Argentina has elected Javier Milei as their new President. Milei has described himself as a libertarian and anarcho-capitalistโฆ but what does this mean? What is an anarcho-capitalist?
Letโs discuss this on todayโs episode of Thinking in English!
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Vocabulary
- Libertarian (Noun): A person who advocates for individual freedom, limited government, and the free-market .
- Many libertarians argue that we should reduce government involvement in citizens’ lives.
- Anarcho-capitalism (Noun): A political ideology and economic theory supporting the elimination of the state, emphasizing voluntary interactions, private property, and free-market capitalism.
- Anarcho-capitalists believe that a society without a centralized government would be fairer and more efficient.
- Nickname (Noun): Informal names given to someone, often reflecting their characteristics.
- Javier Milei embraces his nicknames “the crazy” and “the wig” due to his unconventional appearance and outspoken personality.
- Anarchist (Noun): A person who advocates for a society without government or central authority.
- Anarchists want a society where individuals cooperate freely without the need for a governing body.
- Free market (Noun): An economic system where prices and wages are determined by unrestricted competition and supply and demand.
- Supporters of free markets argue that competition leads to better outcomes for consumers.
- Limited government (Noun): A political philosophy advocating for minimal government intervention in personal and economic affairs.
- Libertarians want a more limited government!
- Private property (Noun): Ownership of assets and resources by individuals or private organisations.
- The concept of private property is central to capitalist economies, where individuals have the right to own, use, and exchange resources as they see fit.
Javier Milei has been elected as the new president of Argentina. He gained 56% of the national vote after appealing to the millions of Argentinians fed up with their countryโs economic instability and ongoing problems.
Mileiโs election has given me the opportunity to make an episode that I have been wanting to create for over a year!
Milei describes his political ideology or philosophy as libertarian or anarcho-capitalist. What does this mean?
Well, today we are going to look at these radical philosophies. We will discuss anarchism, libertarianism, and anarcho-capitalism. We will think about the misconceptions surrounding these beliefs, as well as the differences between the ideas.
But firstโฆ who exactly is Javier Milei!
Who is Javier Milei?
Milei is not your typical presidential candidate. His supporters have given him the nicknames โthe crazyโ and โthe wigโ. If you see a photo of him, youโll understand why he is sometimes called โthe wig.โ
The 53-year-old economistโs hair has been compared to a combination of former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the Marvel character Wolverine, and Elvis Presley.
Politically, however, Milei has been influenced by the election of right-wing populists like Donald Trump and Jair Bolsonaro.
Milei is a self-described libertarian and anarcho-capitalist.
His main policies include dramatically cutting public spending in Argentina and he wants to get rid of the Argentinian national currency and replace it with the US Dollar.
Some of his other, less orthodox, policy suggestions have included legalising the sale of human organs and even children.
Mileiโs personality and loud criticism of Argentinaโs political establishment has gained him a lot of popularity.
Throughout his campaign, Milei carried a chainsaw with him to symbolise the chainsaw he is going to take to Argentinaโs state. In other words, he wants to show that he is going to cut as much as possible!
Before entering politics two years ago, Milei was a regular guest on Argentinian TV shows. He made a name for himself criticising Argentinian politicians and talking about the countryโs issues with inflation.
Many experts predict Mileiโs government will be more moderate than his policies. His party only controls a small number of the total seats in Argentinaโs parliament.
However, hundreds of articles have been written about Milei and his political beliefs in recent weeks.
As I mentioned before, he has described himself as an anarcho-capitalist and a libertarian. But what does this mean?
What is an anarcho-capitalist? What is a libertarian? Letโs take a look at these important political terms!
What is Anarchism?
Before anarcho-capitalism and libertarianism, I think we should start with the concept of anarchism.
Anarchism, anarchy, and anarchists are perhaps the most misunderstood of all the different political ideologies and beliefs.
If there is a riot, public protest, or an incident of disorder, people are quick to talk about anarchy.
The stereotype is that anarchism means lawlessness, violence, and chaos. Many people seem to believe that anarchism is the belief in a world without rules where chaos can exist freely.
This is not true. Letโs take a look at what anarchism really means!
One of the best definitions comes from Peter Kropotkin:
Anarchism โis a name given to a principle or theory of life and conduct under which society is conceived without government โ harmony in such a society being obtained, not by the submission to law, or by obedience to any authority, but by free agreements concluded between the various groups, territorial and professional, freely constituted for the sake of production and consumption, as also for the satisfaction of the infinite variety of needs and aspirations of a civilised being.โ
Peter Kropotkin
In other words, anarchism believes in a free society of free individuals. There is no one all-powerful leader or authority to control people. Instead, society is formed through co-operation and maintained with direct democracy, freedom, equality, and autonomy.
I think a useful way to understand anarchism is to compare the common stereotypes with the actual philosophy.
For example, the stereotype of anarchy is that it involves chaos, disorder, and lawlessness.
In reality, most anarchists actually want to replace hierarchy (like a president or government) with alternative forms of society. They donโt want a lawless and chaotic society; they actually want a fairer society where everyone has equal influence.
Another stereotype is that anarchism is anti-social. It is often associated with anti-social behaviours like rioting or looting. The opposite is actually true โ anarchism is fundamentally a social philosphy. It focuses on cooperation and mutual help.
Anarchism is often associated with radical left-wing thought โ anarchists tend to be anti-capitalist, and socialism and communism can have connections to the philosophy.
If you want to know more about anarchism, I recommend checking out the writings of Mikhail Bakunin, Peter Kropotkin, or Rudolf Rocker!
What is Libertarianism?
While Javier Milei shares some beliefs with the philosophy of anarchism, he cannot be considered โleft-wing.โ Milei instead has been described as a libertarian.
Libertarianism and anarchism share some similar beliefs. Some people have even described the philosophies as two sides of the same coin. And the original libertarians were actually anarchists.
They both believe in individual liberty and freedom. They both believe in a limited role for governments. And they both believe that interactions should be voluntary rather than compulsary.
However, there are some pretty major differences between the two philosophies. Today, though, the meaning of libertarian and libertarianism has been redefined by the right-wing of the United Statesโ political parties.
Libertarianism is a political philosophy that emphasizes individual liberty, free markets, and limited government. It advocates for the maximum possible individual freedom and the smallest possible amount of state intervention in both personal and economic matters.
Libertarians place a high value on individual freedom and autonomy. They argue that individuals have the right to live their lives as they see fit, make their own choices, and do what makes them happy without interference from the government or other authorities.
While anarchists tend to want the complete end of the โstateโ, libertarians want a minimal state. The smallest state possible, while there still is a state.
In the libertarian world, the state and government only performs the most important functions like protecting individual rights or maintaining some basic laws.
Libertarians believe in free market capitalism and argue against the interference of governments in the economy.
While Milei is often described as a libertarian in news reports, he himself has used the term anarcho-capitalist.
What is an anarcho-capitalist?
What is an Anarcho-Capitalist?
Anarcho-capitalism is a political philosophy and economic theory that advocates for the elimination of the state and the establishment of a society based on voluntary interactions, private property, and free-market capitalism.
It is the right-wing capitalist equivalent of anarchism.
Anarcho-capitalists argue for a society in which all services, including those traditionally provided by the government, are provided by private, voluntary exchanges in the marketplace.
This might sound a little confusing, so let me give you some examples.
Traditional societies have police forces paid for by taxpayers to provide security. An anarcho-capitalist might argue for private security firms, and that individuals should be able to choose (or not choose) the protection of these firms.
A traditional society has education (at least some education) funded and operated by the government. An anarcho-capitalist would argue that all education should be private.
In a traditional society, the government has a role in the maintenance and operation of infrastructure like roads and bridges. Anarcho-capitalists would suggest that roads and bridges should be owned and operated by private companies.
Anarcho-capitalism, like anarchism, believes in a society without a state. The state should be replaced by private governance.
The major difference between anarchism and anarcho-capitalism is in its views on the economy. Anarcho-capitalism embraces capitalism. Anarcho-capitalists believe in a society of private property and free-market capitalism.
I think looking at a few of Mileiโs statements would be a useful demonstration of this. In interviews during the election campaign, he stated that the sale of human organs and children are just other markets.
In the interviews he didnโt say that he would sell his own children or his own organs. Or that he would encourage anyone to do such things. Instead, he said it wasnโt up to him or the government to decide what can or canโt be sold.
So while anarchists and anarcho-capitalists agree that the state should be removed, they disagree on the economic system that should replace it!
Will Argentina Become an Anarcho-Capitalist Country?
Weโve now looked at the definitions of anarchism, libertarianism, and anarcho-capitalism. These are all radical poltical ideologies that all want a reduction, or complete removal, of the state.
Javier Milei, the new president of Argentina, has described himself as an anarcho-capitalistโฆ so does this mean that Argentina will now become an anarcho-capitalist country? Will Milei actually be able to remove the countryโs economic institutions and replace the currency?
Probably not.
He faces challenges. Milei’s party has limited representation in Congress, and he will need support from various political factions to implement his policies.
Economically, Milei’s proposed reforms, such as complete dollarization (taking the dollar as the currency) and shutting down the central bank, have become a little milder with a focus on more sustainable measures to control inflation.
He will probably try to give the bank more independence (rather than remove it completely) and will likely stop the government from printing new money.
One thing Milei could change, though, is his countryโs international relations. Signs seem to indicate that he will be seeking stronger relationships with the United States and move away from other Latin American countries and China. China and Brazil are currently very important trading partners for Argentina, but Milei has been highly critical of both these countries during his campaign.
While Mileiโs policies are quite radical, Argentinaโs struggling economy could benefit from some radical changes. Whether Milei is successful or not will depend on his ability as a leader!
Final Thought
Today we have looked at the election of Argentinaโs new president Javier Milei, and discussed the ideologies of anarchism, libertarianism, and anarcho-capitalism.
As a self-described anarcho-capitalist and libertarian, Milei brings radical ideologies to the forefront of Argentine politics.
Will he remove the state bank and replace the currency? That would be difficult.
But he will bring a radically different perspective on the economy into the Argentinian government!
What do you think? How would you describe your governmentโs political ideology?
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I think that my goverment is liberal, but of left wing. Gustavo Petro is the president of Colombia. He’s been elected in 2022, and in his campaign said that the state should be big to attend all needs of poor people. The problem is the high cost of the maintenance of the Colombia’s State, so is necessary adopt ideas like Milei’s ideas.