Uruguay: An AI Overview, and two articles about why Uruguay is a success -- N.B. At the bottom of this post, I encourage you to read my "Instruction Booklet For How To Save The World"

 

Queridos, 

Pursuant to the article we're reading in tertulia about recently deceased  Uruguayan president and Tupamaro guerrilla, Jose "Pepe" Mujica: https://www.nytimes.com/es/2025/05/13/espanol/america-latina/muere-jose-pepe-mujica-uruguay.html

Tupamaro Guerrilla Movement: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tupamaros

AI Overview:

Uruguay's history is marked by a strong commitment to egalitarianism, both politically and socially, particularly in comparison to other Latin American nations. This commitment is reflected in its relatively large middle class, low levels of poverty and inequality, and a history of social democratic policies. While striving for equality, Uruguay also faces challenges with the full inclusion of certain groups, such as Afro-descendants, persons with disabilities, and women. 

Egalitarian Ideals and Policies:

• Historical Context:

  Uruguay's egalitarian ethos is rooted in its history, particularly its experience during the Batlle period (early 20th century) which saw the implementation of social welfare programs. 
• Welfare State:

  Uruguay boasts one of the oldest and most generous welfare states in Latin America, with a strong emphasis on social protection programs. 
• Social Democratic Policies:

  The country has a long history of social democratic policies, including strong labor rights, universal healthcare, and social security. 
• Popular Initiatives:

  The Uruguayan Constitution allows for citizens to repeal laws or change the constitution through popular initiative, reflecting a commitment to citizen participation. 
• Nadie es más que nadie:

  This famous quote, often associated with former President José Mujica, encapsulates the egalitarian philosophy that has shaped Uruguayan society. 

Challenges and Inequalities:

• Exclusion of Certain Groups:

  While Uruguay is generally considered egalitarian, specific groups like Afro-descendants, persons with disabilities, and women continue to face challenges and discrimination.
• COVID-19 Pandemic:

  The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the vulnerability of certain segments of the population, emphasizing the need for continued efforts to address inequality.
• Economic and Social Consequences:

  The pandemic exacerbated existing inequalities, with the most vulnerable populations facing higher rates of unemployment and less access to social support programs.
• Uneven Starting Line:

  The economic and social consequences of the pandemic have been felt unevenly, with some groups starting from a highly disadvantageous position. 

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What Uruguay Can Teach Us 

https://www.americasquarterly.org/article/what-uruguay-can-teach-us/

Seven Reasons that Make Uruguay the Best Place to Do Business

https://www.uruguayxxi.gub.uy/en/news/article/seven-reasons-that-make-uruguay-the-best-place-to-do-business/

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Be forewarned.

The following video clip infuriated me.

And now, hours after first seeing the clip, I stand by my introductory comments.

Alan Archibald

WATCH THIS!

Only the use of expletives comes close to expressimg the ungodly horror of what's taking place in these "United" States of Barbaria.

In the main, America’s ultrarich are despicable people.

Both those who are doing this…

… and those who are NOT screaming out, “Don’t Do This!”

We have finally arrived.

Under Trump and his "Cruelist Party”, we are now - truly - a Shithole Country.

And we're getting shittier with each passing day.

I urge you to watch this video clip of Rep. Jimmy Gomez describing what the despicable people who consider themselves "the deserving rich" are doing to degrade the lives of the poor.

They "justify" their malice by considering everyone else "the undeserving poor," everyone of them a n'er-do-well parasitic slacker who must pull themselves up by their own bootstraps, or -- by God! -- their lives WILL BE "nasty, short, and brutish."

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1826995664808027

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In related vein...

To contextualize America's epistemological-and-values collapse -- and the inter-related rise of malice, spite and cruelty -- I encourage you to check out the following clips, featuring David Brooks, whom I still think lets Trumpista conservatives "off the hook" by not urging them to "get a life."

How The Elite Rigged Society (And Why It's Falling Apart)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSa52TR9tCA

What Happened to American Conservatism? — with David Brooks and Scott Galloway

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pA9Bwd1zYDQ

Even now, Brooks doesn't seem to realize -- perhaps because he's such an intellectual -- that people can "get a life" if they turn off the TV, and stop believing they can only "make it" through crime or getting lucky with the lottery.

Learn to play an instrument.

Join a church choir.

Make stain glass.

Watercolor.

Paint.

Sculpt.

Whittle.

Take a woodworking course at your local community college.

Join the military as soon as you graduate (or quit) high school.

And for Christ sake, set aside the porno for a moment, and read something!

Hang out at your public library for an hour or two a couple days each week.

How To Save "Conservative" "Christians" From Themselves: An Experiment In Reading About Notable Human Beings

https://newsfrombarbaria.blogspot.com/2022/11/how-to-save-conservative-christians.html

"Getting a life" is not rocket science.

But! 

"You" have to do something other than lounge around diddling the remote, swilling beer and popping opioids. (Blessedly, you do not need to attend one of America's elite universities to be a success, as David Brooks seems to suggest.)

"Proposal For Two Years Obligatory National Service"

http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2012/07/proposal-for-two-years-of-obligatory.html

Finally -- anticlimactic but necessary to complete this disquisition -- there is a fundamental truth well-hidden above-and-behind the glass ceiling that separates "The Ultra-Rich" from all us plebes.

Capitalism Is The Foremost Propellant Of Moral And Environmental Degradation In America And In The World-- A Propellant Rendered Nearly Invisible By Plutocrats (And Now, Kakistocrats) Who "Divide And Conquer" Via The Idiocracy's Age-Old Manipulation Of Public Opinion

https://newsfrombarbaria.blogspot.com/2024/02/capitalism-is-america-and-worlds.html

Capitalism: A 2023 Compendium Of Best "Pax-Barbaria" Posts

https://newsfrombarbaria.blogspot.com/2023/06/capitalism-2023-compendium-of-best-pax.html

"Park Avenue: Money, Power And The American Dream" Why 400 People Control Half The Wealth (Or, According To Oxfam, Just 8 Men Own As Much Wealth As Half The World)

https://newsfrombarbaria.blogspot.com/2024/10/park-avenue-money-power-and-american.html

Our problem is not that we don't know what to do. (Hell, Uruguay knows what to do!)

Our problem is that we are too degraded as a people -- primarily due to lack of education, instruction and winner-take-all Cowboy Capitalism to muster the political will to do it.

*****

Thanks for listening to Cassandra's Lament.

Tu amigo, 

Alan