Javier Milei

[Rob]

If you haven't listened to Milei's speach at Davos 2024 it is worth listening to. I am surprised that Milei is not generating more interest in the libertarian community.

 

[Conza]

It was good. But hate to be that guy but: what a wasted introduction. The empirical data doesn't convince anyone. Not to mention that GDP is also a completely BS metric. Which I'm sure he knows.

- nothing wrong with coercion, aggression is the problem
- solid no market failure points
- solid ending

Wish there was some actual better points made re: Mises economic calculation argument... to disabuse everyone in the room they can rationally allocate resources.

 

[rodvar]

Hayek states that “the threat of force or violence is the most important form of coercion" -> Milei says that the state uses coercion to steal money from people in the form of "taxes" (that can ultimately become aggression if coercion is not enough). Do you think that coercion is ok?

 

[Rob]

It was good. But hate to be that guy but: what a wasted introduction. The empirical data doesn't convince anyone. Not to mention that GDP is also a completely BS metric. Which I'm sure he knows.

- nothing wrong with coercion, aggression is the problem
- solid no market failure points
- solid ending

Wish there was some actual better points made re: Mises economic calculation argument... to disabuse everyone in the room they can rationally allocate resources.

Agreed not perfect but good nevertheless. I wonder who his target audience was? Perhaps he was just having fun, I would if I was him.

 

[Rob]

Hayek states that “the threat of force or violence is the most important form of coercion" -> Milei says that the state uses coercion to steal money from people in the form of "taxes" (that can ultimately become aggression if coercion is not enough). Do you think that coercion is ok?

Hayek is great on many things but absolutely hopeless on this. I recommend reading/listening to Hoppe or Kinsella to get a good understanding of what libertarians mean by coercion, why we oppose it and why taxes are never justified. Both Rothbard (Rothbard vs The Philosophers) and Raico (Clasical Liberalism and the Austrian School) have written good studies on Hayek. All these authors are a joy to read and highly recommended. My apologies if I misread your post and you have already read these. Cheers

 

[Conza]

Everyone's thoughts on his approach: - devaluing the peso 50% against USD? Inflation still at single digits - monthly though... I mean massive improvements; but I could be a whole lot more critical of it...

 

[Conza]

https://www.lewrockwell.com/2024/06/no_author/a-hoppean-dissection-of-javier-milei/

The bad: Instead of repudiating State debt, he went to the IMF and decided to let the long-suffering Argentinians pay for foreigners and foreign investment funds that had been stupid enough to buy debt obligations issued by previous administrations of the Argentine government.

Instead of slashing taxes all-around as promised and allowing the economy to recover on its own, he has increased various taxes (like on fuels and foreign currency purchases) and even plans to restore a category of income tax.

Instead of abolishing the central bank and allowing a free choice in money as promised, he tries to keep the peso alive—that otherwise would be quickly outcompeted and replaced by the US-dollar (and possibly, later-on, by other still better, more sound currencies)—by means of special short-time bonds, manipulation of interest rates, and artificially fixed exchange rates.

Instead of slashing welfare programs, he has expanded the welfare state—including the multiplied pesos for especially pernicious programs for the social fabric of a good society, like transfers to pregnant women and families for each dependent child. Instead of ending the war on drugs, he has intensified this abomination and even mocked critics on this.

Instead of balancing the budget by spending less only, he balances it with more taxation rather than with more spending cuts—favoring the accounts of the State over those of the productive people of Argentina. And instead of promoting and allowing secession and radical political decentralization, he has strengthened the power of the central government.

🎯

 

[Rob]

https://www.lewrockwell.com/2024/06/no_author/a-hoppean-dissection-of-javier-milei/



🎯

His stance on Israel, Ukraine and support for the US generally is also a big concern.

 

[rodvar]

This is not an academic lab experiment, he is the first libertarian president of the world governing a country with 60% of the population in poverty (and poverty there is not like the one you might know here, people eat from the garbage in Argentina among other nasty stuff). I think the reforms we all want are gonna come promptly but he is just 6 months in office and has achieved incredible results putting it in the context of Argentina's economy/politics.

If you consider inflation as a tax (which it is because the federal government decides it with the monetary policy, an un-legislated one, that strikes the lowest income people first which makes it the worst tax) he is reducing the tax pressure as promised even though some specific taxes did increase. He has already announced that as the balance month to month keeps in surplus he is going to start reducing taxes so very exciting times coming.

Eliminating the Central Bank and having free choice of currency is still on the agenda, but there is a lot to do before he can sustainably achieve that. Beginning with eliminating currency controls (known as 'cepo') it looks like they are on track to do so.
And all of this without mentioning the global impact he is making being received by the world's leading tech companies in Silicon Valley + continuing the cultural battle to remind the world that we achieved this level of prosperity because of freedom/liberty and not by restraining it (e.g. Davos speech).

 

[Rob]

This is not an academic lab experiment, he is the first libertarian president of the world governing a country with 60% of the population in poverty (and poverty there is not like the one you might know here, people eat from the garbage in Argentina among other nasty stuff). I think the reforms we all want are gonna come promptly but he is just 6 months in office and has achieved incredible results putting it in the context of Argentina's economy/politics.

If you consider inflation as a tax (which it is because the federal government decides it with the monetary policy, an un-legislated one, that strikes the lowest income people first which makes it the worst tax) he is reducing the tax pressure as promised even though some specific taxes did increase. He has already announced that as the balance month to month keeps in surplus he is going to start reducing taxes so very exciting times coming.

Eliminating the Central Bank and having free choice of currency is still on the agenda, but there is a lot to do before he can sustainably achieve that. Beginning with eliminating currency controls (known as 'cepo') it looks like they are on track to do so.
And all of this without mentioning the global impact he is making being received by the world's leading tech companies in Silicon Valley + continuing the cultural battle to remind the world that we achieved this level of prosperity because of freedom/liberty and not by restraining it (e.g. Davos speech).

Fair enough. We also need to recognise that one person in that role is heavily reliant on those around him for support and to execute his strategy. There is room for different strategies but what is going on with his views on the Ukraine war and the Israel/Palestine war. Is he just pandering to the US? If he is a consistent libertarian and doesn't want to create more enemies then why not just stay quiet?