Milei Offers A Chainsaw To Musk: The Bureaucracy Better Watch Out!

Imagine the scene: Elon Musk, wearing black glasses and a MAGA cap tightly on his head, wielding a red chainsaw under the applause of a conservative audience. Behind him, Javier Milei, the Argentine president and figure of ultraliberalism, beams with a triumphant smile. On Thursday, February 20, 2025, at the CPAC in Washington, the symbol is violent, almost punk. The chainsaw, gifted by Milei to Musk, embodies much more than a media gadget. It summarizes a declared war against bureaucracy, led by two iconoclasts determined to redefine the rules of power.

The chainsaw, a double-edged symbol

Javier Milei did not choose this tool by chance. During his campaign in 2023, the chainsaw was already his propaganda weapon, materializing his promise to “cut” into the Argentine state, obese and corrupt.

By handing it to Musk, he transfers a banner. Engraved with the slogan “Viva la libertad, carajo!”, the machine becomes a manifesto: economic freedom against administrative heaviness, disruption against the status quo.

Elon Musk, appointed head of the DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency), sees it as a natural extension of his philosophy. For him, every dollar wasted by the state is a hindrance to progress.

“Waste is everywhere,” he asserts, mentioning audits and budget cuts. His alliance with Milei, a champion of anarcho-capitalism, is not insignificant. Together, they embody an anti-system internationalism, where Silicon Valley and radical politics merge.

However, behind this symbol lies an ambiguity. Can the chainsaw, a tool of destruction, really build? Its spectacular use risks reducing the debate on state reform to a mere publicity stunt. A pitfall that Musk brushes aside with a retort: “My mind is a storm.” Translation: chaos as a method.

DOGE vs. Leviathan: a high-risk crusade

Past the symbol, it’s time for action. The DOGE, created by Trump, aims to “optimize” the federal state. The stated goal: prune procedures, lay off “useless” officials, privatize public services.

Musk, used to defying norms at Tesla or SpaceX, applies his start-up logic to the government. Audit the Fed? “Yes, of course,” he replies, without batting an eye. A provocation for the defenders of monetary independence.

But this crusade raises questions. How to reconcile cost reduction and the maintenance of social rights? Critics denounce a simplistic vision, where “efficiency” rhymes with austerity.

Milei, whose reforms in Argentina have led to massive strikes, is an example. Yet, for his supporters, the risk is worth taking: a minimal state, they believe, would free innovation and entrepreneurship.
The Musk-Milei alliance crosses borders. Their joint presence at the inauguration of Trump in January 2025 signals a global ideological convergence. An aggressive libertarianism, blending high-tech with nationalism, which attracts a segment of the electorate weary of political compromises. But beware of the pitfalls: can a weakened state regulate the excesses of capitalism… including those of Musk himself?