The Lion of Argentina
Javier Milei, a libertarian economist, has a strong probability of becoming the next president of Argentina.
Argentine presidential candidate Javier Milei shocked the world on August 13 when he won over thirty percent of the vote in the country’s primary elections. The vote created a huge disturbance for the political establishment in Argentina, as the two main political forces were soundly defeated by a once ignored economist and television commentator. Milei, a staunch libertarian and an adherent to the philosophy of anarcho-capitalism, has a legitimate opportunity to become the first libertarian president in modern history.
Javier Milei can be best described as a right-libertarian who embodies everything the political left abhors. He is in favor of eliminating the central bank, cutting regulations, and lowering taxes. Milei is an advocate of the right to bear arms and is unapologetically pro-life. He isn’t exactly the warmest friend of the LGBTQ+ community and the increasingly radical ideology that surrounds it. Milei once called climate change a “socialist lie” that is meant to deceive the population for the end purpose of gathering more power for the state.
Ever the spirited citizen, Milei can be brutally blunt. His stated mission is to “kick Keynesians and collectivists in the ass.” He describes leftists as “shit.” Asked in an interview why he defended the right to own a firearm, Milei retorted, “Why are you in favor of honest Argentines suffering like rats at the hands of criminals?” On the issue of taxation, Milei pledged to “cut off his arm” before he would ever raise taxes.
In essence, Milei is a Republican, except that he truly believes in reducing the size of the state and isn’t afraid of going after the left. His laid-out plan to bring about a drastic reduction in the size of Argentina’s government is no laughing matter. In his so-called “chainsaw plan,” Milei aims to abolish a plethora of government agencies and departments, which include the ministries of education, health, social development, culture, and much more.
Milei’s supporters are some of the most impassioned political groups in the world. Thousands upon thousands routinely gathered at his campaign events, sometimes swarming Milei with energetic admiration. His support mainly resides in Argentina’s young, who have developed understandable resentment and anger at politics in the country. A former member of a rock band, Milei loves to fire up the massive crowds at his events.
The Economy and Milei’s Plan to Right the Ship
In truth, the broad resentment and anger among Argentinians is warranted. One of the most prosperous nations in the world at the beginning stages of the twentieth century, its economy now ranks among the worst. The annual inflation rate surpasses 110%, and an estimated forty percent of its people live in poverty. In addition to these economic adversities, the Argentine peso is largely worthless.
Luckily, the source of economic troubles is always identifiable. This is especially the case in Argentina. Peronism and its emphasis on Keynesianism have decimated the economy for decades with unchecked government spending, ubiquitous regulations, high taxes, and rampant inflation, which have all contributed to destroying the average lifestyle.
The people of Argentina have concluded that Milei holds the only answer to solving this economic crisis: freedom. A longtime professor of economics and a follower of the Austrian School of Economics, Milei knows what it takes to uplift Argentina from abject poverty. His detailed proposal to unleash the free market, shift to dollarization, and restrict government intervention is widely considered erratic and uncalled for in establishment political circles, but it might just be what Argentina needs to ascend to the status of a global economic power again.
In addition to cutting taxes and regulations, Milei intends to dispose of all import and export tariffs, along with removing quotas to embrace free trade. Additionally, he aims to significantly reduce government spending and set the welfare system on the road to privatization. But the most impactful move will be killing the poisonous central bank. The relentless money printing over the years has inflated Argentina’s currency to the point of no return, which has produced astronomical inflation that naturally hits the poor the hardest. By eradicating the source of the hyperinflation, Milei will tackle the problem directly.
Through his economic policies, Milei has presented himself as the only man who can revive the Argentinian economy, return his country to its proper place in the world, and address the needs of his people. Needless to say, the Argentinian people have been severely hurt in innumerable ways for far too long while their political overlords flourish. “This model of crooked politicians, crony businessmen, and union leaders turning their backs on workers left us with this mess,” Milei said. “In that context, we went from having a rich society to a poor one, where the only ones who prospered were from the damned political class.”
“I am the Lion!”
To the amazement of many who doubted his rise, Milei has emerged as the most popular individual in Argentinian politics. He has won the hearts and minds of millions with his anti-establishment rhetoric and his message of liberty, justice, and truth. When Milei closed out his presidential campaign ahead of the primary elections on August 7, he did so in an arena packed with over ten thousand people. Together, they chanted, “Let them go, let not a single one remain,” in reference to Argentina’s political class.
Argentinians are clearly frustrated with the many failures of socialism under decades of Peronist rule, and they have thrown their weight behind a man who is promising to destroy this system and bring “an end to the parasitic, corrupt, and useless political caste that exists” in Argentina. As a result, millions have flocked to the radical ideas of libertarianism that Milei regularly promotes.
“I am the lion!” roared Milei on the night of August 7. “I am the king in a lost world.” Indeed. Milei is a courageously bold figure paving the way for a more prosperous, free society in Argentina. In a confused world that continually looks to the state to solve every microscopic problem, Milei is leading a once-flourishing society in a completely different direction to rediscover its roots and resurrect its cherished freedoms that have been buried and suppressed under the repressive boot of socialism.
The ascent of Milei is uniquely unprecedented in that no “libertarian” has come this close to winning a presidency. If elected and Milei’s administration operates according to his vision, the nations of the world will witness firsthand that a society predicated on economic liberty, minuscule government, and individual freedom can produce widespread prosperity and unparalleled excellence. It’s time for freedom in Argentina.
Thanks to his stunning victory in the primary elections, Milei is now the favorite to obtain victory in the general election in October. It certainly seems as if his current momentum will never end. Time will only tell if the Lion of Argentina is to become the first self-professed libertarian head of state in history.
I couldn’t agree more! We need someone like that here in America but unfortunately we Americans are alittle slow when it comes reality-we wait til it kicks us in the ass, then it’s too late.
Some on the dissident right point out that his profile on the WEF site is a red flag, but this is a non-issue. He was invited to a WEF panel in Panama in April 2014 because of his reputation as an economist who specialized in economic growth and development. This was around the time he was getting into Rothbard and changing his understanding of the world. He does not seem to be the same guy that he was 9 years ago, and has been a nightmare for the ruling class in his country ever since he entered politics.