Javier Milei wins Argentina election

[FourWheelDrift]

Alickadoo said:

Will he want to re-invade/re-possess the Falklands?

No but he wants to sell Patagonia to Wales.

[JuanCarlosFandango]

105.4 said:

It seems to me that anyone who isn’t going to automatically and intentionally screw their country over is labelled as “far right”.

It’s almost as if it’s a badge of honour to be so


I know nothing of Javier Milei, but I’m going to take a guess that he isn’t “far right” at all.

Yes. Knowing very little of Argentina and its politics I immediately warmed to him when I saw the BBC and Co calling him a far right populist. Seems like he is basically pro free market and small government.

On the Falklands he says he believes they rightly belong to Argentina but war is no kind of answer and he would seek a diplomatic solution which respects the views of people who live there. Sounds reasonable enough.

[RichTT]

Mrr T said:

One thing about most economists is they have no idea how money works. His main policy is simply impossible to implement. A government must have a bank account to receive taxes and other amounts and make payments. The central bank provides that account. Abolish the central bank and you would need a commercial bank to provide an account and no commercial bank would want the risk. As for trying to dollarise the economy. Then you need a bank with access to US dollar clearing so absolutely none of those banks would want to bank a government.

What's the old adage, “Many Things Are Possible Just as Long as You Don’t Know They’re Impossible”.

His central bank rhetoric is far more about the willful creation of money from nothing to support deficit spending. I'm sure he could achieve the same aims by maintaining the actual institution but remove the capability for credit creation.

[vaud]

FourWheelDrift said:

Alickadoo said:

Will he want to re-invade/re-possess the Falklands?

No but he wants to sell Patagonia to Wales.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Y_Wladfa

[sugerbear]

vaud said:

Dog Star said:

This was right up there in the first things that crossed my mind when I saw this guy on tv. I think it’s a pretty nailed on certainty. He appears to be unhinged.

With what though?

The Navy is old and largely not sea worthy. Something like 15 ships. No aircraft carriers,
They have 2 subs, neither are active.
The Airforce is very aged and all of the replacement deals are stalled or dead. In 2021 an analysis said that their operational capability was close to 0.
Plenty of troops, but you need to be able to land them...

Why do they even need a new an army? 2 billion in savings just there. No one is threatening them.

[tuffer]

sugerbear said:

vaud said:

Dog Star said:

This was right up there in the first things that crossed my mind when I saw this guy on tv. I think it’s a pretty nailed on certainty. He appears to be unhinged.

With what though?

The Navy is old and largely not sea worthy. Something like 15 ships. No aircraft carriers,
They have 2 subs, neither are active.
The Airforce is very aged and all of the replacement deals are stalled or dead. In 2021 an analysis said that their operational capability was close to 0.
Plenty of troops, but you need to be able to land them...

Why do they even need a new an army? 2 billion in savings just there. No one is threatening them.

To control the population when it all goes to st.

[Wadeski]

I have a feeling that like when many many "pure" ideologies are put into practice, we will get to see the success of Libertarianism in when his policies meet real people's lives. "I'm afraid madam, your pension must be dissolved to uphold the great ideals of Milton Friedman.

Then again Argentina has been a Peronist basket case for decades and decades, and no amount of technocratic centrism has been able to fix that legacy (or that debt).

[bloomen]

sugerbear said:

Why do they even need a new an army? 2 billion in savings just there. No one is threatening them.

All it takes is one asshole neighbour. Of course they've been that neighbour themselves a few times in the past.

If I remember rightly they do a fair bit of peacekeeping.

[sugerbear]

bloomen said:

sugerbear said:

Why do they even need a new an army? 2 billion in savings just there. No one is threatening them.

All it takes is one asshole neighbour. Of course they've been that neighbour themselves a few times in the past.

If I remember rightly they do a fair bit of peacekeeping.

So much for the libertarian bit then.

[vaud]

sugerbear said:

So much for the libertarian bit then.

I thought Libertarians (though it is a broad church) would see an armed force as okay for self defence, but not offence or being the world's police?

[F1GTRUeno]

tuffer said:

sugerbear said:

vaud said:

Dog Star said:

This was right up there in the first things that crossed my mind when I saw this guy on tv. I think it’s a pretty nailed on certainty. He appears to be unhinged.

With what though?

The Navy is old and largely not sea worthy. Something like 15 ships. No aircraft carriers,
They have 2 subs, neither are active.
The Airforce is very aged and all of the replacement deals are stalled or dead. In 2021 an analysis said that their operational capability was close to 0.
Plenty of troops, but you need to be able to land them...

Why do they even need a new an army? 2 billion in savings just there. No one is threatening them.

To control the population when it all goes to st.

So again, they don't really need a navy or an airforce do they, just bases and manpower/equipment.

Although I'd imagine all the jingoists will want them to have a proud Navy and airforce ready to repatriate Islas Malvinas for glorious Argentina!

[vaud]

F1GTRUeno said:

Although I'd imagine all the jingoists will want them to have a proud Navy and airforce ready to repatriate Islas Malvinas for glorious Argentina!

Interestingly no-one seems interested in selling them any planes.

[Wadeski]

vaud said:

F1GTRUeno said:

Although I'd imagine all the jingoists will want them to have a proud Navy and airforce ready to repatriate Islas Malvinas for glorious Argentina!

Interestingly no-one seems to believe they will make the payment plan on any new planes.

edited...

[Tom8]

What on earth does "far right" mean these days? It seems that anyone who expresses any idea of small state or low tax or freedom of thought is a Tommy Robinson racist. What defines "far right" these days? People banged on about Boris Johnson being far right, he was many things but most definitely not on the right he was more left than Blair.

[TwigtheWonderkid]

Biggy Stardust said:

TwigtheWonderkid said:

It's an amazing country with great people. and they love the English

Including or excluding invasions, etc?

It's never been mentioned to me in Argentina. But you will hear "la mano de Dios" when they find out you're English.

[Randy Winkman]

Tom8 said:

What on earth does "far right" mean these days? It seems that anyone who expresses any idea of small state or low tax or freedom of thought is a Tommy Robinson racist. What defines "far right" these days? People banged on about Boris Johnson being far right, he was many things but most definitely not on the right he was more left than Blair.

I disagree. From what I see, the way the expression is used has little to do with economics and is nearly always about nationalism, racism and social/cultural things. When I was looking him up earlier I even found the Daily Mail calling him "far right" so it isn't just the BBC.

[Hereward]

JuanCarlosFandango said:

...On the Falklands he says he believes they rightly belong to Argentina but war is no kind of answer and he would seek a diplomatic solution which respects the views of people who live there. Sounds reasonable enough.

There is no need for a "diplomatic solution". The Islanders already voted overwhelmingly to remain part of the UK so the best solution is for Argentina to wind its neck in and focus on improving its economy.

[handpaper]

FourWheelDrift said:

Alickadoo said:

Will he want to re-invade/re-possess the Falklands?

No but he wants to sell Patagonia to Wales.

I find myself oddly interested in such a deal.
Particularly if it provides an alternative to Tenerife (seriously, nobody in my village seems to holiday anywhere else!)

[CivicDuties]

Hereward said:

JuanCarlosFandango said:

...On the Falklands he says he believes they rightly belong to Argentina but war is no kind of answer and he would seek a diplomatic solution which respects the views of people who live there. Sounds reasonable enough.

There is no need for a "diplomatic solution". The Islanders already voted overwhelmingly to remain part of the UK so the best solution is for Argentina to wind its neck in and focus on improving its economy.

Ah just you wait until they hear they're going to have abortion banned and be able to sell their kidneys. They'll be part of Argentina quicker than you can say Belgrano.

But seriously, question for you JCF - you seem enormously keen to support this latest Libertarian maniac's "reasonable" policies, even to the extent of being happy to see the sovereign will of British subjects questioned. Why? How does him saying that they rightly belong to Argentina and that he would seek a diplomatic solution "sound reasonable enough", when there is absolutely no question whatever around the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands and its people? I've got a funny feeling that you'd be the first person to throw your toys out of the pram if anyone should question the result of, say a UK referendum which took place in 2016, yet you seem to be willing to disregard the wishes of the Falkland Islanders, as clearly and vociferously expressed when they've been asked.

He does not sound like an ally of the British people of the Falkland Islands to me. Why are you so keen to be on his side?

[JuanCarlosFandango]

Hereward said:

There is no need for a "diplomatic solution". The Islanders already voted overwhelmingly to remain part of the UK so the best solution is for Argentina to wind its neck in and focus on improving its economy.

I suppose it's best not to say that if you're running to be the president of Argentina. Apparently they claim the islands in their constitution.