Open Letter to Argentine President-Elect Milei

Congratulations on winning the election for president of Argentina! I wish you the best success in making Argentina great again.

While I am woefully ignorant when it comes to the way the Argentine government works (or doesn't work), and perhaps equally naive, I have listed a number of thoughts that may or may not be helpful in your quest to reduce government influence in the Argentine economy.

1. I would try to make my every move as transparent as possible. This would allow the people, and future reformers, to see where my greatest resistance lay. It may also help to reduce the resistance.


2. I would allow the people to be responsible for their own health and well-being. No COVID-style mandates.


3. I would set a date in the near future for the abolition of the central bank. This would cease the printing of new currency units. It would also give the private/public banks an opportunity to adjust to the new system in which any currency could be used. Let the market decide which currency/money the people want to use!


4. I would start selling off government buildings, land, businesses, etc. to not only reduce the tax burden on the citizens, but also to raise the money to reduce the government's debts.


5. I would privatize the pension system...let the people decide where to invest for retirement. Treat them as adults.


6. There are undoubtedly numerous bureaucracies that could be abolished without anyone complaining about the lack of services. Open those tasks up to private companies. They can do anything more efficiently than any bureaucracy.


7. I'm guessing that the Argentine tax code is patterned after the progressive U.S. tax code. I would try to make the tax code more equal...perhaps a flat tax for all.


8. A more uniform tax code would not only be simpler/cheaper to administer, but it would also attract more foreign investment. That's a good thing.


9. I would move public records onto the block chain as rapidly as possible. This would reduce fraud, increase security and reliability, and transparency.


10. Lastly, I would reduce the size of the military. Is Argentina in any danger of being invaded by its neighbors? A large military can only pose a threat to its own population in the long run.

So that's it. If I had just been elected to the presidency of Argentina, that would be my wish list. I don't know how much of it would be politically feasible to achieve, but it would certainly be a good start.

Robert F. Sennholz