General Discussion

Both were installed with the blessing of local - and international - elites

Both appealed to right-wing snobbery, bigotry, self-righteousness, and vindictiveness

Both were staffed by a motley crew of incompetent fascists, bigots, snobs, and grifters - while their more competent officials were often harassed into quitting

Both relied on financial deregulation, high-income tax cuts, and other elitist economic policy - while imposing harsh austerity on everyone else

Both doted on military budgets while demonizing public employees (though the Argentine regime at least invested heavily in public works)

Both promoted media, as well as business, consolidation - while steering said mergers into the hands of cronies

Both had ample cheerleading by well-financed media lapdogs and clapping seals

Both enjoyed pageantry and parades (though the Argentines didn't have a ballroom built) - and tried to capitalize on athletes' victories

Both persecuted labor unions, academia, the press, lawyers, and dissidents in general

Both were quick to disappear people and quietly set up concentration camps (though the Argentine dictatorship was far more extreme)

Both took to wars to distract from worsening domestic problems

Both left a mountain of new public debt - saddling federal coffers with onerous interest charges for decades

Both derailed economic growth and upward mobility - permanently, in Argentina's case

And both admired Apartheid South Africa, while despising Jimmy Carter