The awful state of our economy

[retiredbanker]

Just returned from an afternoon at the Abasto shopping center. Not only was it packed but the food court there, which isn't cheap, was wall to wall people. Seems nobody told those there that many in Argentina are dirt poor. Not all doom and gloom. Glad to see it like that.

 

[retiredbanker]

Yesterday I took the Tren de la Costa from Olivos to Tigre. It's a scenic 30 minute trip. Arriving at Tigre Delta station, which is directly in front of the Trilenium casino, you couldn't but notice a huge crowd waiting for Park De La Costa to open. The line stretched from the entrance of that location well past the casino and I'd guess there were a few thousand people in that queue. Once again, defying all the nay sayers, there is life in Argentina.

 

[Paige55]

Yesterday I took the Tren de la Costa from Olivos to Tigre. It's a scenic 30 minute trip. Arriving at Tigre Delta station, which is directly in front of the Trilenium casino, you couldn't but notice a huge crowd waiting for Park De La Costa to open. The line stretched from the entrance of that location well past the casino and I'd guess there were a few thousand people in that queue. Once again, defying all the nay sayers, there is life in Argentina.

To be fair, it's winter break now. Just because people line up to spend money on a theme park doesn't mean they're flush with cash. Me, I'm poor, but I'll still buy myself a luxury once and again and then scrape by on fumes for a few months...just to feel alive in this economic minefield the world's oligarchies are creating for folks. You can also think of it this way...as it's winter break, maybe those families going to a Tigre amusement park would have traveled instead, but now can't afford it...so they line up to go on a few rollercoasters. I don't think we can say the state of the economy is booming for folks and erase how it's knocked a lot of people into unstable territory. Argentina has always been a country that spends what little they have like they won't have it tomorrow, precisely because the politicians create these ongoing economic messes.

People here celebrate a blue sky, a mild and temperate morning. They don't save for a rainy day, they've learned better. So, even when people are suffering financially, you'll still see them out to eat, taking advantage of the cultural centers and accessible museums, parks, recreation. There are also still rich people here that have reserves and spend them. I think the fuller picture would account for how many people are struggling right now, while also realizing there's a large portion of the population who make good wages and can afford even more luxury, and even more of the population who are tight on funds but refuse to allow themselves to be cast out of life completely (so they spend anyway and skimp where they can to make up for it). Income inequality exists everyplace. It exists here, most certainly.

I love this country precisely because even the 'have nots' like to throw the future to the breeze sometimes to place their bets on a steak dinner, a quart of ice cream, a bottle of wine. And that's not as frowned upon here as in the States...where if someone making less than $100,000/year buys an avocado toast or a take-away coffee to brighten the bleak future ahead, they're seen as irresponsible villains of their own stories (nevermind the policies in place to make a slice of bread with half an avocado spread atop it $25 in the first place).

It's good to know fun can still be had by so many, I hope it continues on that way and that one day this country is run by folks who truly care to enrich the population writ large, in whole (not in part). A Christmas miracle that would be.

 

[retiredbanker]

To be fair, it's winter break now. Just because people line up to spend money on a theme park doesn't mean they're flush with cash. Me, I'm poor, but I'll still buy myself a luxury once and again and then scrape by on fumes for a few months...just to feel alive in this economic minefield the world's oligarchies are creating for folks. You can also think of it this way...as it's winter break, maybe those families going to a Tigre amusement park would have traveled instead, but now can't afford it...so they line up to go on a few rollercoasters. I don't think we can say the state of the economy is booming for folks and erase how it's knocked a lot of people into unstable territory. Argentina has always been a country that spends what little they have like they won't have it tomorrow, precisely because the politicians create these ongoing economic messes.

People here celebrate a blue sky, a mild and temperate morning. They don't save for a rainy day, they've learned better. So, even when people are suffering financially, you'll still see them out to eat, taking advantage of the cultural centers and accessible museums, parks, recreation. There are also still rich people here that have reserves and spend them. I think the fuller picture would account for how many people are struggling right now, while also realizing there's a large portion of the population who make good wages and can afford even more luxury, and even more of the population who are tight on funds but refuse to allow themselves to be cast out of life completely (so they spend anyway and skimp where they can to make up for it). Income inequality exists everyplace. It exists here, most certainly.

I love this country precisely because even the 'have nots' like to throw the future to the breeze sometimes to place their bets on a steak dinner, a quart of ice cream, a bottle of wine. And that's not as frowned upon here as in the States...where if someone making less than $100,000/year buys an avocado toast or a take-away coffee to brighten the bleak future ahead, they're seen as irresponsible villains of their own stories (nevermind the policies in place to make a slice of bread with half an avocado spread atop it $25 in the first place).

It's good to know fun can still be had by so many, I hope it continues on that way and that one day this country is run by folks who truly care to enrich the population writ large, in whole (not in part). A Christmas miracle that would be.

Some see the glass as half empty while others see it as half full.

 

[Paige55]

Some see the glass as half empty while others see it as half full.

I've been through a lot and I still see it as half full, but that doesn't mean I have to erase the bigger picture. Life can be both beautiful and tragic, and often it's both all at once.

 

[mageesa]

Yesterday I took the Tren de la Costa from Olivos to Tigre. It's a scenic 30 minute trip. Arriving at Tigre Delta station, which is directly in front of the Trilenium casino, you couldn't but notice a huge crowd waiting for Park De La Costa to open. The line stretched from the entrance of that location well past the casino and I'd guess there were a few thousand people in that queue. Once again, defying all the nay sayers, there is life in Argentina.

I flew to Miami as the first leg of a trip home on Monday, and there were families with kids heading to the USA for their 'winter break'. That's the well-to-do class.
Park De La Costa has entries and discounts from about 15.000 to 20.000, which in comparison to actually traveling for vacation, is super accessible.
We just don't know what long lines at a local park mean. If in previous years they would have gone to Salta or Patagonia (or Brazil, or the USA), it would be a downgrade. Didn't middle class people go to Bariloche on break? Or am I confusing it with 'senior trip'?

 

[Konner_Long]

I think there's a lot of anecdotal information being treated as evidence in this thread. Even if you personally saw 10,000 people in that line, it's still only one observation in an economy of tens of millions of people.

It's also a leap to assume those same people would have spent their money differently last year. Some may have travelled overseas or domestically instead, while others may simply have chosen not to spend at all.

This is exactly why we rely on research and representative data rather than anecdotal observations. Individual experiences can be interesting, but they aren't enough to draw conclusions about the broader economy.