It’s officially 2024, and just 308 days (as of this blog post) to November 5th.
Time for America to consider the facts, and however unpleasant it may be, voters need to make a decision: Democracy or Autocracy.
We can’t ignore the fact that fascism is on the rise across the globe; most evident in the recent Argentina election of right-wing, libertarian president Javier Milei. Milei’s land-slide victory caught me by surprise, given Argentina’s painful history of the Perón dictatorship and the years of political discord and terror that followed his death in 1974. However, today’s dictators, such as Victor Orban, Recep Erdogan, and Vladimir Putin, as well as far-right autocrats such as Geert Wilders, Giorgia Meloni, and Milei, no longer launch military coups to take over nations, they get voted into office.
Today’s dictators get voted in by the same democratic institution that they seek to destroy.
How does this happen? Simple: Like the snake oil salesmen of the old American West, far-right candidates gather support through the promise of a miracle cure for all of our woes and a remedy for all of our fears.
For example, Milei, a self-described anarcho-capitalist, won on a populist platform of economic reform (Argentina has long suffered from triple-digit inflation and rising unemployment), smaller government, and corporate deregulation. He has promised “shock” therapy for the economy, such as deep spending cuts for government agencies, including public health and educational programs; All to fight inflation and return Argentina to prosperity.
The promise of a miracle cure for a failing economy.
Milei also won on a platform of fear. He and his supporters view LGBTQ+ citizens and gender equality laws as a “menace” to Argentinian society and a part of a “socialist agenda.” During his campaign, he said that “gender ideology, native peoples, ecology and inclusive language destroy the values of society.” He even went so far as to warn Americans to “never allow yourself to be seduced by the siren song of social justice” as he railed against “the ideals of socialism.”
Side note: It’s funny that far-right candidates always throw the word “socialism” out there as if it’s a bad thing. Spoiler alert: Social Security, the VA, Medicare, Medicaid, public works, public education, and your fire department are all “socialist” programs funded by taxpayer money.
Back to Milei. He is also anti-abortion and pledged to repeal Argentina’s laws protecting a woman’s right to choose. In an interview with Tucker Carlson Milei stated “Abortion is a murder aggravated by the bond [between mother and child] and the difference in strength.”
The promise of a miracle remedy for the evils of socialism, abortion, gender equality, and gay marriage.
Sound familiar?
Of course, it does because it’s the same campaign rhetoric of several GOP presidential candidates, right-wing figures (such as Ben Shapiro and Elon Musk), and GOP lawmakers running for re-election in 2024. Several Republican House members went to Buenos Aires for the swearing-in ceremony on December 10, and some have even discussed the possibility of inviting Milei to address the House. Even the “former guy” himself expressed his wish to attend the inauguration but was unable to make the trip.
As we start a new year, we can’t succumb to the snake-oil garbage that far-right candidates are selling. They may promise prosperity while stoking fears of “socialism,” gay marriage, drag queens poisoning our youth, immigrants massing across our borders, and Democrats taking away our guns.
Don’t fall for it. You’re smarter than that America.