No Such Thing As A Government Freebie
I don’t claim to be an expert on Argentina. Heck, I don’t claim to be an expert on anything.
But I’m fascinated by what’s happening in South America with the election of a brash new president in this nation of about 40 million.
If you can get past the crazy hair, the muttonchops and the unhinged chainsaw antics, you have to admit that Argentina’s new president, Javier Milei, is rapidly making good on his campaign promises to radically correct the course of a country with out of-control inflation - 143% - and a huge, money-sucking bureaucracy.
This eccentric 53-year-old economist who describes himself as an anarcho-capitalist, took office on December 10th, quickly issued cataclysmic decrees and submitted a 664-page bill to Congress that, if passed, will essentially replace Argentina’s brand of democratic socialism with free-market capitalism.
Milei stunned the world when he was elected in November with 56% of the vote. In a country where almost half of the population lives in poverty perhaps the voters figured nothing could be worse than the free-spending establishment politicians who wrecked their country.
What Milei is doing is what Donald Trump promised to do in his first term: He’s trying to drain a fetid, government swamp. Good luck to him.
The new Argentinian leader warned voters that the transformation from a failed state to a prosperous one would be painful. If you listen closely, you can already hear the howling from labor unions and others on the Argentinian left.
Get a load of this, though: In his first 18 days in office Milei reportedly killed 12 of 21 cabinet positions (including the ministry of Women, Gender and Diversity), slashed 5,000 civil service jobs, halted all work on public construction projects, removed rent controls, proposed tuition for state universities and criminalized protests that block public roads.
Of all his initiatives this is my favorite:
He’s reportedly banned government agencies from describing any service or item as “free.”
Hallelujah!
At the very least, we need that same law here.
If only either American political party had the courage to abandon reckless pandering in favor of brutal honesty. If only our politicians would admit that the government doesn't create wealth and any “freebies” passed around are actually paid for by taxpayers.
Won’t happen. Both the American right and left are addicted to free things.
Every time I saw the CDC promoting “free” covid vaccines I gritted my teeth. I still do that when I see ads for “free” covid tests, or when I hear our magnanimous president touting his student loan “forgiveness.”
Whenever one of these prevaricators utters the word “free” we should remind ourselves that government largesse isn’t a gift.
It’s subsidized by all of us.
Do you think Argentina would loan us Milei? Maybe for just a month or so?
