6 I OPINION I February 7, 20<strong>24</strong> MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE @MIDRIVERS_NEWS MIDRIVERSNEWSMAGAZINE.COM EDITORIAL Lessons from … a dog-cloning Argentinian? OK, so if you have only read the headlines about new Argentinian president Javier Milei you might come away thinking he is an odd duck. You would be 100%, unequivocally correct. Milei is a self-styled “anarcho-capitalist,” who sports a truly bizarre 1970’s drug kingpin haircut, and regularly communes with his dead pet mastiff. Oh, by the way, he had said mastiff cloned four times over and is routinely photographed with the herd of massive canines. So yes, Milei is pretty weird. He also might be the only guy who can save Argentina and maybe, just maybe, the entire Western world. The lessons he is teaching are stark, scary and hugely important. With that in mind, we are going to share some excerpts of the speech he gave at the World Economic Forum in Davos recently. But before that, let’s quickly recount where Argentina was when Milei took over a few months ago. Inflation stood at 143% and the country owed some $43 billion in unpaid import bills. Forty percent of the country lived in poverty. The Argentine peso had lost 90% of its value. Despite all that, Milei had the courage to stand in front of the world’s wealthiest people and say things like: • Today I’m here to tell you that the Western world is in danger. And it is in danger because those who are supposed to have to defend the values of the West are co-opted by a vision of the world that inexorably leads to socialism and thereby to poverty. • When you look at per capita GDP since the year 1800 until today, what you will see is that after the Industrial Revolution, global per capita GDP multiplied by over 15 times, which meant a boom in growth that lifted 90% of the global population out of poverty. • Far from being the cause of our problems, free trade capitalism as an economic system is the only instrument we have to end hunger, poverty and extreme poverty across our planet. • Those who promote social justice start with the idea that the whole economy is a pie that can be shared differently. But that pie is not a given. • But if the state punishes capitalists when they’re successful and gets in the way of the discovery process, they will destroy their incentives, and the consequence is that they will produce less. The pie will be smaller, and this will harm society as a whole. • Countries that have more freedom are 12 times richer than those that are repressed. The lowest percentile in free countries is better off than 90% of the population in repressed countries. Poverty is 25 times lower and extreme poverty is 50 times lower. And citizens in free countries live 25% longer than citizens in repressed countries. • It should never be forgotten that socialism is always and everywhere an impoverishing phenomenon that has failed in all countries where it’s been tried out. It’s been a failure economically, socially, culturally and it also murdered over 100 million human beings. • Do not be intimidated by the political caste or by parasites who live off the state. Do not surrender to a political class that only wants to stay in power and retain its privileges. You are social benefactors. You are heroes. You are the creators of the most extraordinary period of prosperity we’ve ever seen. Powerful words from a man who speaks to his deceased pet. The full speech is available at weforum.org, search “davos 20<strong>24</strong> milei.” Founder Publisher Emeritus Publisher Managing Editor Associate Editor Staff Writer Features Editor Business Manager Graphic Designer Graphic Designer Graphic Layout Advertising Account Executives Nancy Anderson Vicky Czapla Ellen Hartbeck Jessica Baumgartner Bethany Coad Suzanne Corbett Reporters Doug Huber Sharon Huber Tim Weber Kate Uptergrove Tracey Bruce Laura Brown Lisa Russell Erica Myers Donna Deck Aly Doty Emily Rothermich Linda Joyce Joe Ritter Sheila Roberts Robin S. Jefferson DeAnne LeBlanc John Tremmel LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Responding to ‘Going overboard’ To the Editor: Remember the good ole days when schools essentially taught reading, writing and arithmetic? When the focus in our schools was on education and not advancing social and political agendas such as Critical Race Theory, porn in school libraries, girls in boys restrooms and locker rooms, DEI and social-emotional learning. Alarmingly, radical ‘progressive-forward’ agendas are being introduced in our schools locally and at our school board meetings regularly, especially in the Francis Howell and Wentzville school districts. Social and political activists with the blessing of powerful political action committees, with candidates running for the school board and even with local teacher union members are encouraging and advancing such radical issues in our local schools. National organizations like the Southern Poverty Law Center have written “Social Justice Standards” (CRT) that have found their way into our schools’ curricula. Incredibly, a handful of parents have even threatened to sue our districts; thus, threatening the education of all students as well as the fiscal stability of the entire district. All so that biological girls can use boys’ restrooms and biological boys can use girls’ restrooms. Recently and sadly, local school board meetings have become a platform for whistleblowing, gaslighting progressives to advance their radical social culture war agendas and ideologies. Yes, we all long for days where mundane and boring education was taught in our schools and where common sense, back-to-the-basics teaching was the rule. Regrettably, a handful of political and social activists and want-to-be school board candidates want to impose their radical ideologies on our community and stir up political culture wars. Yes, let’s go back to the days when reading, writing, arithmetic, discipline, respect and decency are the norms and where academic excellence is for all! Let’s return to good old-fashioned education and leave politics at the door. Ken Gontarz, president FrancisHowellFamilies.org 754 Spirit 40 Park Drive Chesterfield, MO 63005 (636) 591-0010 midriversnewsmagazine.com Please send Comments, Letters and Press Releases to: editor@newsmagazinenetwork.com <strong>Mid</strong> <strong>Rivers</strong> <strong>Newsmagazine</strong> is published <strong>24</strong> times per year by 21 Publishing LLC. 35,000 distribution (direct mailed and newsstands) in St. Charles County. Products and services advertised are not necessarily endorsed by <strong>Mid</strong> <strong>Rivers</strong> <strong>Newsmagazine</strong> and views expressed in editorial copy are not necessarily those of <strong>Mid</strong> <strong>Rivers</strong> <strong>Newsmagazine</strong>. No part of <strong>Mid</strong> <strong>Rivers</strong> <strong>Newsmagazine</strong> may be reproduced in any form without prior written consent from <strong>Mid</strong> <strong>Rivers</strong> <strong>Newsmagazine</strong>. All letters addressed to <strong>Mid</strong> <strong>Rivers</strong> <strong>Newsmagazine</strong> or its editor are assumed to be intended for publication and are subject to editing for content and length. <strong>Mid</strong> <strong>Rivers</strong> <strong>Newsmagazine</strong> reserves the right to refuse any advertisement or editorial submission. © Copyright 20<strong>24</strong>. WANT TO EXPRESS YOUR OPINION? Submit your letter to: editor@newsmagazinenetwork.com • 636.591.0010
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