Argentine Civil Dissatisfaction Contrasts with American Students' Content Ignorance

What do the purchase of a leather jacket, stepping in dog poop, and a wine tasting have in common? Besides all being frequent activities in Argentina, they also all end in intense political debate. For a North American, the thematic disparity between shopping and neo-liberalism may seem too great to be spanned in a mere ten minute conversation.

But for an Argentine – particularly a porteño (resident of Buenos Aires) – this is a daily occurrence. Discussing the sizing and stretch of leather can lead to comparisons of U.S. versus Argentine pricing, industry subsidizing, and the relative merits of government economic intervention. The dog poop that lines the sidewalks can start a conversation about civil regulations and the corruptness of the municipal government.

The more traditional venues for these types of dialogues – a university classroom, for instance – are overwhelming at first encounter. At the University of Buenos Aires, the most prestigious institution of tertiary education in the country, the experience starts about a block away from campus. Groups of students can be seen congregating for the purpose of intense debate, and you will pass various eager faces and outstretched arms forcing pamphlets into your hands.

The buildings that make up the university are scattered all over the city, and serve over 300,000 students for free. Generally austere, a bit skuzzy, and without sufficient desks or classrooms, the aesthetics quickly diminish in importance once you step inside. Brightly colored political posters coat the walls and sometimes ceilings.

On the ground floor the entrance is jam-packed with the table of dozens of student groups. These groups represent a myriad of interests, including campaigns for the national presidential election, student parties running for positions in the university’s government, campaigns to stop crime in various neighborhoods, petitions about healthcare, abortion, HIV/AIDS… the list is endless. The presenters are not only well-informed and enthusiastic, but so are the crush of students that come through the doors of the building each day. It is not uncommon for students to take and thoroughly read the dozens of flyers they receive, and later seek out that particular group for further discussion.

While student political protests are not uncommon in the United States – Occupy Wall Street being a prime example – my experience with them has been remarkably different. The average student on campus, even a campus as politically minded as Georgetown, does not have the almost desperate energy that is visible on the faces of most students that I encountered while studying abroad.

Apathy and distrust of authority are the primary dispositions of the average American college student, without any real drive or ideas for change. Most people ignore anyone who tries to hand them a piece of paper, and political arguments are generally frowned upon among friends as either boring or promoting unwanted conflict. In contrast, in Argentina this conflict is what builds relationships between students across hugely diverse backgrounds.

However, this essay does not consist entirely of propaganda in favor of the Argentine political culture. The country has its own fair share of problems, revolving noticeably around the fact that although Argentines do enjoy a lively political debate, it is equally hard to implement serious reform in their country as in ours. There is constant complaint of corruption, both at the national level and in the municipal government.

For instance, just weeks ago part of a building collapsed in the busy downtown district due to lack of proper construction regulation. The two main news channels portrayed equally polarizing, perhaps equally incorrect accounts of the event. Streets are frequently blocked off due to protests, causing buses to be rerouted and making transportation difficult. There are parts of the city, known as the villas, where the police have little to no control and crime is rampant.

It is difficult to say which model is functioning better at the moment – the one of constant controversy and drive for serious change, or the one of stolid and reliable apathy. Perhaps it would be better to ask about the desired result – is a nation of content ignorance better or worse than one of civic involvement and dissatisfaction? It is a question that has been around for centuries, but one that sheds particular light on the comparative civic societies of these two states. Only time will tell.