On Saturday, before yesterday’s election in Argentina, The Washington Post called him “Trump-like”; The New York Times, on Sunday, compared him to Donald Trump in the first sentence of its results profile, proclaiming his win, in its title, a “victory for the world’s far right.”
The two pieces deserve careful study of how American media primes its center-left readership to fall in line with its ideological poses. Sad that I cannot provide that careful study, here; but happy for the occasion to probe the issues laid bare in these two less-than-stellar election coverages.
A decent profile of Argentina’s new president would inquire more honestly and deeply into just how badly Peronism and Kirchnerism have wounded the inflation-ridden South American country, and with less prejudice explore the actual beliefs of president-elect Javier Milei. Then, and only then, would they figure out why Milei’s been so successful.*
Against all previously determined odds.
For whatever else one may say about Milei, he’s not only the most thoroughly and vehemently anti-leftist politician in the world, but also the most thoroughly successful libertarian one.
Which is why the Times tries to make him sound “right-wing.” The factuality of the characterization is merely Milei’s fervent anti-socialism. But the comedy of the characterization is that, in previous times, North American leftists have characterized Peronism, which Milei opposed, as right-wing. So how does the “far right” win for defeating “far-right fascism,” as we used to think of Argentine mainstream politics?
This is a dance of misdirection, of course.
Truth is, Milei’s the ultimate outsider, making Trump seem insider-ish by comparison.
Our miseducating media doesn’t want you to consider that!
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.
* Javier Milei’s victory margin was “the widest since Argentina’s return to democracy in 1983.”
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3 replies on “The Outsider Who Won”
Milei campaign ad: “We’re not going to privatize healthcare. We’re not going to privatize education. We’re not going to privatize soccer. We’re not going to allow the unrestricted carrying of weapons.”
I guess tying his regime’s fiat currency to the US regime’s fiat currency might be more “libertarian” than the status quo in Argentina? Other than that, he seems pretty much just a standard-issue “social conservative” / “economic progressive” with interesting hair.
Milei will almost surely be forceably removed from office if he is not forceably prevented from taking office.
Very well put!