They Are Fuming at Javier Milei’s Cuts

Mar 13, 2025

I said from day 1 that Javier Milei’s anarcho-capitalism with his ridiculous, symbolic chainsaw is NOT what Argentina needs. It is no long-term solution. It’s all going to end in tears. Only the well-heeled will be spared the misery. The majority of Argentinians will descend into abject poverty. This is so hard for the majority of Argentinians, who have already suffered enough. Too much, actually. And now we can observe Elon Musk copy Milei’s policies in the USA. The Western world is going to hell in a handbasket. – © Mark Alexander

Argentina’s Economy in Crisis, Soup Kitchens Struggle after Government Spending Cuts

Sep 13, 2024 | Argentina's economic crisis has led to widespread poverty, affecting over half of the population. Soup kitchens, essential to many struggling families, are facing shortages after the government halted a food distribution program in December as part of a major cost cutting effort. President Javier Milei is being urged to reinstate the program to address the urgent needs of the country's most vulnerable citizens. The situation is deteriorating, with many families relying solely on soup kitchens for their meals. Inflation, high unemployment, and budget cuts continue to exacerbate the hardship.

Javier Milei is another unfeeling, cruel clown who wants to “fix” the economy even if half of the population of Argentina has to starve to death for him to achieve his desired results! The secret of running a successful economy is to get good economic results with the minimum of hardship and suffering.

I recently watched a documentary on Milei’s anarcho-capitalistic policies and what Argentinians thought of them. It was very clear to me that the people who thought his policies were good were all well-heeled individuals living in beautiful homes. When the government’s policies have minimal impact on your lifestyle, it is easy to be uncritical of them. But for those who are dependent on assistance, for those who are suffering shortages, it’s a different story.

I said from the very start that this experiment will end in tears. I still believe it will. I stand by my original assessment. – © Mark Alexander

Argentina after One Year of President Milei | DW Documentary

Nov 19, 2024 | Is Javier Milei a savior or a destroyer? It’s been just over a year since the far-right, chainsaw-wielding 54-year-old was elected President of Argentina, and society is more divided than ever before.

Argentina’s poverty rate has soared to over 50% since Javier Milei took office. Many young voters opted for Milei because they wanted a radical break from the previous government. Many Argentinians in the business community are also hoping Milei's "shock therapy” will improve the economic situation - while others are stunned by the president's harsh reforms.

In his first year in office, Milei did not hold back, abolishing many ministries, scaling back publicly funded media and cutting many subsidies. We hear from both supporters and opponents of the president and his policies, including farmers, students, pensioners, trade unionists, journalists and entrepreneurs.

In Argentina's Poverty-hit Barrios, a Food Emergency Takes Hold | REUTERS

Oct 1, 2024 | Years of recessions and high inflation have left over half of Argentina's population in poverty. Here’s what you need to know about the South American nation’s food emergency.

BEWARE! This short video is not for the faint-hearted! Brace yourselves!

My regular visitors will know that I said from day one that Javier Milei’s shock therapy would cause misery and hardship. Javier Milei’s anarcho-capitalism might be transforming for the economy, but at what cost? As I have said before, more than once, this experiment is going to end in tears. This is a CRUEL economic experiment. – © Mark Alexander

What Experts Think of ‘Anarcho-capitalist’ Milei’s Plan to Dollarize the Argentinian Economy?

Dec 4, 2023 | Replacing the Peso with US dollars and getting rid of the central bank, that’s what Javier Milei, Argentina’s recently elected president, has proposed as part of his radical economic agenda. We speak to two experts who give us details on what could be Argentina’s road ahead.

Milei's anarcho-capitalistic solutions will not solve Argentina's economic problems. If anything, they will heap even more misery onto the long-suffering Argentinians. Extreme and radical solutions are rarely the answer to anything. – © Mark Alexander

Argentina: A Journey into Discord | ARTE.tv Documentary

Jan 16, 2024 | The resounding victory of populist candidate Javier Milei as President of Argentina on 19 November, with almost 56% of the vote, is a worry for many in Argentina and abroad. After Donald Trump and Jair Bolsonaro, another country is tilting towards extremism. Public sector employees, including railway workers are especially concerned as large-scale privatisation is planned.

Argentina Braces Itself for Its New ‘Anarcho-Capitalist’ President

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Javier Milei has said that society is better without government. Now he is about to run Argentina’s.

President-elect Javier Milei greeting supporters on Sunday in Buenos Aires. “The changes that our country needs are drastic,” he said in his victory speech. | Juan Ignacio Roncoroni/EPA, via Shutterstock
Javier Milei was first introduced to the Argentine public as a combative television personality with an unruly hairdo and a tendency to insult his critics. So when he entered Argentina’s presidential race last year, he was viewed by many as a sideshow.

On Sunday, he was elected Argentina’s next president, and is now tasked with guiding one of Latin America’s largest economies out of one of its worst economic crises.

Many Argentines awoke on Monday anxious, others hopeful, but just about everyone was uncertain about what lay ahead.

Perhaps the only certainty about the country’s political and economic future was that, in three weeks, a far-right political outsider with little governing experience was set to take the reins of a government that he has vowed to upend.

In other words, it is Argentina’s Donald Trump moment.

Mr. Milei, a libertarian economist and freshman congressman, made clear in his victory speech on Sunday that he would move fast to overhaul the government and economy. “Argentina’s situation is critical,” he said. “The changes that our country needs are drastic. There is no place for gradualism.”

Markets cheered his election, with Argentine stocks and bonds rising on U.S. exchanges (the Argentine market was closed for a holiday). Even without clarity on what he can accomplish, markets appear to view him as a better economic bet than his mostly leftist predecessors.

Failed economic policies — including overspending, protectionist trade measures, suffocating international debt and the printing of more pesos to pay for it — have sent the nation of 46 million people into an economic tailspin.

Annual inflation has surpassed 140 percent, the world’s third highest rate, leaving many residents rushing to spend or convert their pesos to U.S. dollars or cryptocurrencies as quickly as they can, while the country’s growing number of poor increasingly line up at food banks and soup kitchens. » | Jack Nicas, Natalie Alcoba and Lucía Cholakian Herrera, Reporting from Buenos Aires | Monday, November 20, 2023

Argentina se prepara para un presidente ‘anarcocapitalista’: Javier Milei ha dicho que la sociedad es mejor sin Estado. Ahora está a punto de dirigir el de Argentina. »

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What an 'Anarcho-capitalist' Will Do for Argentina | DW Business

Nov 22, 2023 | Argentina is on the brink of radical economic change following the election of libertarian Javier Milei. The self-branded 'anarcho-capitalist' has vowed to scrap multiple government departments, do away with the central bank and abandon the country's Peso currency in favor of the US dollar. Markets have reacted favorably to his win - but the question now is - can he live up to his promises to battle inflation and turn the country's fortunes around? Video features expert analysis from Alicia García-Herrero, Economist at Natixis, as well as reaction from World Bank President Ajay Banga.

No tickets necessary for the roller coaster/big dipper ride you have embarked on. Javier Milei will give you a free ride. But don’t forget to take plenty of sick bags with you for it! You’re going to need them. – © Mark Alexander