Javier Milei’s Intersectional Demons

• In Event: Trumpism, Christian Nationalism, and Rightwing Revanchism

Abstract

This paper interrogates the discourse of Argentinian President Javier Milei and some of his most prominent allies during the 2023 presidential campaign and his first six months in office. Following an interpretivist methodological strategy (Carver, 2020) the analysis offers a close reading of tweets, Facebook posts and TV appearances through three theoretical categories. The notion of right-wing intersectionality (Ravecca et al, 2022) will drive the interpretation while being supplemented with a discussion of “elite capture” (Táíwò, 2022) and “demonization” (Kotksko, 2018).
Intersectionality (Crenshaw, 1989; Viveros Vigoya, 2016) entails the acknowledgment and exploration of the multidimensional character of power and of the connections between race, class, gender and other axes of social positioning and inequality. However, intersections can be deployed in different ways. Right-wing intersectionality is a form of activism that engages intersections between identities and themes to produce practical and narrative convergences between – in the words of far-right intellectual and Milei’s supporter Nicolás Márquez – “libertarians who understand that there is life since conception, conservatives who understand tradition as being in the service of progress, and nationalists who do not conflate their love for the Motherland with love for the state” (Tweet, 1:02 PM, Nov 24, 2019). A similar vision of coalitional politics is frequently articulated by Milei himself. The argument is that the immediate aim is to destroy a colossal enemy, the “disgusting zurderío” (left-wing people), which requires delaying discussions and conflicts between allies for later. This formulation has become a motto widely shared on social media. The notion of “gender ideology” which demonizes both leftists and feminists plays a central role in this political vision. The analysis will further explore how intersections between themes and identities operate within Milei’s political project and narrative.
Another key component of Milei’s political discourse is his indictment against “la casta” (the caste). With this graphic term, Milei refers to the political class but also to civil servants, international bureaucrats, journalists, feminists, and others. The paper employs Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò’s concept of elite capture to interrogate the ways in which Milei has been able to capitalize on legitimate concerns about how identity politics, affirmative action, welfare policies, and the like are appropriated by the privileged. In the case of Milei, however, this elitist capture is not a pathology but the result of the “anatomy” of social justice which is in itself criminal or at least criminogenic. In Milei’s vision the state is the source of elite capture, so dismantling its institutions becomes the neoliberal solution to (in his words) the Marxist problem. The paper will show the central role that the figure of the caste has in Milei’s right-wing intersectional politics.
Finally, the paper will unpack the theological components of Milei’s discourse and ideology. Themes of light and darkness, good and evil, angels and demons circulate profusely within his rhetoric. He has declared that socialism is an invention of the devil, and that God is libertarian (Milei, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlrDvlt8oT0). Adam Kotsko’s take on neoliberalism and the role of demonization, punishment, and cruelty in it will be considered. The paper will show that Milei is a perfect example of the transition from normative to punitive neoliberalism.

Author

• Paulo Daniel Ravecca, Saint Mary's University