Javier Milei shakes Davos: Argentina’s President declares war on ‘Wokeism’ and calls for global liberty

Speaking today at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Argentina's firebrand libertarian president, Javier Milei, delivered a thunderous speech that sent shockwaves through the global elite. With unflinching candour and unapologetic zeal Milei condemned 'wokeism,' hailed the rebirth of freedom in Argentina, and rallied world leaders to break free from the chains of collectivism. His impassioned words echoed across the hall, drawing both cheers and controversy. .BizNews editor Alec Hogg – who is attending the World Economic Forum in Davos and was in the audience for the address – described Milei's extraordinary speech as "a watershed." Hogg said that in 19 visits to Davos, he has never attended a better speech. Hogg likened Milei's words to Churchill's famous "fight them on the beaches…" and MacMillan's "Winds of change…" addresses. .Sign up for your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider to keep you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox at 5:30am weekdays. Register here..The seventh BizNews Conference, BNC#7, is to be held in Hermanus from March 11 to 13, 2025. The 2025 BizNews Conference is designed to provide an excellent opportunity for members of the BizNews community to interact directly with the keynote speakers, old (and new) friends from previous BNC events – and to interact with members of the BizNews team. Register for BNC#7 here..If you prefer WhatsApp for updates, sign up to the BizNews channel here..Here is the memorable speech in full..Edited transcript of the speech (translated from Spanish to English) ___STEADY_PAYWALL___.Good morning, everyone..How much has changed in such a short time? A year ago, I stood here before you alone and spoke some truths about the state of the Western world. These truths were met with surprise and astonishment by much of the political, economic, and media establishment of the West. I must admit that, in a way, I understand why..A president from a country that has suffered systematic economic failure for over a hundred years, that has taken weak stances in major global conflicts, and that has closed itself off to trade, losing practically all international significance, stood on this stage and told the entire world they were wrong. A president of such a country stood here and declared that the West had gone astray and needed redirection..That president was from Argentina. He was not a politician. He had no legislative support, no backing from governors, business leaders, or media groups. In that speech, standing before you, I said it was the beginning of a new Argentina—a country infected with socialism for far too long. I proclaimed that with us, Argentina would once again embrace the ideas of freedom: a model summarised as the defence of life, liberty, and private property..I said Argentina was the ghost of Western Christmases yet to come because we had already experienced everything you were going through and knew how it would end. A year later, I must say that I no longer feel so alone. The world has embraced Argentina. Our country has become a global example of fiscal discipline and a commitment to solving the inflation problem. We have become a model for a new way of doing politics: telling people the truth and trusting that they will understand..Over the past year, I have found allies in this fight for the ideas of freedom in every corner of the world. From the amazing Elon Musk to that fierce Italian leader, my dear Giorgia Meloni; from Nayib Bukele in El Salvador to Viktor Orbán in Hungary; from Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel to Donald Trump in the United States. Slowly, an international alliance has been forming among nations that, like ours, want to be free and believe in liberty..The left—in politics, educational institutions, the media, supranational organisations, and even forums like Davos—has begun to crumble, and hope for the ideas of freedom is starting to emerge. Today, I am here to tell you that our battle is not yet won. Although hope has been rekindled, it is our moral duty and historical responsibility to dismantle the corrupt systems that threaten liberty..We must rebuild our historical foundations and ensure the majority of Western countries once again embrace the ideas of freedom. Until our ideas become the common currency in events such as this one, we cannot let our guard down. Forums like this one have been protagonists and promoters of the sinister agenda of wokeism that is doing so much damage to the Western world. If we truly want to defend citizens' rights, we must begin by telling them the truth..The truth is that something is fundamentally wrong with the ideas promoted through forums like this. Few today would deny that winds of change are blowing in the West. Some resist change; others grudgingly accept it, while some embrace it. Then, there are those of us who have fought all our lives for this change. Each of you will know which group you belong to. Surely, there may be a bit of each within this room..Historic moments of change have unique characteristics. These are times when formulas that have been in place for decades become exhausted. The methods once considered the only way forward cease to make sense, and what many regarded as unquestionable truths are finally called into question. These are times when the rules are rewritten, rewarding those with the courage to take risks..However, much of the free world still prefers the comfort of what is familiar, even if it is the wrong path. They insist on applying the recipes of failure. A common denominator among failing countries and institutions is the mental virus of woke ideology. This is the great epidemic of our time, and it must be cured. It is the cancer we must eliminate..This ideology has infiltrated key institutions: political parties, governments of leading Western nations, global governance organisations, NGOs, universities, and media outlets. Until we remove this abhorrent ideology from our culture, institutions, and laws, Western civilisation will not thrive as it once did. Breaking these ideological chains is essential to ushering in a new golden age..Today, I want to discuss what we are fighting for. The West represents the pinnacle of human achievement. Built on Greco-Roman heritage and Judeo-Christian values, it overcame absolutism to inaugurate a new era of individual liberty. This unleashed humanity's creative capacity, initiating an unprecedented process of wealth generation..From the 19th century onwards, thanks to the Industrial Revolution, per capita GDP multiplied by 20, lifting 90% of the global population out of poverty, even as the population itself increased eightfold. This was only possible through respect for life, liberty, and property, which enabled free trade, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and other fundamental values of Western civilisation..Yet, at some point in the 20th century, we lost our way. Liberal principles were betrayed, and a new political class, driven by collectivist ideologies, seized the opportunity to accumulate power during times of crisis. They distorted the values of liberalism, replacing freedom with state intervention. They justified this with the sinister idea of "social justice," complemented by Marxist theories aimed at liberating individuals from their needs..This reversal of Western values led to the transformation of negative rights—to life, liberty, and property—into an endless list of positive rights, such as education, housing, and even absurdities like access to the internet or cosmetic treatments. The result was the expansion of the state at the expense of individual freedom..Wokeism, built on this foundation, is upheld by institutions that penalise dissent. Feminism, diversity, inclusion, equity, environmentalism, and gender ideology—all noble causes—have been distorted to justify state expansion. Radical feminism, for example, seeks privileges rather than equality, pitting men and women against each other. Similarly, the climate agenda has shifted from preserving the environment to fanatical environmentalism, treating humanity as a cancer on the planet..Wokeism's manifestations are countless: abortion, gender ideology, and mass immigration policies that resemble collective suicide. This ideology hijacks our future by dominating universities, shaping elites to reject the culture and values that made us great..Curiously, after the fall of the Berlin Wall, free nations began to self-destruct in the absence of external adversaries. Complacency made us weak. Institutions like this one have been complicit in promoting sinister ideologies over the past decades. Multilateral organisations and governments have acted as their enforcers..To reclaim the West's progress and build a new golden era, we must drastically reduce the size of the state and supranational organisations. The state must return to its fundamental role: defending life, liberty, and property. Any other function inevitably leads to the omnipresent Leviathan we suffer under today..The world is witnessing the exhaustion of the system that has dominated us for decades. Across the free world, a silent majority is organising. We are on the brink of a Copernican shift, the destruction of one paradigm and the construction of another. Institutions like this one must take responsibility for their role in this failed system and make amends..To all global leaders: the political formulas of the past have failed and are collapsing. It is time to break free from outdated scripts, to dare to think and write new narratives. As Churchill once said, "The farther back you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see." By reconnecting with the forgotten truths of our past, we can untangle the present and take the next step forward..In Argentina, we are doing just that. We are embracing the model of freedom. This is what I trust President Trump will do for America. This is what I urge all nations of the free world to do. Together, let us make the West great again..Today, as 215 years ago, Argentina has broken its chains. As our national anthem declares, we invite all mortals to hear the sacred cry: "Freedom, freedom, freedom!" May the forces of heaven be with us. Thank you all very much, and long live freedom, damn it!.Read also:.Alec Hogg's Davos moments: Milei challenges WEF elites, advocates Argentina's economic modelAlec Hogg's Davos Moments: From Ramaphosa's fizzle to AI's sizzleAlec Hogg's Davos Moments: Decoding the WEF, Klaus Schwab myths and 'God-Incidences'

Javier Milei shakes Davos: Argentina’s President declares war on ‘Wokeism’ and calls for global liberty

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