A plaque on the sidewalk of busy Avenida Corrientes, Buenos Aires in memory of a person disappeared on that spot in 1978, during the so-called ‘dirty war’ – the state-sponsored violence against Argentinas civilian population between 1976 and 1983. The military government of Jorge Rafael Videla referred to its systematized persecution as the “National Reorganization Process”.

Apart from the wording there’s no relation, but today I also came by the Instituto Argentino de Normalisación, which made me think about the current plans for normalisation of the free town Christiania in Copenhagen (basically streamlining and commercializing cultural heritage), which I also read news about today. In the streets of Buenos Aires, public manifestations, protests and pickets are commonplace – I passed by two just today. The country has seen its share of social upheavals, and rallying on the streets are a part of every day life. In Denmark, this traditionally peaceful social democratic model society that I grew out of, there has also been an increase of public protests in recent years, most notably against what could maybe be summarized as the Neoliberal Normalisation Process; cultural streamlining, increased surveillance, limitations in freedom of speech etc. One thing I have come to realize here in Argentina is how close my home country, an otherwise well-functioning democracy, has come to resemble a repressive police state. Given the fact that it is one of the safest places to live in the world, the extremity of repression measured out against public protest is striking. The only times the police has thought it necessary to deploy their  anti-terror team has been in non-violent youth rallies, and tear gas has been steadily becoming the first response to a crowd exercising free speech – recently seen on October 25th this year in a direct action protest against inhuman immigration policy and the conditions for immigrant asylum seekers. On this occation the police also employed horses and dogs on a crowd of non-violent demonstrators of all ages.

For anyone in the Danish politically and culturally progressive milieu, youth and anti-globalisation movement, or indeed any politically conscious person in Denmark, this is no news. But looking back from this Latin American context, on my home society -traditionally a pioneer and in recent years a selfproclaimed model country for democracy and freedom of expression- the amount of repression on the practionioners of its core values is so completely out of proportions. While certain new political changes internationally inspire me to hope for a brighter future, a look at my own backyard makes me fear for the worse. We’ve got to look ourselves in the mirror … and clean up our own backyard. Hrmpf!

Wrap up from Marko:

It’s old fashioned to be greedy

It’s old fashioned to be egocentric

It’s old fashioned to be a protectionist

We is the new me