The Global Resurgence of Conservatism: Argentine President Javier Milei at the CPAC Retreat & Gala

President of Argentina Javier Milei's November 6 address at the CPAC Retreat and Gala at the Mar-a-Lago Club delivered a stark warning to the United States: the radical socialism that nearly destroyed Argentina is now emerging inside an increasingly extreme Democratic Party.

Milei celebrated his midterm victory as proof that voters endorsed a course correction away from collectivism. In this victory, his once-marginal ideas were validated at the ballot box, and he presented Argentina's dramatic turnaround as evidence of what’s at stake when a nation chooses liberty over collectivism. Drawing from his experience confronting a century of socialist decline, he warned that America now faces similar dangers as Democrats mirror Argentina's past mistakes—electing a self-proclaimed democratic socialist in New York City and other leftists in Virginia and New Jersey. Throughout his remarks, Milei emphasized the principles he believes rescued Argentina and could protect the United States from following the same path, urging Americans to recognize the warning signs and combat the growing trend toward socialism.

Milei’s case for capitalism rested on the moral sovereignty of the individual.

“To be free is to dispose freely of our time in life to work or to do what we wish,” he said, adding that “as owners of our work, by definition, we also own the fruit of that work, which is nothing other than private property.”

Citing Spanish economist Jesús Huerta de Soto, he argued that justice and efficiency are inseparable and underscored capitalism's historic achievement of lifting more than 90 percent of the global population out of poverty over the past 200 years, a result he attributed to its strong moral foundations. By contrast, he argued that collectivism justifies theft from some to benefit others in power, which inevitably leads to economic downturns and capital flight—consequences he warned Americans must recognize and avoid.

Argentina followed the path of collectivism for 100 years and was brought to the brink of collapse. Milei explained that his government has spent the last two years preventing the nation from falling off a cliff and would now use its new congressional majority to advance the most ambitious reform process in Argentine history. He contrasted these reforms with what he described as the Democrats' growing acceptance of ideas that have weakened nations elsewhere, arguing that similar rhetoric had long been deployed in Cuba and Venezuela under the guise of expanding government programs and the welfare state.

Milei also emphasized the political impact of economic prosperity, noting that “each percentage point of GDP growth will mean lower utility rates, tens of thousands fewer poor people, and tens of thousands fewer votes for the left.” Having reversed Argentina's decline, he framed his nation’s resurgence as both a national revival and a warning to Americans to recognize these patterns before they become irreversible.

Milei positioned Argentina’s recovery as a direct lesson for the United States, whose left wing has become increasingly radical, adopting democratic socialism. Argentina’s turnaround demonstrated how quickly a nation can reverse decline when it rejects collectivism and embraces economic freedom, cultural unity, and limited government. The United States now faces similar ideological pressures.

Argentina’s experience underscored the importance of defending liberty, economic prosperity, and resisting policies that weaken individual rights—principles Americans must uphold to avoid repeating the failures that nearly brought Argentina to collapse. Milei ended by urging Americans to remain engaged in the struggle for the values that allow free societies to thrive and to move forward with the same determination that enabled Argentina to pull back from the edge and reclaim its future.

Argentina and Milei's story stands as both a warning and a reason for hope for Americans. Though the Left is relentless, a country can come back from the brink, champion freedom, and rediscover prosperity.