MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Javier Milei warns WEF that Western civilization “is in danger”

“Capitalism is the only tool we have to end hunger and poverty on the planet,” Milei argued

Argentine President Javier Milei Wednesday warned global leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that the Western civilization was in peril as it was plunging into socialism and neomarxism. His remarks drew mixed reactions: While his Libertarian followers were elated to hear him say that there, others could simply not believe their ears, some of them through an interpreter because Milei spoke in Spanish.

“I am here to tell you that the West is in danger. All over the world, the leaders who should defend its values find themselves co-opted by a worldview that leads to socialism and poverty. In recent decades, some of them motivated by the ever-present desire to help others, and others by the desire to belong to a privileged caste, the main leaders of the Western world have abandoned freedom for so-called collectivism, which is the cause of all problems,” Milei kicked off.

“Capitalism is the only tool we have to end hunger and poverty on the planet. The leftist doxa [opinion, in Greek] attacks Capitalism for being, according to them, unjust. They say it is bad because it is individualistic and they fight for social justice. But this concept that has become fashionable in the world, that of social justice, is an unjust, violent idea, because taxes are levied coercively. Nobody pays taxes voluntarily. The State is financed through coercion. If a company generates a good product it will do well, if the State punishes the capitalist for being successful it destroys his incentives, and the cake will be smaller. Collectivism ties the entrepreneur's hands,” he went on.

“Why do I say that the West is in danger? Because in countries where we should defend private property, there are sectors that are opening the doors to socialism. Neo-Marxists are taking over the media, the university, culture, and international organizations. Fortunately, there are more and more of us who dare to raise our voices. Otherwise, we are going to have more and more State and more poverty,” he added while pointing out “the unnatural fight between man and woman” because, in his Libertarian view, “all men are born equal.” He also underlined that radical feminism led to a State intervention “to hinder the economy.”

“They maintain that the planet must be protected at all costs, they even advocated the bloody agenda of abortion,” the Argentine leader also said.

Regarding his statement “that the West has turned to socialism,” Milei insisted that it could be explained “only if you think about the classic definition of socialism.”

“Today states do not need to control the means of production to control the lives of individuals, with price control they can control the destinies of human beings,” Milei stressed.

He summed up his 23-minute speech with a message to entrepreneurs: “Do not let yourselves be intimidated by the political caste that wants to perpetuate itself in power. You are heroes, you are benefactors. Let no one tell you that your ambition is immoral. If you make money it is because you offer a better product. Do not give in to the advance of the State. The State is the problem itself, you are the protagonists of history. Long fucking live freedom!” That is Milei's war cry “Viva la Libertad, carajo!

According to Buenos Aires' La Nación, many of those in Davos concurred in dubbing Milei's words ”an absolute delirium,“ and other similar considerations.

”I want to believe that Milei lives in a world that is not ours. That's why he comes to such extreme conclusions,“ La Nación quoted another attendee as saying.

”After this intervention, very few political leaders will want to have a picture taken with him,“ a French journalist told La Nación's envoy.

”Too much. Too much for me,” said another man shaking his head back and forth.