I’m sure by now you’ve noticed that every time socialism fails—and it always fails—its defenders rush to assure us that “real socialism has never been tried”.
It’s such a cop-out because what they try to do is separate the outcomes of a bad ideology from the ideology itself. Which of course is impossible.
Sadly, many Americans would rather dabble in socialism in its various forms than give so-called “libertarian” ideas (also known as “freedom”) a real chance. They’ll tell you they could never work in the real world. They say it’s too idealistic, too chaotic, and too impractical.
What they mean, of course, is that they aren’t comfortable with giving people too much power over their own lives.
And yet—down in Argentina—they finally decided to see what happens when you actually give it a shot
About a year and a half ago, desperate for a change, the people of Argentina elected Javier Milei, a libertarian economist who campaigned on torching the sacred cows of Argentina’s bloated government. From day one, he started slashing regulations, dismantling entire agencies, and threatening the central bank.
Predictably, the establishment and media howled.
Over 100 economists signed an open letter in The Guardian that warned that Milei’s reforms would spark a national meltdown. Funny how the same people who presided over Argentina’s economic freefall suddenly became prophets of doom. Color me shocked.
They’re pretty quiet now though, because here’s the thing: it’s working.
Inflation—which had been devouring the value of Argentines’ savings for decades—has fallen to 1.5%. Yowza. (That’s the power of free-market discipline applied to a government that had long treated money like Monopoly cash.)
Milei also ripped the bandage off rent control—one of the best worst examples of government sounding compassionate but actually causing massive harm. Contrary to all the doomsday predictions, the real estate market is thriving for the first time in decades.
It turns out if you let people rent their properties for what they think they are worth, people will happily move into them.
He tried to shut down state TV, but got stonewalled by the cronies still working against him in government, so he decided to use it for good instead. The Tuttle Twins cartoon is now playing on Argentina’s version of PBS.
No. I am not kidding.
Meanwhile, here at home, New York City is gearing up to elect an actual socialist mayor.
You almost have to laugh—Argentina is finally crawling out of the pit dug by big-government policies, and American cities can’t wait to jump in headfirst.
The same people who insist that “real socialism has never been tried” can’t bring themselves to consider that maybe—just maybe—real libertarianism hasn’t been tried either. And when it is tried, the results look a whole lot better than empty shelves, hyperinflation, and state control over every corner of life.
This is exactly why I believe so strongly in teaching these ideas to our kids before the schools and politicians can fill their heads with the same tired nonsense that has always destroyed everything it has touched.
The Tuttle Twins Guide to the Fate of the Future, inspired by Murray Rothbard’s Anatomy of the State, is our way of making sure they know exactly what government is—and why it never deserves blind trust.
If you haven’t read it yet, or want to share it with a family who needs a little clarity, you can grab your copy here:
Argentina has shown us that real libertarianism should be tried. There’s no excuse for us to keep pretending that freedom and prosperity is just a fantasy.
— Connor
