Penguins 1 Inflatable Bull 0

Argentina has been convulsed, and foreign journalists tortured, by four-months of farmer protests against the government's new agricultural taxes. The drama has cost President Cristina most of her public support (last poll: 20%), one cabinet minister and plenty of investor confidence, but she and her husband have held firm. The debate took a turn for the weird when Cristina finally sent her proposal, already in effect, to Congress. Government supporters brought in a giant inflatable penguin, a favorite symbol of the presidential couple, to the plaza in front of Congress, prompting farmers to respond with an inflatable bull. The debate continues, but when the lower house voted yesterday to back the taxes, the farmers chances of overturning the taxes got even slimmer. Click on the link above to read my take on the battle of the dirgibles.