A renowned Brazilian UFC fighter is promoting a deceased Austrian economist.
"I'm a big supporter of individual property rights," exclaims Moicano, his cheek reddened with blood from a fight, "and let me tell you something - if you're patriotic, read Ludwig von Mises and the six principles of the Austrian economic school." He adds a couple of choice curses to emphasize his point.
This sudden outburst of enthusiasm was disseminated swiftly across social media, catching the attention of many in the US who found the combination of fighting and Austrian economics rather odd.
However, those in the know about the political climate of South and Central America weren't as shocked. The recent surge in popularity of the Austrian-American free-market economist, who died in 1973, is taking hold in this region. There's been a prevalence of think tanks and media influencers spreading his ideas which has broadened his impact. Plus, governments in El Salvador and Argentina are incorporating his teachings as well.
Tyler Cowen, an economic commentator, stated, "Ludwig von Mises is the leading economist in Latin America."
The Austrian-born Mises fled to the US in 1934 to escape the rise of Nazis. He returned to academia as a professor at New York University and advocated for free-market policies based on human behavior and individual choice. His views were seen as outdated during his time.
Now, in countries like Brazil, his ideology finds support in the "Less Marx, More Mises" movement, which emerged towards the end of the ruling center-left party. It's particularly popular among young men, low-income workers, and Uber drivers, who feel like entrepreneurs and don't want to pay taxes. Moicano claimed that he turned to economics after facing taxes on his first UFC winnings.
In 2015, the motto "Less Marx, More Mises" appeared on posters by protesters during Brazil's massive right-wing protests, which signaled the rise of the leadership of Jair Bolsonaro, who would later embrace the libertarian platform.
In Argentina, President Javier Milei - himself a libertarian economist - even shared a video of Moicano's rant. Milei has been pushing for deregulation, despite being thwarted by the country's congress; however, he did manage to achieve fiscal parity by making some drastic cuts. His abolition of rent and price controls reflects Mises' belief that "freely determined prices provide the essential information necessary for economic calculation."
While this is similar to the views of free-market economists outside the Austrian school, Raisbeck explains that Mises' ideology is most visible in Milei's anti-socialist rhetoric. In a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Milei argued for the West to be liberated from leaders who've been infiltrated by socialism, thus leading to impoverishment.
Further parallels with Mises are also noticed in the policies of El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele. Remarks made by the president earlier this year to the Conservative Political Action Conference got the attention of economists for their similarity to the Austrians. And according to Rocha, a Brazilian researcher, the presence of local offshoots of Mises Institutes and other libertarian groups has made it easier to spread these ideas across Latin America.
The impact of Mises has never been as highlighted as through Moicano's declaration. Google searches for the economist skyrocketed when the video went viral. It led to a live interview on Fox Business, and a nearly nine-minute segment by Ben Shapiro, a widely-known conservative commentator with millions of YouTube views. "I'm digging it!" exclaims Shapiro about the Austrian school.
"Ludwig von Mises is a crucial figure in Latin America," says Raisbeck. The spread of his teachings is evident. From social movements to presidential speeches, the impact of this renowned economist stretches far and wide.
He's seen an increase in visitors to his YouTube channel and a fresh podcast, which could be seen as a positive by those who believe in free market principles like Moicano.
"If you grasp the idea of the Austrian economic school," Moicano explained in a recent YouTube vid, "you'll see it's all about a free market, liberties, and wealth - that's what I'm after, my friend. It's everything."
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Source: edition.cnn.com
