Argentine President Javier Milei is usually the target of harsh criticism from his detractors, the most virulent being those who belong to the extreme left and Peronism, especially the Kirchnerists, who governed 16 of the 20 years before the libertarian economist assumed the presidency in December 2023 and generated the serious economic crisis that the Argentine people are suffering today.
On repeated occasions, critics point out the president's “madness.” They describe him as “psychotic,” “psychopathic,” “insane,” etc. In fact, recently, during the debate that culminated with the approval of the Argentine president's so-called "Bases Law," whose objective is to reform the state, a Kirchnerist senator described Milei as “mentally ill,” suggesting that he is unfit to lead the country. The Kirchnerists are capable, of course, but apparently 16 years have not been enough to prove it. Anyway.
The criticisms against Milei are not only based on this type of ad hominem fallacies of a "high intellectual level," but also on his personal life, claiming he has an incestuous relationship with his sister, who holds the position of general secretary of the presidency, and that he maintains a strange bond with his dogs. These are absolutely private and minor issues for the functioning of the country, but which the presidential spokesperson must answer for again and again by opposition journalists.
To be fair, it is necessary to clarify that they not only launch this type of criticism, they also argue against the government's policies to reduce the enormous state regulations, warning that “the homeland is in danger” and chanting that “the homeland is not for sale.”
And what can be said about the excesses caused by rocks and firebombs thrown at security forces, vehicles set on fire and the destruction of state and private property in the streets when the Bases Law was being voted on in the Senate? These arguments are convincing for others.
The truth is that the opposition is desperate. Both the left and the Kirchnerists are beginning to end the business they used to do using the poor as hostages. That is the main reason why they demand a strong and present state. The problem for them is that now a large part of Argentine society has realized the deception, and that is why they have these types of desperate reactions.
However, it is necessary to recognize that they are right. Milei, indeed, is absolutely crazy... Thank goodness!
Only a madman could believe that a libertarian could become president in a country like Argentina, and if that were not enough, saying that he would carry out major changes that would be very hard, although necessary, for the country's already battered society.
Only a lunatic could trust that he would be able to govern a party with a small minority in both chambers and without governors or mayors in the entire country.
Only a deranged person is willing to confront a broad alliance of left-wing and Peronist mafias, composed mainly of unions, so-called "social organizations" and legislators, willing to do anything to overthrow him.
Only a person who is not in his right mind can put himself on the right side of the world, allying himself with the United States, Israel and the West in general, in a country accustomed to making friends with the enemies of the free world. This, of course, represents a danger even for the physical integrity of Milei himself, especially in light of what happened with prosecutor Alberto Nisman, who was murdered in 2015 after accusing Iran of committing an attack against the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association in 1994 in Buenos Aires and condemning then-President Cristina Fernández for trying to cover up for the Iranians.
In conclusion, the fact that Milei is completely backwards is positive, since in a country like Argentina, where "normal" used to mean corruption, lies, violence, the lack of opportunity caused by an elephantine state and the culture of laziness promoted by the powerful to generate a poor and dependent population, it is essential that, beyond its successes and mistakes, someone who deviates from the norm governs.
