By Walter E. Block
Javier Milei's followers, including myself, are delighted that the New York Times has published an article about him. Overall, it's pretty accurate. It is true that it defends deregulated capitalism, private property rights, the desire for profit and everything else that comes with the philosophy of the free market. And, yes, it has also fought Argentine inflation to the point of almost defeating it. It is also true that, in the past, it was ignored. This is stated quite precisely: “... in 2019,... Milei was a little-known libertarian economist and media celebrity, shouting from the margins of a political class that didn't take him seriously. Since then, he has surprised the world with a meteoric rise to the presidency.” Truer words than these have never been said. Nor can it be denied, as Emma Bubola correctly states, that the winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics, Friedrich Hayek, is one of the brightest stars in his sky. Ludwig von Mises
as well.However, there are some aspects in which the author misunderstands President Milei and his libertarian perspective. For example, he states that:
“A nation where people resist eating alone or drinking a cup of mate, the national infusion, without sharing it with the person next door, is embracing a leader whose fundamental message is that each person must stand up for himself.” And so Bubola offers this quote, without hesitation: “Milei tries to destroy the essence of Argentina and the community identity of the people,” said Juan Grabois, legislator of
the opposition to Milei.This is nonsense. Even if you search every corner of libertarianism, for Mr. Milei's philosophy, you will never find a shred of opposition to sharing, to participating in voluntary community activities, or to the refusal to “look after” others as well as yourself. Is the president of Argentina opposed to parents feeding their young children? No. Do you reject cooperative initiatives such as amateur soccer leagues or chess clubs? Of course not. Are you against good-neighbourliness? If anyone believes any of this, they should then subscribe to the system's official press, because that's the corner they're trying to get him into
