Posted on 10/21/2023 1:28:51 AM PDT by RandFan
BUENOS AIRES, Oct 19 (Reuters) - With wild hair and brash sideburns - and sometimes a chainsaw - Argentine libertarian economist Javier Milei has become the stand-out image of the South American country's presidential election and made himself the candidate to beat.
A dark horse outsider until just months ago, the 52-year-old former rock musician and "shock jock" pundit sent shockwaves through the political arena by coming top in an August open primary and is now polling in first place ahead of the Sunday vote.
An aggressive and colorful campaign, ranging from pledging to "burn down" the central bank to wielding a chainsaw at rallies to symbolize his plans to slash spending, has ignited droves of voters angry at inflation running at 138% and a painful cost of living crisis.
"He has managed to recover something that was lost in Argentine politics, which is that he offers hope," said Juan Luis Gonzalez, an Argentine journalist who wrote a book on Milei titled "El Loco" or "The Crazy One".
Milei, whose brash showmanship has shades of former U.S. President Donald Trump or Italy's Beppe Grillo, proposes to dollarize the economy, end currency controls, close the central bank, and cut state spending sharply. He also favors laxer gun controls and tighter rules on abortion.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
He's a libertarian but I dare say ALL Freepers will be rooting for him on Sunday.
In the space of 100 years, Argentina went from one of world’s most developed countries into a failed nation. And the reason for that is socialism. Peronist leftism destroyed their economy, their prosperity and their culture. And then in 2013, they inflicted an exponent of that Peronist leftism on the world in the form of the Catholic Church’s first Marxist pope... who has tirelessly worked to destroy the Church.
Milei gets it. He is brutally honest about everything that is wrong with Argentina, including its papal export. I am praying for his victory tomorrow. His dollarization strategy is a good one, and it has worked in El Salvador and Ecuador.
Now that’s crazy.
It maybe stronger than Italy’s currency but with Biden in office the dollar is doomed.
His election would be a first step back from utter disaster for Argentina. Its a beautiful country with a lot of natural resources. About a century ago, it was one of the top 10 economies in the world. It could be a wealthy country again if they would get rid of the socialism.
They currently only have 11 million of their 47 million people working and of those, 4 million work in the public sector. So they really only have 7 million trying to support a population of 47 million. They’ve made it too expensive to work, so people don’t. This guy understands the problem and has the solution - the free market.
The Globalist Cabal will never allow him to win.
marx and engles wrote in the communist manifesto “From each according to his ability ,To each according to his needs” but the Americanized version is “From those who can and do, To those who could but won’t...why SHOULD they when they can use the police power of government to TAKE IT from those who can and do and give it to those who could but won’t” L.Star
Argentina has below average employment rate (for a developed country), but not as bad as you indicate.
https://www.oecd.org/countries/argentina/jobs-strategy-ARGENTINA-EN.pdf
It is interesting isn’t it, that the LIBERTARIAN is the pro-life candidate. We are the ones who affirm that life has intrinsic worth. We affirm that people aren’t to be judged according to their usefulness to others, even as we affirm that any person’s need isn’t a claim on others. These go for the old as well as the young, and for those with handicaps.
Jesus said, love others as you love yourself.
Ayn Rand said, self-love is the proper basis of love of others.
I say you, whoever you are, you are a beautiful creature, the most beautiful in creation. Within you is the image of God. Live your life accordingly.
Is that counting the official employment rate or the unofficial employment rate?
There is more than a little of a black market/underground economy in Argentina. People work for cash so they can avoid having to pay taxes and social insurance costs etc. There is no doubt that like most socialist countries, Argentina has destroyed a lot of jobs by loading huge costs onto every job.
Yep. He’d better have top notch security.
Enjoyed his interview with Tucker as well.
With ANYONE in office the DOLLAR is doomed!
We Americans will NOT do anything to pay our debts other than kick the can down the road!
Milei was so articulate in that interview with Tucker. I wish I could find a transcript.
...but was he clean and bright?
I think your summary of the economic placement downfall is missing a component. Peron leftism was certainly involved in their stagnation but in 1910 they were a leading agricultural and natural resources fueled nation just about to enter the time where all the western nations’ economies began to run off industrial and manufacturing enterprises. Argentina had very little industrial or manufacturing investment by the capital controlling interests in that nation. They sat on their money and the world left them behind. No Henry Ford, no Westinghouse, no Rockefeller.
As far as symbolism goes, that’s a pretty toothless chainsaw. Not the best message.
The chainsaw image is his statement on how he will cut spending. There are dolls with chainsaws in response. Populist that is trying to make economic sense despite, and outside of, the political class
THAT"S IT.! That's exactly what we need for president. In instead of that babbling, brain dead old snooze fest, lets let the USA go out in a drunken, dope-up bash.!! I mean, it's on it's way out anyway so, what the hey, let's just say "SCREW IT" and party hardy..... :(
The point being it something political central bankers, in Argentina at least, don't control and can't print at will.
Why not just go for gold backing? For a 3rd world country like Argentina, its nearly the same (but better)
Yes, but THERE IS NO CHAIN on that chainsaw; no teeth. It will do NO CUTTING.
That is crappy symbolism.
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