Is a Libertarian Revolution Underway in Argentina? | Bowtied Mara

Hidden Forces

Demetri Kofinas

Government, Business

4.8 • 1.6K Ratings

🗓️ 3 February 2025

⏱️ 47 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In Episode 399 of Hidden Forces, Demetri Kofinas interviews Bowtied Mara about Argentina’s political history, its economy, the local real estate market, the energy sector, and President Javier Milei’s efforts to revive growth, combat inflation, and liberalize the country’s economy.

In the first hour, Mara and Demetri explore Argentina’s political history and the roots of its economic decline, drawing comparisons with the United States during the pivotal decades of the 1930s and 1940s. They delve into the legacy of Juan Perón, the significance of Peronismo in Argentine politics, what defines a Peronista, and why Javier Milei’s libertarian approach and his election as Argentina’s 59th president mark a departure from the country’s history of alternating between Marxist and fascist regimes.

In the second hour, the discussion shifts to Milei’s master plan, his initial priorities upon taking office, and the strategies he’s employing to achieve his political goals. They examine specific policy changes already enacted through his use of emergency powers, such as reforms to Argentina’s price control system, export tariffs, privatization initiatives, and measures aimed at cutting through decades of bureaucratic red tape to liberalize the economy. The conversation also touches on Argentina’s ‘crawling peg,’ efforts to align the official peso-USD exchange rate with the unofficial blue rate, the introduction of competing currencies, and Milei’s controversial push to abolish the Central Bank of Argentina.

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Episode Recorded on 01/27/2025

Transcript

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0:00.0	What's up, everybody? My name is Demetri Gaffinus, and you're listening to Hidden Forces,
0:06.2	a podcast that inspires investors, entrepreneurs and everyday citizens to challenge consensus
0:12.8	narratives, and learn how to think critically about the systems of power shaping our world.
0:18.8	My guest in this episode of Hidden Forces is bow-tied Mara, the author of
0:23.2	an excellent substack on which he posts about his experience living and working as a Dutch
0:28.9	expat in Argentina, as well as his thoughts on Argentine politics, history, the country's economy,
0:35.6	its local real estate market, energy sector, and much more.
0:39.9	Mara and I spend the first hour discussing Argentine political history and the sources of its
0:44.9	economic decline, including comparisons between it and the United States during those critical
0:49.9	decades of the 1930s and 40s. We also talk about Juan Peron and the importance of Peronismo in
0:56.4	Argentine politics, what makes someone a Peronista, and why Javier Milis' brand of libertarianism
1:02.2	in his election as the 59th president of Argentina represents a break with the country's history
1:08.0	of oscillating between Marxist and fascist governments and
1:11.8	dictatorships. In the second hour, Mara and I focus on Milet's master plan, his priorities upon
1:18.2	coming into office, his political goals, and the strategies and tactics he is using to achieve
1:23.9	them. We discussed some of the specific policy changes that have already been implemented
1:28.7	through his use of emergency powers, including changes to Argentina's system of price controls,
1:34.8	export tariffs, privatization schemes, and other measures meant to liberalize the Argentine economy
1:40.6	from decades of bureaucratic red tape and regulatory inertia.
1:45.0	We also discuss Argentina's so-called crawling peg and attempts to converge the official
1:50.0	Pesso-USD exchange rate with the unofficial or blue rate, introduce competing currencies,
1:56.0	as well as efforts to abolish the central bank of Argentina.
	...

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