Needish

… is Piñera? No, having a Facebook-account is not enough.

 

Chile has no Obama. Unfortunately. At least not to my knowledge. 

 

I am talking about "Obama" as a concept, more than a person. The person still has to proove himself but the concept is already proven. The concept of being a "new kind of politician", someone "like us". Seemingly distant from traditional partisan power-groups and definitely with a last name we havent heard of before.We - the people - want that.

 

Piñera we have heard of before. The brother. Was part of the military government and a "Friedman free-market" economist. No judgements here, just making sure we all know that Piñera is not something new nor particularly fresh. At least not the last name. Also, the history of the "Latin billonaire president" is - if I havent got this wrong - not always a success-story down there.

 

Many people I trust believe in Piñera and I have no reason not to...but he is not "my Chilean Obama"

 

Chile is arguably one of the most free markets in the world, yet third-world poverty is abundant all over the Country after more than 30 years. Re-distribution of wealth is strikingly low and the difference of school for everyone (public) and school for rich (private) is too big to ever be the fundament for change. Getting a job, or even a girl-friend (polola), uptown Santiago can be difficult for someone living in the wrong municipility.

 

In Chile, climbing classes is slippery and steep... and only a few people on the top are helping you up, unless its to get up for a days worth of cleaning.

 

Chiles TTP (Total Tax Pressure) is below 20%, and thus far below the minium Total Tax Pressure of ANY developed Country. I encourage the reader to Google its own sources for this information. You are about to enter a world of "aha-experiences" as report after report make you understand that to reach a level of "decency" for all citizens in a Country, resources has to be shared between people. (Not kidding)

 

When resources are shared, the long-term effect is better education for everyone, less emotional stress to fulfill basic needs like housing and eating and before you can say "ironically - giving made me richer" you realize that in a Country like that, more people can have high-end jobs, less people are attacking you in your homes to steel your jewelry and - this is the big kicker - more people have money to buy the goods and services your Company is producing. Your internal economy supports high-end production and better growth, at the same time. All those poor guys hanging around doing virtually nothing becoms better consumers (now isnt that what we all want?).

 

Cultural activities becomes more important as more people have the interest and knowledge of reading, inspiring more reading, inspiring going to the Theater (wow). People going to the theater (!) means re-structuring those theaters and the eastern Europe style buildings sorrounding them in Santiago center (lets re-claim it). It also means work for all those actors out there.

 

Improving theaters will make more people move in to the center, hence creating a real center once again. To be proud of. With culture, safe nights and city-tourism.

 

Distributed knowledge means more production-sites in corporate-clusters. It means innovative tech-companies will pop up from weird places like Temuco. It means those people working in the front-line of service businesses will have the power to decide for themselves that when a customer asks for a "Churrasco with an egg on top", its ok even if the computer doesnt support it. Everyone will be happier, more tips on the tables, more consumtion, more eggs on Churrascos...

 

We would see less baby-sitters travelling all over town to do other peoples dirty dishes and so a long-term solution to Transantiago that doesnt consist of scheduling better rutes, but by making more peoples lifes "walkable". Give some meaning to the poor suburbs. An industry here and there. A little center of its own, with a restaurant and a library instead of 14 pharmacies.

 

I could ironize for ever. But I am dead serious. Only a failed system offers e.g. crap basic education for almost everyone and then deadlock university-credits to push these people to become "Arquitecto", "Periodista" or even worse yet another "Ingeniero Comercial". That is NOT how its supposed to be done. A government studies the need for a particular skill, and then gives incentives to provide it. It regulates a system so that almost everyone who ows back after 5 years of "higher" education can get a decent job in that field. 

 

What will Chile do with 3 million arquitects? Build a latter to the moon?

 

There is yet to be proved that a TTP below 30% can create a developed Country (US is the lowest on 29).

 

Chilean politicians could either be the first ones pulling it off (with a total GDP/cap of some 15K USD its an interesting challenge), or they can do it by erasing from the cultural map the greatest lie produced by the Chilean society...

 

"We are a solidary society" (Why is that? Because the supermarket-change can optionally be transformed into tomatoes thrown at the poor?)

 

Chile a solidary society? BS my friends... BS.

 

There is absolutely nothing solidary about it, except for a few great people giving time and money to the needy masses. Its great, but not enough. And not particularly Chilean. Its just human. 

 

Change is not optional. Change is mandatory and starts with a higher tax-cut. That is, less money for you my friend, because you are fortunate to be reading a blog.

 

So where are you my Chilean Obama? You, lonely fighter who will light the hope of the growing Chilean middle-class and also inspire the fortunate rich to act in favor of a more equal society. It can be a Win-Win, Im sure.

 

I miss you in the Chilean debate, but not to propose change over-night. Its tough, but has to start somewhere. Maybe with your vision?

 

Chile needs to take some serious transitory steps and you must be there to push it:

 

- A great public education system - all ages

- Decent solutions to basic needs and give all citizens a sense of "free-time" worth working for... to go to the movies, a week-end in the mountains etc.

- Stop urbanization and the Countrys ever growing dependence on almost collapsed Santiago.

- Build green alternatives to future Energy-problems.

- Provide incentives for high-end R&D in Companies and Universities

- ¿Que más?

 

To do all that, and to get all the people behind, any Chilean government has one serious challenge: 

 

1) Make the rich trust them with their money. Low efficiency and horror-stories like "F" and Transantiago doesnt play out well for fund-raising.

 

Raising taxes is never the solution - just the means to buy the solution - and it cant be done too quick, but - at least I think - it should definitely be part of any Chilean goverments work for the next 20 years or so.

 

Oskar