 Our regular coverage of the Israeli offensive on Gaza continues on People's Dispatch with articles as well as updates on the website, on our social media, and on our YouTube as well. But on Daily DB, today we're shifting focus to different parts of the world in light of a special on Gaza that is going to be on our YouTube channel with Zoe Alexandra as well as historian and writer Vijay Prashad. So our top story today in fact is a much overdue focus on the surprise performance of Sergio Masa in the Argentine primary ruling party candidate who's also the economy minister has led us to the brink of a runoff. Why is this a bit of a relief for those opposed to far right rule in Argentina and what lies between now and the runoff on November 19th. Also, primary health care is in focus at a WHO international conference celebrating or commemorating the 45th anniversary of the Almata as it was known then declaration on primary health care. We'll find out what's happening on that front. It's a subject we've covered in several aspects on Daily DB before and we look at it in the context of what's happening in the world today, particularly what's going on in Gaza as well. Salams you're watching Daily DB as always brought to you by People's Dispatch before we get into the rest of the show. Take a second and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Good to be back on Daily DB and joining us first up is Zoe Alexandra who has been actually in line waiting for a while to talk about what's been going on in Argentina after the primary. We have of course been focused mostly on the Israeli offensive on Gaza since the 7th of October and Zoe is co hosting a show later on People's Dispatch with Vijay Prashad. Before we get into Argentina and the details of that quite complex story as well, give us a sense of what to expect from that conversation that you're going to have with Vijay. Yes, so we'll be doing a short live show to just give a basic update on not only what's been happening in Gaza with regards to the airstrikes but also I think the very very maybe difficult to untangle response of the international community. We've seen a lot of rebuttals between, for example, UN officials and Israeli government officials. We've seen them go after Antonio Guterres, even Greta Thunberg the environmental activists. So I think breaking down kind of what is what has been taking place in the past couple of days in terms of the international stage. What has the US position been and also of course what has been the response of organized people in the streets across the world as they intensify their efforts to stand in solidarity with Palestine. And, and, and also what's been happening in the rest of occupied Palestine for example yesterday there's an air raid. So we'll be covering all of that and more to give people kind of this necessary fact based, but also left perspective on the events because as we've seen mainstream media, not only in the global north but really across the world has been taking a very concerning approach to the events and this approach has actually cost lives so it's really important that this time that analysis that is true to the facts and that also understands the historical context of what's happening in Gaza today be presented. And continues to cost lives as we as we speak. In fact, in that sense, and that's why so much of our focus also I guess has been on covering events as they have unfolded from a left perspective. But we do have to move on to Argentina and talk about that story as well because because because it is extremely important. As you've told us before on the show, the people of Argentina have been through all kinds of tough times over the past few years with over 100% inflation and all of that. And then the emergence of this outrageous candidate for for the top job, you know, and the kind of suggestions of sort of all out removing the currency and replacing it with the dollar by those dollars will come from who knows. But but but we tell us what's been happening and how surprised are you pleasantly or otherwise to see how Sergio Massa has done in the primary. Well, it's definitely been a turbulent couple of months in Argentina, as we reported on this show and on people's dispatch in August the primary elections took place in Argentina, which are essentially not binding but our serve as a tool to kind of who will run in the different coalitions so the Progressive Ferronisa coalition to United for the Homeland, and then the right, not even going to say center right because it actually is a right wing collection coalition together for change in the macrista tendency and then also Javier Millay with his liberty advances which is the far right libertarian party. And so it serves not only for these coalitions to decide who's going to run for them but also as a litmus test, in terms of how each one of them is performing. And in this primary election in August Javier Millay had a surprising victory. He led the vote told with around 30%. And this sense of shockwave in Argentine society. As you mentioned, said on he he proposes dollarization which again where those dollars going to come from and the horrific impact this would have on so many levels of the Argentine economy. Most of all of course impacting the working class and poor in Argentina which today stands at around 40% of the population. As you said in the last year Argentine had over 100% inflation. The economy is in shambles and someone like Javier Millay who not only proposes dollarization but also an intensification of austerity measures, which has already cost so much suffering in the economy in increase in hunger again an increase in unemployment, the growth of the informal sector, a lack of formal jobs which actually have job security and benefits. So, you know Argentina is already in a crisis and the threat of someone like Javier Millay was a serious shock. In addition to all of his kind of social conservative policies against abortion against gay people, you know all sorts of ridiculous and horrendous things. And since then, since August since his primary elections there's been a considerable effort from the Peronisa Center Left Coalition to mobilize Sergio Moss is the current minister of finance and economy in the country. And in his position he's actually implemented several measures to alleviate economic stress of the working class and really trying to address the biggest issue on everyone's mind in Argentina which again is the economy. This clearly both the fear of a Millay presidency plus the measures to actually address these concerns have clearly had an impact. He had essentially a huge turnaround and pulled in first he didn't receive enough votes to win outright in the first election elections but he is likely. Many pollsters are predicting that he could take the second round given the fact that the right wing coalition together for change, which had as its candidate Patricia Bullrich is now going to be in severe crisis because many people part of this of this right wing coalition do not want to have your Millay presidency this would be extremely bad for business this would be extremely bad for many economic elites in the country. And now they're looking at this coalition is likely going to fracture it's going to divide many key leaders are going to actually fall behind Sergio Massa. Some will support me lay but it's likely not going to be enough to actually bring him ahead and to get the votes he needs for this victory there's been a lot of rumors and Twitter a lot of rumors. And a lot of rumors on other kind of amongst political commentators. I even heard someone say that he that have your middle might drop out before this race I think that's unlikely but really all is up for grabs right now. It's an extremely kind of politically volatile and ever changing situation just due to the delicate nature of the economy of the ridiculousness of me lays proposals I think he's finding that maybe some of his statements were a little too bold for what Argentina was ready for. So give us a bit of context and also analysis where you can Zoe off the way in which the economy in Argentina has shaped up over the past few decades leading up to this point. And how it's been structured by you know international financial capital the IMF and and and and and and why this election then becomes all the more crucial for you know to build on some of the social on the social front victory that Argentinians have had in the recent past. So one of the largest factors shaping the presidency of Alberto Fernandez was the IMF loan that was taken out by Mauricio Macri during his presidency from 2015 to 2019 Mauricio Macri inherited and Argentina that was did not have significant foreign debt this debt had been paid off by Christina Fernandez the kitchen during her presidency. And during Mauricio Macri's government they took out a several billion dollar IMF loan extremely extremely unpopular. The IMF is the very institution that broke the Argentine economy in the early 2000s when we saw the mass uprising on the streets and the complete crumbling of the Argentine pencil. And so once again in 2018 the Argentine government takes out this huge IMF loan there are massive protests on the streets. People are saying never again IMF they know the damage that this caused the economy but nevertheless Mauricio Macri went ahead with this and unsurprisingly this did not actually have any alleviation on the working class economic difficulties. This only saw an increase in misery. The poverty rate under Mauricio Macri skyrocketed again to this figure which is at today which is over 40% of the population in a state of poverty living under the poverty line levels of food insecurity and hunger again also increasing the number of people in a state of homelessness. So all of these social economic indicators rose while Mauricio Macri was allegedly taking out this IMF to save the economy. When Alberto Fernandez took office in December 2019 the demand from a lot of social movements and organized sectors was that he not pay this IMF loan. For many of them it was an illegal loan it was a loan that was taken out against the demands and desires of the people. It is a loan that people have done investigation about actually where did this money go and many show that it went to venture capital. They took it out of the country. This was not actually put into any social programs. In fact under Mauricio Macri social and economic welfare programs were cut. They say that it is not within the interests of the Argentine people to actually pay back this loan. However Alberto Fernandez under political pressure from this really broad Peronista coalition which includes many right wing sectors and under feeling like he didn't have enough maybe popular support on the streets to really push forward with this bold move did negotiate with the IMF. They started repaying the debt and so this the IMF loan is going to continue to be a central issue and above all as the left wing candidate who ran for the primary seat of the union for homeland coalition he says that the key and primary concern for the center coalition for movements in the country is that Argentine people be guaranteed housing, be guaranteed work and be guaranteed land. And that everything else whether it's the payment of this illegal loan as they say or any other thing is secondary and that until that's addressed until that's guaranteed the Argentine people are still going to be in the state of economic insecurity of food insecurity and that these are measures that have to be taken immediately. So we've seen that Masa did respond to this need to actually address the economic situation he implemented these measures and this time he will probably have to continue that because just because Masa wins the elections does not mean that the economy is magically going to get better and that the situation of people is going to get better. Alright thanks very much Zoe for that update and reminder once again for those of you watching you can catch Zoe and Vijay Prashant on people's dispatch on doing a short special on the situation in Gaza. And next up we're talking about the WHO and primary health care is a subject like I was saying at the beginning of the show we've addressed in several regards or aspects on daily DB before including a few days ago with Anna joins us again today. Anna if you can hear me this conference celebrating 45 years of the Almaty or Almata as it was then called a declaration on primary health care. A significant event bringing into focus an area of a sector that needs so much conversation and so much work. Yes so I mean if we look at how this conference was shaped and if we look also at the other reasons why it was announced. Of course we're talking about 45 years which is a big number pretty big number for for a very important declaration that was supposed to change how primary health care works works in the world. But they're also marking another anniversary and that's five years of the Astana declaration which which was kind of brought in as we can call it informally a refresher of of the Alma of the Alma declaration in 2018. And so you know this conference is some it's somehow important because it it reminds us of the differences between these two declarations that that have arisen during time. And so of course you know the primary health care comprehensive primary health care remains an immensely important part of the of the people's right to health as the people's health movement as many other left left health networks repeat to point out. There's it's difficult to imagine having any health care if we don't have primary health care. And so a primary health care that is based on public provision of services of public on public funding of services but also on a health workforce which is there well employed well paid and can work in dignity. So those were also you know key pillars of the Alma declaration but also including community participation and what I think it's particularly important to single out these days a new international economic order. Those are some of the elements that we don't see at all or we see in very little trace in the Astana declaration and in documents that follow the Astana declaration. So essentially what you know when the WHO and particularly WHO Europe does when it needs to discuss primary health care. We have to acknowledge that their focus now and the terms in which they talk about primary health care now is very different to what we saw in the original Alma declaration. It's a focus which has shifted a long time ago towards universal health coverage which again activists and health so and public health experts have warned drives health systems towards commercialization towards marketization towards financialization essentially. It brings in a completely different perspective perspective of primary health care and how it should work then what it was supposed to be. So you know when this conference is announced and when they say oh but we're going to talk about the practical aspects of primary health care in the light of covid we're going to talk about lessons that we have learned. It's also about that about the lessons that we have left behind unfortunately because what we had with the original Alma declaration was something that was much more powerful and could have done much much more better much more good to the world than what essentially we're talking about today. And maybe that will perhaps come up as one of the learnings as you were pointing out. But other than that I know on the agenda are important other issues as well that you were pointing out. You alluded to the idea of workforce health workforces and we've spoken about this subject at length on the beef of course. As well as looking at migrants and refugees and specific issues concerning primary health care when it comes to those communities or that section of people. And now with another few hundred of thousands added to the world's list of internally displaced or displaced people it's quite contextual as well. Yes. And again I think it plays an important role that we're seeing this international conference on primary health care in parallel to the regional meeting of the WHO Europe. So you know it's it's essentially it's a European conversation with but we should allow ourselves the space to look at the membership of the WHO Europe which consists of a very broad you know number of number of states including Israel. I believe because yes so it's Israel has been among the on the list of of the members of the WHO Europe region for for quite a bit of time. That's OK so that's not a key fact for this discussion. But I think that the composition of the region and therefore the discussions that take place are also indicative of the of the ways and of the approaches that the that then the policy and the documents also take. So you know it's when we talk about this kind of agenda that they have set up for themselves which yes of course includes the health workforce which was recognized quite a bit quite a time quite a long time ago as the from the WHO as a key aspect of securing primary health care and health care overall. But then on the other hand you know since the European member states have been discussing about it a lot and again we have talked it here as well. They somehow fail to grasp some of the the realities that are there on the ground. So as with any WHO document when you read it of course it's it's a decent set of ideas. So the documents that they have on the table do address very important things. So you know how do we train and retain people who are coming in the world in the health in the health system. You know we should guarantee decent salaries for everyone who's who's in in in Europe's health system. But then on the other hand we're not talking about at least not critically about the role of the private sector. So you know if you look at any of those documents you will find references and quite strong and positive references to the role that the private sector plays. So it can be whether we're talking about education of health workers to provision of services. So these are all things that in practice are highly problematical. They should be they should be limited. They should be controlled in a way. The WHO should support member states to take an active approach to that particularly in Europe because we know that Europe is taking very problematic approaches to how health public health systems are being shaped. Fair enough. Thanks very much for that update and hope to have you back on the show very soon to talk about. Yeah like I've said an important area and a sector where a lot is going on a lot of conversations are happening. So side by side alongside you know conflict that we see all over whether it's in Europe itself or in Gaza at the moment. There are also important conversations happening on the subject of health care and people are sort of rallying around it. So from Anna myself and the entire team at people's dispatch. Thank you very much for watching this episode of daily debrief for details on these stories. You can go to our website people's dispatch dot org and also don't forget to follow us on the social media platform that you use. We'll be back tomorrow until then stay safe. Thank you for watching.