Javier Milei Is Absolutely Killing It in Argentina

PJ Media ^ | 05/09/2024 | Stephen Green

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President Javier Milei entered office like Jack Nicholson breaking his way into the bathroom in "The Shining" — with an axe. Armed with emergency powers granted by the Argentine Congress, he balanced the country's out-of-control budget in one month, fired government workers by the thousands, eliminated more than 200,000 "corrupt" social welfare programs, and even cozied up to NATO.

“There’s a lot more chainsaw" to come, Milei promised in March, and I momentarily almost became gay.

The usual fearmongers mongered the usual fears.

A few weeks ago, the New York Times ran an opinion piece — complete with a demonic-looking, high-contrast black-and-white photo of Milei — by Argentine author Uki Goñi. According to him, Milei is the "product of a long South American history in which authoritarianism has been the norm and democracy the exception." Of course, Goñi also called Milei "a far-right libertarian," and if you can square "authoritarian" with "libertarian," then cut back on the day-drinking.

Victor Swezey warned in December that "victims of Argentina’s dictatorship see [a] step backward in Milei’s presidency."

And the Columbia Journalism Review's Jon Allsop got his panties particularly twisted over concerns about Milei's "particular hostility toward public media," and the private media, too. But when a conservative or libertarian shows any level of hostility toward the media, he's merely returning the favor.

So who is right? Milei and his axe or his critics with their axes to grind?

Let's look at the numbers.

Wow! Inflation down from 300% to 11%; the first quarterly budget surplus since 2008; interest rates cut three times in three weeks;

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For those who aren't paying attention: The Argentine peso becomes the world's best performing currency.

With stabilising prices, and a rising currency, investment should start flowing again into a country rich in natural resources and hyper-competitive on wages costs.

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[Mr. N. Wolfe]

Beacons of hope. Javier Milei is doing phenomenal work in Argentina. Same with Nayib Bukele in El Salvador.

[Sequoyah101]

It would be wonderful to see this kind of an axe taken to the US gooberment. Whack away!!!! After that, fire anyone who complains. Just eliminate anything that is not necessary. That would probably be about half of it all.

[AndyJackson]

Does he have enough helicopters?

[DIRTYSECRET]

Thatcher paved the way for Reagan. No reason Milei can’t run interference for Trump. I’m still wondering why Milei hasn’t been invited to speak to a joint session of congress. We have the house you know. Just imagine him speaking and VP Marco translating it into English for the whole Western Hemisphere to hear. Armageddon for the left. Heh heh.

Perhaps we’re waiting for November.

[DIRTYSECRET]

Rubio would be auditioning for the Cuban Presidency when their government falls.

[ansel12]

Reagan paved the way for Reagan, in 1976 he came within an inch of taking the nomination from a sitting president.

[DIRTYSECRET]

Excuse me. It’s Thatcher who paved the way for Reagan. Must be past everyone’s bedtime.

[DIRTYSECRET]

Oh I got it right the first time. Confused me with Ansel.

Let me just say that Thatcher certainly helped. England did a 180. Raised eyebrows. That’s the idea.

[mikey_hates_everything]

“ Wow! Inflation down from 300% to 11%; the first quarterly budget surplus since 2008; interest rates cut three times in three weeks;”

[ansel12]

Thatcher was took office in May of 1979, not many American voters would really know much about her or England, what they did know was President Carter, malaise, tent cities, and Governor Reagan, and hostages in Iran.

[Owen]

These articles are largely Swamp articles.

Measuring things in printed pieces of paper created from nothingness by a central bank.

What this guy has is 3 things:

1) A desire to drain the Swamp.

2) Shale oil and gas in the Vaca Muerto, and he’s going to pipeline it to the rest of South America and erase a US LNG market.

3) He is very likely going to default on the IMF. Just default. It’s meaningless pieces of paper if you just default on them, rather than be butchered as they did to Greece.

Nihilism? So what. When the alternative is an altar worshiping pieces of paper created from nothingness, how is nihilism bad?

[desertsolitaire]

I would love to see President Trump partner with and support Argentina in its efforts a d help Mexico take back its country from the drug cartels.
Then we could revitalize cities like Detroit and Benton Harbor Michigan with manufacturing jobs using cheap US energy from fossil fuels and nuclear.

[Bullish]

Wow, what a nutjob?... Just like that Orange man.

/s

[FrankRizzo890]

If he keeps showing the RIGHT way to do things, and keeps getting results, they’re gonna have to kill him. This is just too much. It runs counter to everything the globalists believe.

[Freest Republican]

These replies are largely anti fiat.

He has the magnet effect. The same thing that the Chicago boys brought to Chile.

Chile became a magnet for entrepreneurs from all over South America.

I’ll also point out that the Kenyan shilling is second on the list due to it’s ability to pay off June 24 Eurobonds. The effect is lower costs to service debt. Somewhat flies in the face of advocating for a default in Argentina as if Arg and Greece are remotely comparable-but hey all in on joules all out of fiat.

[Freest Republican]

He figures to be much more successful than their worst imagination.

Both Chile and South Korea show what can be accomplished emulating the ideals of our economy without having the handicap of Democrats.

It is ironic that both RR and Thatcher are mentioned above as both followed some of the Chicago boys reforms and policies.

[FLT-bird]

I want to see President Trump fire so many bureaucrats that real estate prices in DC take a tumble.