According to its own narrative, the government is fighting the good fight against “economic interests” who wish to hold the people of Argentina in servitude. This narrative also holds that control of the media is one of the principle methods employed by those interests for the creation of public consent for their activities and expansion. With the government’s new media regulation bill being passed into law by the senate last night we are supposed to believe that these interests have been dealt a severe blow.
Judging by the howls of protest from the Clarín group these interests have at least been given something to think about. However, the fact that some of the unloveliest standard bearers of Argentine capitalism are roaring like stuck pigs doesn’t mean that they are going to die. They didn’t get where where they are by being either slow or stupid and they’ll adapt to the new regulatory environment and do their damnedest to have it modified to suit their needs. Also, the media businesses which the new law will oblige them to divest themselves of will be bought by capitalists not a whit more fragrant than the current specimens and while it’s nice that that NGOs and indigenous peoples will be able to have their own radio and TV stations it´ll be very surprising if any great number of people want to tune into them.
So, a cheer and a half for the new media law. It’s nice to hear the pigs squealing. In due course, though, they’ll get their act together and join any new entrants in the great mission of making the country safe for half-cocked capitalism.
