What Israel is up against

10-11-2023 14:42 While there can be no doubt that on October 7 the Israelis let their guard slip, the complacency many had evidently come to feel now belongs to the past.

by James Neilson

As I see it

Mauricio Macri’s takeover bid

04-11-2023 05:36 Why did Mauricio Macri decide to throw in his lot with a certifiable nutcase? One reason is his contempt for Massa. Another, presumably the main one, is his belief that he can take advantage of Milei.

by James Neilson

As I see it

The chameleon versus the dog-man

28-10-2023 04:14 On Sunday, much of the electorate let Bullrich and her backers know that the last thing it wanted was a dose of realism, no matter how small, and sent her packing.

by James Neilson

As I see it

Judgement Day finally arrives

20-10-2023 05:11 Nobody has much idea as to which of the three main contenders will come first or second, but all conceivable outcomes look likely to make a terrible situation even worse.

by James Neilson

As I see it

Wars of religion are far from over

14-10-2023 05:24 When faced by an utterly ruthless movement, half-measures that allow a battered enemy to recover from his wounds and strike again can be worse than useless. This is the dilemma facing Israel today.

by James Neilson