Milei does appear to be the third M; Menem, Macri and now, Milei.

All three, seem to spell misery - and each, more than the previous one.

But seriously - there's no doubt in my mind Milei's trying to force the dollarization of Argentina by way of a depression.

The biggest obstacle to that pipe dream of his, has always been not so much political - but the obvious fact that Argentina has 40 trillion pesos in deposits, plus 6 trillion in cash.

There is no way in hell he can find the dollars needed to compensate everyone for all that - unless (he believes) he can force businesses and families to burn through all those pesos themselves.

And the only way to accomplish that, is through a hyperinflation/depression.

I doubt he'll last long enough to impose his dollarization delusion - but one thing's certain: this mega-crisis he's inflicting on them, will take years to recover from.

Something Argentines are used to by now, at least.

Even if he amassed the dollars to accomplish ‘dollarization,’ couldn’t that potentially kill the dollar? Would it even be legal? I know some Caribbean and Central American countries have done it, but Argentina?

I’d lived in BA for a total of 4 years. Most of my friends there are similarly retirement aged. Living off $400 a month. Contemporaries. I can’t imagine what it must be like for the less fortunate. Guess I have to hope that Milei has some success.

The effect hasn't fully sunk in yet, because December (as you know) is Christmas Bonus month in Argentina.

Normally, Argentines use this bonus to deflect their upcoming vacation expenses - or at the very least pay off bills from previous months.

Not this time.

Milei's hyperinflation (Mi-perinflation?) has pretty much devoured this year's X-mas bonus.

And, as you alluded to, for nothing - because there's no way he can find the 50+ billion of dollars needed to fairly compensate everyone's pesos (even at the new, devalued rate!).

How do I know? Because his money-laundering Economy Minister Luis Caputo went to Wall Street, hat in hand, to beg for $30 billion - and he got nothing (other than little pats on the head, and lunch with Clinton - paid for by an Argentine billionaire).

Suffice it to say, as quickly as real wages are now plunging - and with mass layoffs now in the horizon - he might not last beyond March or so.

Much less, long enough to impose his pipe dreams.

Here's more footage from the cacerolazos - which are politically meaningful, because they're usually associated with the very kind of right-leaning, middle-class voters that were key to Milei's victory to begin with.

(so you can imagine how more left-leaning, working-class voters feel)

Thanks. You must have the deluxe cable package. I thought Patricia wasn’t bluffing when she said protestors in the roadway will be met with jail and bullets. She’ll not be able to punish this many people.

People walking from Caballito and Almagro to Plaza de Los Congresos. Impresionante! Jose st watched the first third; I’ll watch the rest when I got a chance. Thanks again. How do you find nd entire news programs from Argentina?

As you know, there's a an array of cable and on-air news stations and/or programs - all over the country, and of a variety of political persuasions.

Though mainly center-right to right-wing, sadly.

Being on the center-left as I am (mostly), I often watch the Minuto Uno evening news on C5N cable news - which, like most cable news shows in Argentina, is available on YouTube in real time.

And thanks to the country's liberal fair-use laws, these shows - or portions thereof - are always available from any number of other sources.

Not surprisingly, Trump's pal Macri tried to have C5N shut down by using charges against its owners that were later found to have been trumped up.

Milei and his (pro-dictatorship) surrogates have already threatened to do likewise - especially against the smaller El Destape ('The Reveal' - https://www.eldestapeweb.com/).

The international press freedom mavens and 'papers-of-record'? Crickets.

That said - thanks as always for your interest, and for the insights Enid. Happy Holidays to you and yours.