NatCon, Chabad, Libertarianism: The Javier Milei Convergence

The recent election in Argentina has erupted into a firestorm of political content across social media with the victory of insurgent candidate Javier Milei. Milei has been the darling of a growing global coalition whose goal is to replace the current world order with one that is closer to their own right-of-center beliefs. Milei campaigned as a self proclaimed Anarcho-Capitalist, a label which seldom makes it out of niche online political forums, and has run on a platform of abolishing a majority of Argentina's state agencies and organizations, most notably the Argentine Central Bank. Also crucial to this campaign has been a heavy emphasis on transitioning towards some kind of decentralized dollarized economy, the wet dream of many Silicon Valley techbros. Perhaps most curious about Javier Milei is his persistent and seemingly fanatical devotion to Judaism and Israel. Milei, whilst not a practicing Jew himself, has begun the process of converting to Judaism, and has made many favorable statements about Judaism and Israel.

The so-called fierce anti-communist fighter has a personal life which is quite inconvenient for dissident nationalists who support him. Those who do must divorce in their mind Javier Milei the man and Javier Milei the idea, projecting onto him their fantasies induced by Milei's theatrics and eccentric campaign strategies. What we must do is come to an understanding of who exactly Javier Milei is, who he knows and is connected to, who is supporting him and producing the pro-Milei content, and what exactly these developments mean in a broader global context.

A History of Jews in Argentina

It may surprise you to learn that Argentina has a long and complex relationship with Jews, commencing since the times of the Viceroyalty. As Jews were expelled from Spain in 1492, many hid their religious beliefs and fled to the new Spanish colonies which were rapidly expanding across the New World. Mexico and the Caribbean were attractive locations for many, however Argentina would perhaps eclipse both in terms of size and Jewish integration into wider society. Jewish settlement in Argentina began in the 16th century, being done exclusively by Sephardi Jews from Spain and Portugal[1]. These Jews would settle primarily in Buenos Aires and the Entre Rios province, today still the two hubs of Jewish communities in Argentina. Under the Spanish crown, Jewish identity and religious practice was prohibited, however the Argentine Sephardi’s lot would turn around with the nation’s near-independence. In 1813, three years before the Declaration of Independence, the General Assembly would abolish the Inquisition, lifting many restrictions for the Jews of Argentina. This would prompt the second wave of Jewish immigration to Argentina.

This second wave of immigration into Argentina picked up steam in the late 19th century. Arriving from the Pale of Settlement in the Russian Empire, these Jews would become known as “Rusos' to the native Argentines. The first large permanent Jewish settlement in Argentina would be established in 1889 at Moisés Ville[2]. Here, 824 Jews from the Ukraine would establish a town which now spans over 110 square miles. These settlers would soon fall into starvation as they became isolated from the wider Argentine society, and so appealed to Jewish philanthropist and financier Maurice (Moshe) Hirsch for funding of their colonial project. Hirsch would found his own Jewish Colonization Society in 1891, securing funding for these Jewish colonists, and later funding many more settlements in Argentina, America, and eventually Palestine. Moisés Ville would serve as the model for Jewish settlements across the world, growing into the hub of Jewish activities in Argentina for the remainder of the late 19th century. The Jews of Argentina would find themselves involved in the Argentine government’s plan to pacify the countryside, and so many found work as Gauchos on the frontier and in the newly conquered southern provinces in Patagonia.

Between the years 1906 and 1912, approximately 80,000 Jews emigrated to Argentina, and by 1920 over 150,000 Jews were living in the country. Most of these emigres originated from the Pale of Settlement, however a few Sephardi from Morocco would find their way over as well. Many of these settled in Buenos Aires, which today boasts a thriving Jewish community, the 16th largest in the world. During the reign of Juan Peron, a known sympathizer of Benito Mussolini, many Jews feared persecution. However, Peron abolished the prohibition on Jews serving in public office and established diplomatic relations with Israel in 1949, one of the first states to do so.

A New Node in the Chabad Network?

With this early history out of the way, there is a more peculiar, less talked about phenomena which has been a trend in Argentina since at least the 1950’s: the presence of Chabad-Lubavitch. For those who are unaware, Chabad-Lubavitch is an international Hasidim organization whose goal is to perform outreach for secularized Jews, bringing them back into a lifestyle which, whilst it may not attain the dogmatic devotion of an orthodox Jew, at least is following the basic Jewish tenets. Chabad itself is a combination of three Jewish words, translating to English as “Wisdom, Understanding, and Knowledge”. Chabad is headquartered in New York City, and has considerable influence in Russia and Israel.

The Chabad-Lubavitchers began to arrive in Argentina in the 1950’s. The Rebbe, the leader of the Lubavitch movement, sent Rabbi Baumgarten to Argentina to begin the process of turning Argentina’s secular, militantly leftist political organizations towards religious, markedly Jewish ends[3]. Baumgarten found his base of operations in Buenos Aires. A young Tzvi Grunblatt would encounter Baumgarten, sending him down the path to inherit his position as the head of the Chabad-Lubavitchers in Argentina. During the Junta period of the mid-70’s and early-80’s, the government’s relationship with its Jews was complex. On the one hand, the government began to crack down on Jewish leftist organizations, employing death squads and torture to break up their subversive activities. On the other hand, the Argentine government received weapons and aid from Menachem Begin’s regime in Israel during the Dirty War[4], some of which were ironically used against their own Jews. 

The unique situation during this time period, that being the Argentine crackdown on Jewish leftism and cooperation with Israeli rightism, presented the Chabad Jews with an opportunity: they could save the Jews of Argentina by moving them away from leftism and towards a traditionally Jewish, rightwing disposition. One particular example of the period sticks out. The Chabadis were planning a parade in Buenos Aires in 1980, and the generals of the military junta turned to their trusted military uniform tailor for his opinion of the group, and whether they should be allowed to operate. 

When Chabad planned to hold a large Lag BaOmer parade in Buenos Aires in 1980, the generals were wary of the true intentions of this activist Jewish group they knew so little about, so they decided to solicit the opinion of their trusted tailor, Gales. The generals asked him:

“You know, there is a Jewish group, Lubavitch, and they want to make a parade in the streets. What do you say, are they political?”

Mr. Gales replied to them, saying:

 “No, it’s not political; you don’t have to worry.”[5]

The generals had been subverted by someone who they believed had been their own. Mr. Gales, of course, was a Chabadnik like those who were organizing the parade. By insisting on their non-political nature, the Jews of Argentina were able to continue their strong racial identity and separate societies. A similar shift seems to be underway today, with much of the same framing.

After all, the head of Chabad Jews in Argentina, Rabbi Tzvi Grunblatt has a close relationship with now President-elect Javier Milei, influencing his decision to convert to Judaism and to visit the grave of the Rebbe[6]. Milei will become another node in this global Chabad network, an organization whose operation and connections with important political figures is often shady backroom agreements. Chabad is known for their intermediary role in backroom diplomacy between the United States, Israel, and Russia. It remains to be seen how Chabad will influence the Milei administration, however it is likely that these ties will certainly bring Argentina much closer to the United States and Israel, particularly the Kushner-Likud faction found within both countries.

As for Milei’s strong belief in and defense of Judaism, one of his first announced actions as Argentine President will be to move the Argentine embassy to Jerusalem[7], a move many have remarked resembles that of President Trump. Also announced was that his first diplomatic trip will be to Israel to ensure warm and secure relations. 

Milei: A Classical Liberal

Milei’s economic positions are distinctly those of the Austrian School of Economics. The Austrian School is most associated with libertarian ideas about the economy and the state, and as such are overwhelmingly present in Milei’s platform. The ideas of classical liberalism have penetrated the mind of Milei to where three of his English mastiffs are named after important classical liberal thinkers: Milton Friedman, Murray Rothbard, and Robert Lucas. Accordingly, Milei has promised to abolish the Central Bank of Argentina, along with the majority of its Federal Agencies, marking a serious change in Argentine economic policy. Milei cites the rampant inflation and economic crisis of Argentina as the motivation to do so, believing that the dollarization of the Argentine economy via abolishing the Bank and Peso will result in eventual stabilization. Also found in Milei’s campaign is a pro-Bitcoin stance, something relatively new in politics that has many on the right excited about. 

This economic agenda, however, is not right wing or nationalistic at all. His ideological forebears, of which we can surmise are Milton Friedman and Murray Rothbard, were both Jewish and argued from a distinctly individualistic world-feeling. By slashing the federal government, by blocking the government from doing its duties of overseeing legal and just conduct, private individuals are granted much more breathing room in their dealings. Libertarianism provides a smokescreen for private individuals to pursue their own agenda at the expense of others, sometimes in a criminal fashion. If Argentina possessed a strong, central state which could project internal power, a Jewish Colonization Society would have been completely implausible. By abdicating the right and duty of states to maintain their sovereignty over their jurisdictions, libertarian governance allows for foreign threats and opportunistic individuals to become parasites upon the national body. 

What is also important to note is that Jewish communities have a multi-millennia old tradition of maintaining their communities' independence from central governments. As a diaspora people, Jews have had to create parallel communities and power structures which operate independent of sovereign states. By weakening the central state, any diaspora group is provided a force multiplier, ensuring their parallel power structures become more powerful than those of the actual sovereign. Abolishing the National Bank, as was the case in early American history, will invite in a host of smaller, decentralized banks controlled by private individuals to fill the void.

Furthermore, Milei’s opposition to socialism and leftism comes from a place of liberalism, not one of genuine rightwing political ideology or identarian feelings. When Javier Milei puts on the theatrics of taking a chainsaw to “the state” or to “socialism” what he is telling you is that he is opposing any central power or national collective. He actually elaborated upon this position, and others, in his interview with Tucker Carlson. Here are a few quotes from Milei during the exchange:

Argentina is a country that has embraced socialist ideas for the last 100 years. So liberalism is a natural form of rebellion against the system

I think it's absolutely offensive to women, because it means treating them as lesser beings, which is abhorrent

Part of their investments must include investing in those who defend the ideals of freedom, so the socialists can make no further advances

And it brings me joy to know that people go to the Kotel, to the Wailing Wall in Israel, and pray for me

Is this the rhetoric that a nationalist would employ? Would George Washington have lamented the state of women’s equality, let alone the idea that men and women are equal? Would Donald Trump talk about embracing liberalism as a rebellion against “the system”? Doubtful. 

On social issues, Milei is much the same. He is accepting of homosexuals and sexual deviancy more broadly, stating that if it does not affect his private life, it is not an issue at all. Milei also supports drug legalization, transgender surgeries, and prostitution in the same fashion; so long as it is not enforced by the state, there is no issue with its legalization[8]. To top it all off, Milei is vaccinated, a decision he made to appear more reasonable and to ensure he would not lose more moderate voters, despite being vocally opposed to the vaccine. On top of holding the social attitudes of a 60’s hippie, he is also a political cuck, choosing to submit himself before the very state he desires to abolish in an effort to seem like a more reasonable candidate. 

Natcon, Silicon Valley and The "Based Populists" Network

You may have seen various online rightwing influencers celebrating Milei’s victory as a victory for the “global populist movement”. There has been a persistent, and without a doubt malicious, alignment and conflation of the nationalist revival in the United States with other parties, movements, or ideas across the globe. One may recall Steve Bannon’s idea of building up global infrastructure for a worldwide nationalist movement[9], or perhaps even his Academy for the Judeo-Christian West, the academic institution which would create these national-populist elites. It is important to realize that there is a common theme amongst the parties or people this rapidly-organizing sphere promotes: they are all Zionists. Whether it is Giorgia Meloni in Italy, Victor Orban in Hungary, Nayib Bukele in El Salvador, or now Javier Milei in Argentina, all of the figures promoted by this new populist influencer sphere are avowed Zionists – and when these figures assume power, the situation for their respective nations almost invariably declines. Presented in a different way: Why exactly would Javier Milei be on friendly terms with Nayib Bukele? Bukele has used state power to crush his enemies and subdue El Salvador, something Milei would ostensibly strongly oppose. Zionism is the chain which binds these figures together. 

This network, for the sake of convenience the NatCon Network – as these figures, groups, and influencers all orbit around the National Conservatism conference – has employed a pernicious strategy to win over young dissidents who have begun to break out of the political dichotomy presented to them. Their talking points or campaign platforms have become noticeably more rightwing, embracing a primarily anti-immigration stance as the focal point of this effort. On almost every other issue, especially those pertaining to Zionism, these figures will remain in lockstep with the status quo, seeking to preserve the seat of their power through tertiary, temporary concessions. This is why Javier Milei will occasionally mention his desire to limit immigration into Argentina. To those who do not have a proper understanding of the structural power dynamic at play, this issue can be integrated into a Zionist power structure without substantially threatening it. Those in power will bargain with the electorate; you can have your temporary immigration restriction insofar as the economic interests of the Zionist elite are satisfied. As economics consists of who has what power in a polity, this issue is perhaps the most important, as it determines who occupies the driver's seat of both soft and hard power, and these anti-nationalist subversives understand this dynamic.

It is then no surprise that the NatCon network has come out in full support of Milei as the “based candidate”. A little performative racism, a few goofy theatrical stunts about destroying “the woke” are all unsuspecting dissidents needed to be sucked back into supporting a candidate who does not fundamentally challenge the regime.

What distinguishes Milei from European populists like Meloni or Orban is the extreme anti-statist, pro-bitcoin, pro-tech stance which can only be attributed to the influence of the Peter Thiel tech network. Thiel himself is a libertarian billionaire who has supported candidates in America as well as around the world which champion his cause. Milei has also stated his intention to privatize much of Argentina’s public corporations such as the nation's largest energy firm YPF. This scheme paired with his proposal for a decentralized model of economics, is undoubtably a universally favorable development for venture capital tech investors. The state and its corporations are now out of the picture, opening up another frontier, and with it more projects to invest in.

Argentina’s Shifting Foreign Policy

A Milei presidency is going to seriously shake up the direction of Argentina’s foreign policy. The Fernández administration had begun to warm relations with nations in the BRICS economic group, specifically Russia and China. During his trip to both nations, Fernández expressed his support for moving Argentina closer to Moscow and further from Washington, providing Russia with an entry-point into South America to pursue its limited interests. Also interesting was his intent to depart from the IMF system in favor of a Russian bank in Argentina, seriously weakening US soft power in the country and region[10]. His trip to China was perhaps even more eventful, securing tens of billions in Chinese investments for Argentine infrastructure projects and even a nuclear reactor. This deal was signed as a part of Argentina’s formal entrance into the Belt and Road initiative.

With the election of Javier Milei, a radical change in foreign policy will likely occur. Milei has stated his fierce opposition to China, Russia, and Brazil, citing their oppressive statist regimes as the main reason. The deeper reason here, however, is that Milei is going to be used in the interests of the United States and Israel, in different yet significant ways. Argentina and Iran have a long-standing diplomatic distrust of one another, going back to the AMIA bombing of 1994 and Iran/Hezbollah’s involvement. Israel is going to kindle ties to Argentina through their shared opposition of Iran, opening up a wide range of diplomatic and economic agreements and partnerships. The United States will use Milei as an attempt to root out Chinese and Russian influence in the Southern Cone, something Milei will be all the more happy to do. With the privatization of state corporations, it is likely that the rare-earth Lithium reserves will be secured by US corporations, blocking its two rivals in their likely attempts to do the same. 

Milei as an Anti-Nationalist Subversive

What, then, do these developments amount to? It is clear that Javier Milei serves not the interests nor the people of Argentina. Milei will be used as a puppet of the Likud party and of its proxies in the American government to further Zionist political influence over the globe. Milei’s classical liberalism will ensure that the Argentine state is severely weakened, inviting in hostile foreign elements in its stead. The destruction of the Central Bank will create an economic power vacuum, ready to be filled by whatever actors those in American finance have ready for it. His privatization of key public assets ensures Argentina’s resources will fall prey to Silicon Valley private investors, all too keen to expand the reach of their influence. These same NatCon influencers will use this victory to attempt to prop up some Milei-esque political figure in the United States in a future congressional election in an effort to build up what amounts to a NatCon World Order. The United States will benefit from dislodging Chinese and Russian investments in the country, as Milei will be happy to shirk deals with these nations in favor of the United States and Israel. And to top it all off, Javier Milei will be converting to Judaism, symbolic of the transformation which he will undertake for the nation at large. It is beyond clear that Javier Milei is an anti-nationalist subversive used by the current Zionist-American world order to further their interests in this corner of the globe.

[[1]] Jewish Virtual Library, “Argentina Virtual Jewish History Tour”
[[2]]  UNESCO, “Moisés Ville”
[[3]] Chabad.org, “How Chabad Took Root in Argentina, The Early Years”
[[4]] Haaretz.org, “Israel’s Long History of Cooperation With Ruthless, Anti-Semitic Dictators”
[[5]] Chabad.org, “Step by Step, Chabad Makes Inroads and Friends in Argentina”
[[6]] Anash,org, “Argentina’s New President Spoke About The Rebbe, Visited Ohel”
[[7]] jpost.com, “Javier Milei, right-wing economist with a passion for Judaism, is elected President of Argentina”
[[8]] cato.org, “Don’t Confuse Javier Milei with Jair Bolsonaro”
[[9]] france24.com, “Bannon vows to set up ‘war rooms’ to boost anti-EU radical”
[[10]] Theglobalamericans.org, “Alberto Fernandez’s Magical Odyssey to Russia and China”