HBO’s Last Week Tonight with John Oliver Takes Aim at Argentinian Libertarian Presidential Candidate
Last Sunday, HBO’s popular show Last Week Tonight with John Oliver highlighted the presidential runoff election in Argentina and took the opportunity to critique right-wing libertarian candidate Javier Milei. Oliver kicked off the segment by introducing Milei to American viewers with a clip from 2019, in which Milei appeared in cosplay as “General Ancap,” short for anarcho-capitalist.
Describing Milei’s appearance, Oliver humorously commented, “Just a classic, run-of-the-mill, presidential candidate dressed like Mr. Peanut dressed as a wizard dressed as Batman, pledging to kick the shit out of Keynesians.” However, Oliver quickly pointed out that economists such as John Maynard Keynes, whom Milei criticizes, may not make the most compelling superhero nemesis. He quipped, “There’s a reason the Avengers fought Thanos and not Alan Greenspan.”
Oliver then delved into Milei’s proposed solutions for Argentina’s economic challenges, such as high inflation and widespread poverty. Milei suggests cutting public spending by 15 percent of GDP, eliminating most taxes, and adopting the US dollar as Argentina’s currency. The show highlighted Milei’s eccentric campaign tactics, including smashing models of the central bank in piñata form on TV and in his own campaign videos, as well as waving chainsaws in public to symbolize his desire to slash government intervention.
Even though Milei and his ideas remain largely untested, one of his supporters, dressed as a chainsaw, defended him, stating that untested ideas are not necessarily a bad thing. Oliver countered this argument, jesting, “Not to break my one rule and not argue with a guy dressed as a chainsaw, but lots of ideas haven’t been tested before. We also haven’t tried all-trampoline retirement homes or letting a raccoon be chief of surgery. That’s because some ideas are just bad.”
Oliver expressed concerns about the state of Argentina’s economy and the possibility of its citizens embracing Milei’s proposals, even though he dismisses climate change as a socialist lie, praises Donald Trump as one of the best US presidents ever, and even insults Pope Francis, who hails from Argentina. Oliver jokingly assured the audience, “I feel the need to tell you we didn’t invent this man for this show.”
With Argentina facing economic despair and a significant portion of its population living in poverty, the outcome of the upcoming presidential runoff election is of significant importance. Oliver’s segment aimed to shed light on Milei’s eccentricities and potential impact on the country’s future, while injecting humor into the analysis. As the election draws near, the spotlight on Milei and his proposals will undoubtedly continue to grow.