Javier Milei and Argentina’s Reform Trial

null By The Editorial BoardJan. 3, 2024 6:32 pm ETWonder Land: Since the Trump indictments have 'sucked out all the oxygen' from the primaries, Ron DeSantis was right to remind Iowa and New Hampshire voters that to get the job done requires a two term presidency. Images: AFP/Getty Images/AP/Reuters Composite: Mark KellyCan a basket-case economy escape from a 25-year socialist decline? That’s the drama now unfolding in Argentina, where new President Javier Milei is pushing a big-bang economic reform to make the once-rich nation prosperous again. The political question is whether his reforms can take hold before the public loses confidence in his efforts.Mr. Milei won a mandate for his agenda with 56% of the vote in November, but his reward is to inherit a bankrupt country. The economy is in recession and more than 40% of Argentines live below the poverty line. Government debt is 85% of GDP and the country owes the International Monetary Fund some $46 billion, making it the fund’s larg