Javier Milei on Anarcho-Capitalism

Javier Milei has described himself as an adherent of anarcho-capitalism, an ideology advocating for the abolition of the state and the privatization of all government provisions. This fringe branch of libertarianism is founded on the principle that individuals must be free from coercion, with the government’s involuntary taxation being the primary offense. His intellectual awakening to this thought was significantly influenced by the writings of Murray Rothbard, who coined the term, and by The Market for Liberty by Linda and Morris Tannehill. Milei has even adopted the eccentric alter ego General Ancap to promote this vision, which seeks to eliminate the state entirely and defer all functions, including contract enforcement, to the market.

Despite his foundational commitment, his governance since taking office has displayed a tension between this ideology and practical political necessity. While he campaigned on radical ideas like dissolving the central bank, his administration has thus far pursued a conventional, albeit severe, austerity and market liberalization program. He has governed more like a center-right politician than a fundamentalist in the short term, constrained by a lack of political support in the legislature. Observers question the extent to which the president will ultimately govern according to the utopian dismantling of the state that his anarcho-capitalist ideals truly imply.