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Comment by the_real_cher | Hacker News Reader

Remember when everyone on the right was really excited about Javier Milei, the libertarian prodigy who hated liberals and government with a passion?

Remember he gave Elon a chainsaw?

2 years into his presidency and Argentina is crashing and burning and the US taxpayers have to bail it out. .

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> 2 years into his presidency and Argentina is crashing and burning and the US taxpayers have to bail it out

Has there been study into whether this is Milei's policies' fault?

Argentina's default state is default. Milei inherited a mess. And of their top export categories--soybeans, oil and cars [1]--two are currently fucked. If another policy treatment would have resulted in similar outcomes due to these exogenous shocks and the starting conditions, it's unfair to damn Milei's ideology for what could be a failure to execute.

From what I've read, the currency pressure started "after a heavy defeat for President Javier Milei's party at the hands of the Peronist opposition in local elections" in Bueons Aires [2]. That loss, in turn, is blamed on "claims that" Milei's sister "and other close associates profited from a bribery scheme within the country’s disability agency" [3].

Put another way, the folks who support him are rallying behind corruption. That may be different from those who originally rallied behind his ideas.

[1] https://oec.world/en/profile/country/arg

[2] https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/argent...

[3] https://apnews.com/article/argentina-javier-milei-karina-mil...

> Has there been study into whether this is Milei's policies' fault?

So now we need a study to prove the current president is responsible for the current predicament that he said he was a specialist in fixing it?

> now we need a study to prove the current president is responsible for the current predicament that he said he was a specialist in fixing it?

…yes. That’s how we figure out what’s actually going on.

So the left is as fault when hes not in charge.

And the left is at fault when he is in charge.

At what point is he ever accountable for his actions?

He's been in power for years.

Also, the election of the other party only happened a few weeks ago...possibly in response to current government.

I think Milei's policies were fine and the economy was turning around. He didn't make it worse, and it was heading for the right direction.

But (a big but) the series of scandals and corruptions have exhausted his political power. Before that people were willing to give him a chance. Now they don't want another corrupt politician.

Bill Clinton had numerous scandals but his policies were sound and America balanced the deficit and jad a booming economy.

No this is solidly on terrible policy.

It's crashing because outside investors think Argentinians might be out to boot the libertarian out, not because libertarian policies don't work. The problem in Argentina is cultural and Milei is notable exactly because he's so rare there.

So the economy is crashing currency is worthless after 2 years if Milei and its still the lefts fault?

It's crashing because investors think the left will get back in. So yes!

The only thing that I don't agree with, depending on how you read it, is "US taxpayers have to bail it out".

The US does not have to do anything here. It is a choice. US taxpayers are being forced to bail it out. At the US government's choice.

But hey, if it's that or supporting US Farmers or US healthcare or education or USAID or etc etc. Choices apparently have to be made, and it's South American libertarians first.

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