How do you justify the grift?

[beej]

The guy cratered the peso, economy was down all last year.

the cratered peso is what got him elected.

[Bucky Cornstarch]

Recent indicators show that Argentina's economy is stabilizing and showing signs of recovery under President Javier Milei's radical austerity and deregulation plan
. After a sharp recession in early 2024, the economy rebounded, but the improvement is uneven, and significant challenges remain.
Positive signs

    Declining inflation: After peaking near 300% in early 2024, annual inflation has fallen significantly, reaching a five-year low of 36.6% in July 2025 and 31.8% by September.
    Fiscal surplus: The government achieved its first budget surplus in over a decade by dramatically cutting public spending, including infrastructure projects and subsidies.
    Recession ends: After a sharp recession in the first half of 2024, the economy exited recession in the last quarter of 2024 and began a dynamic recovery.
    Economic growth: Fueled by deregulation, fiscal cuts, and an agricultural rebound, the economy posted a strong 7.6% year-over-year growth rate in the second quarter of 2025.
    Improved investor confidence: Stock market returns have surged, and government bonds have recovered value, reflecting renewed confidence in the country's economic direction.
    Increased foreign support: The IMF and the United States have backed Argentina's program with financial aid, including a $20 billion currency swap line from the U.S. in September 2025.

Ongoing challenges

    Uneven impact: The drastic austerity measures have been painful for many, particularly pensioners and public sector workers. The recovery is heavily concentrated in certain sectors like oil, mining, and agriculture, while domestic consumption and industrial output lag.
    Social costs: While overall poverty fell slightly from its peak in early 2024, many Argentines report that life is harder due to dwindling incomes and rising costs.
    Political and market instability: Recent political setbacks for President Milei's party in a Buenos Aires election have shaken investor confidence and triggered renewed volatility in the peso.
    Long-term issues: While short-term stabilization has occurred, long-term structural challenges remain, such as high labor market informality, weak infrastructure, and the need for comprehensive tax reform.

Future outlook
Despite the positive signs, the economy's future remains uncertain. Continued political stability and maintenance of the reform momentum are key to attracting investment and sustaining growth. The success of Milei's radical plan in addressing the country's deep-seated economic issues will determine if the recent recovery can translate into a long-term, sustainable improvement.

If you're going to cut and paste something, provide a source.

[TylerBeer]

the cratered peso is what got him elected.

... and... it got worse?

[beej]

If you're going to cut and paste something, provide a source.

google AI overview

[TylerBeer]

google AI overview

Oh god, the worst AI of them all

[beej]

... and... it got worse?

well sure it did. he created a recession to stop the inflation rate that was growing in the triple digits. And his efforts have helped to some degree. going from 300% to 36%

[neurosis]

Oh god, the worst AI of them all

Which is the best? 

[mowens]

Oh god, the worst AI of them all

I agree.
Since, in the next few years, Microsoft will no longer support Visual Basic Script, I was trying to convert a couple of vbs scripts I wrote to PowerShell. I know nothing about PowerShell, just that it doesn't need a compiler, so I was trying to use Google AI.
Strangely, on the most complicated one, it worked great on the first try. On a less complicated one, it would seem to be working ok and then vomit out garbage. Kind of like my programming software, it would fix one bug and make 2 more.

Chatgpt is blocked here, so I tried it at home. It took a couple of tries, but it worked. And the reason it didn't work sooner is because I wasn't explicit enough in my instructions. And if you pay the $20 bucks a month for it, it generates spreadsheets.

[beej]

Which is the best? 

I asked Google Gemini which is the best and it says Perplexity. But how can you trust an AI search engine that tells you a different AI is more accurate? it's a paradox.

[TylerBeer]

The best depends on what you're doing. Claude or ChatGPT for general programming.

Try ChatGPT for anything electrical related and you'll get shocked at best

[mowens]

I asked Chatgpt about fixing some wood rot in a bay window. It gave me a bunch of info and instructions. Then it said "up load some pictures and I can go into more detail". That just blew me away. I'm going to try it tonight.

[TylerBeer]

I asked Chatgpt about fixing some wood rot in a bay window. It gave me a bunch of info and instructions. Then it said "up load some pictures and I can go into more detail". That just blew me away. I'm going to try it tonight.

Yep it's unbelievable for some things unless you know what you're doing and can tell when it's lying to you, which it does with a somewhat regular amount of things

[SuperHoneyBadger]

So the same amount of money cut from USAID was used to bail out Argentina?
What a joke.

except that the money going to Argentina is a loan. we earn interest on loans. It's not complicated.

and Bessent is also trying to sure up investments in Argentina through private investment, not tax payer investment. Do you see the difference?

The US swapline to Argentina is a bailout of the American hedge funds and investors that hold large quantities of Argentine debt. The locals will not see a dime of it, and none of it will be paid back. It will be billed as a stopgap to stymie a spillover of defaults in the region, and as a humanitarian necessity to save a languishing nation from itself. I don't buy it.

[mowens]

Yep it's unbelievable for some things unless you know what you're doing and can tell when it's lying to you, which it does with a somewhat regular amount of things

Oh, yes, I know.

[TylerBeer]

George santos is pardoned? Hhahahahahahhahhahaahaha of course