Menem 'n Eminem
The US and Argentina are both full of news of M & N men – Menem ‘n Eminem.
Since we arrived, almost every light pole we’ve seen has been covered with Menem for President posters – varying slightly but always in blue and white using the same blocky font. On the curved pole surface, often all you can see are a lot of m’s, e’s, and n’s, and as a new arrival from North America, I initially mistook these for Eminem signs (look closely):
Menem and Eminem can hardly be linked like Lincoln and Kennedy – but if you ask the right person, they might both be named as the epitome of what is wrong with their respective countries.
Eminem is the white rapper whose angry songs are said by some to unite an army of directionless suburban teens.
Menem is the former Argentine president implicated in arms trafficking and believed to have accepted over $10 million dollars to overlook the 1994 bombing of the Jewish Cultural Organization AMIA which killed over 80 people. Although these issues have damaged his reputation, people seem more bothered by the fact that while president he sold off Argentina's water pipes, electrical generators, and subways (among other things) to raise cash, now leaving the mechanical guts of the nation in the hands of European companies who are threatening the nation with more service failures. Menem remains popular with a large but invisible group of people, and many think he stands a good chance of being elected Argentina's president again this coming spring.
Now who do you think is the friend of the Bush family?
Since we arrived, almost every light pole we’ve seen has been covered with Menem for President posters – varying slightly but always in blue and white using the same blocky font. On the curved pole surface, often all you can see are a lot of m’s, e’s, and n’s, and as a new arrival from North America, I initially mistook these for Eminem signs (look closely):
Menem and Eminem can hardly be linked like Lincoln and Kennedy – but if you ask the right person, they might both be named as the epitome of what is wrong with their respective countries.
Eminem is the white rapper whose angry songs are said by some to unite an army of directionless suburban teens.
Menem is the former Argentine president implicated in arms trafficking and believed to have accepted over $10 million dollars to overlook the 1994 bombing of the Jewish Cultural Organization AMIA which killed over 80 people. Although these issues have damaged his reputation, people seem more bothered by the fact that while president he sold off Argentina's water pipes, electrical generators, and subways (among other things) to raise cash, now leaving the mechanical guts of the nation in the hands of European companies who are threatening the nation with more service failures. Menem remains popular with a large but invisible group of people, and many think he stands a good chance of being elected Argentina's president again this coming spring.
Now who do you think is the friend of the Bush family?
previously there was no hay luz
afterwards you have No Choices Fire
comments
Jeremy s mom
Hi, Jeremy! I just read the NYT magazine article (Nov 3) about Eminem-- he makes some good points. But, the article also said the Bush administration started piping his songs to the Middle East this summer. Now that is violent!!!!
[submitted on 30 Nov 02]