regime, and while still allowing trade with it, he has strictly limited official ties. Argentina also dropped out of cooperating with nations such as Russia and Brazil to create a new unit of account as an alternative to the U.S. dollar. Other U.S. allies have benefited
from Milei taking office. He recently waved an Israeli flag
in solidarity with the Jewish state and has moved the Argentine embassy to Jerusalem. He also firmly supports Ukraine in
its war with Russian President Vladi- mir Putin. In addition, he has shown a will-
ingness to confront globalist lions’ dens such as the Davos Forum and the United Nations. In his first speech to the U.N. in September, he told delegates that the U.N. “has transformed into a Levia- than with multiple tentacles that intends to decide not only what each nation-state should do but also how all the citizens of the world should live,” and called for “the establishment of a new agenda for this noble institution that is the agenda for freedom.”
TAX REFORM Domestically, Milei has realized he had to show he really meant to imple- ment a radical agenda. As a demonstration that he took tax
reform very seriously, he shut down AFIP, the nation’s tax collection agen- cy. Portions of it were merged with the Customs Service in a new, smaller agency that employs 34% fewer peo- ple, including a 45% reduction in high- er-level positions. Milei’s office says the shutdown
was necessary because “throughout its existence, this agency has func- tioned as a political cash box, and, as we all know, many Argentines have been subjected to absolutely immoral persecutions. “No State bureaucrat should be del-
egated the power to tell an Argentin- ean what to do with his property.” Contrast Milei’s approach with that
Argentina has advantages that could fuel its future growth. Recent discoveries of natural gas and lithium can now be exploited since Milei has removed many restrictions on the mining sector.
of the Biden-Harris administration, which became infamous for passing a budget that will increase the IRS workforce by some 87,000 people over the next decade. Milei also tackled the sacred cow
of rent control in Buenos Aires, the nation’s capital. As Swedish economist Assar Lind-
beck wrote: “In many cases rent con- trol appears to be the most efficient technique presently known to destroy a city — except for bombing.” Milei tackled the problem by sim-
ply repealing rent control. The Wall Street Journal reports that not only has rental supply in Buenos Aires jumped by over 195%, but rents are now dropping in real terms — with a 40% decrease this year. He has also proven to be a skillful
compromiser in order to get a leg- islative package through a Congress where his brand-new party holds less than 15% of the seats. In June, the Milei government
ignored Antifa-type violent mobs who burned cars on the streets out- side their chamber and passed Milei’s basic package on tax cuts and budget reforms. The bill passed with 400 fewer
clauses than the original, but it is still a big win for him. It declares a state of economic emergency for one year, during which he will have extraordinary powers over energy, economic, and finan- cial matters. It also opens the way to privatize several state-owned firms and creates incentives for would-be foreign investors. The vote was 36-36, with Milei’s
vice president, Victoria Villarruel, casting the tie-breaking vote in favor.
GROWTH AHEAD Milei still faces many challenges. His goal of eliminating the Argentine peso in favor of the dollar has been put to the side — for now. A recession brought on by government spending cuts pushed the poverty rate up from 45% to 50%. But Argentina has advantages that
could fuel its future growth. Recent discoveries of natural gas and lithi- um can now be exploited since Milei has removed many restrictions on the mining sector. The country is already the world’s
largest exporter of soybean oil and meal, the third-largest exporter of soybeans, and the second-largest exporter of corn. Milei has embarked on a reform
LIKE MINDS Javier Milei with President-elect Donald Trump at a gala at Mar-a-Lago in November. Like Trump, the Argentina leader wants to slash the size of government.
project in a country that is far worse off than America is today. But if Milei succeeds, the principles he is putting into action may become an alterna- tive model for struggling countries everywhere.
JANUARY 2025 | NEWSMAX 43
JOE RAEDLE/GETTY IMAGES
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