So What's Neoliberalism?

[alchresearch 213]

Amusing take on neoliberalism and those who use the word

 

https://twitter.com/AnyaMartin8/status/1386954101330694145

 

Quote

In a review of 148 academic papers that used the word "neoliberal", not one gave a definition. "the term is often undefined; it is employed unevenly across ideological divides; and it is used to characterize an excessively broad variety of phenomena."

There’s a recent academic book on Australian housing policy which more or less defines neoliberalism as expensive housing

 

[tzijlstra 11]

21 hours ago, alchresearch said:

Amusing take on neoliberalism and those who use the word

 

https://twitter.com/AnyaMartin8/status/1386954101330694145

 

 

All true, completely overused!

[nightrider 13]

On 28/04/2021 at 11:52, alchresearch said:

Amusing take on neoliberalism and those who use the word

 

https://twitter.com/AnyaMartin8/status/1386954101330694145

 

 

I've always taken it to mean anything that it isn't socialism/communist enough for the far left of the labour party - then its new-liberal and just used as a way to insult anything they don't agree with.

[RollingJ 1,999]

19 minutes ago, nightrider said:

I've always taken it to mean anything that it isn't socialism/communist enough for the far left of the labour party - then its new-liberal and just used as a way to insult anything they don't agree with.

sounds about the right interpretation, to me.

[Anna B 1,401]

On 28/04/2021 at 11:52, alchresearch said:

Amusing take on neoliberalism and those who use the word

 

https://twitter.com/AnyaMartin8/status/1386954101330694145

 

 

It's true that neoliberalism can't be explained in a quick soundbite unfortunately, which is all some people have the concentration span to deal with when it comes to politics. But it's very real and it's complicated, which is probably why this thread is now 23 pages long. And ultimately it will destroy democracy and probably the world. So it's well worth knowing about, and spending some time trying to understand it. You ignore it at your peril.

Edited April 30, 2021 by Anna B

[RollingJ 1,999]

Write the definitive book about it, and let us know when it is published.

[Anna B 1,401]

4 hours ago, RollingJ said:

Write the definitive book about it, and let us know when it is published.

Better people than me have already written loads of books about it.

 

Try these:

'Neoliberalism. A very short History' by Manfred B Steger

'The Social Costs of Neoliberalism' by Sebastian Berger

'A brief History of Neoliberalism' by David Harvey

                                                                                       And there's plenty more....

 

But you won't will you...?

'

 

[Arnold_Lane 0]

25 minutes ago, Anna B said:

Better people than me have already written loads of books about it.

 

 

But it's been pointed out to you that the definitions and understanding of what "neoliberalism" is are not consistent between people who use the word.

 

Which is also why a lot of people think it's used as a political slur and basically meaningless.

[apelike 10]

11 hours ago, Anna B said:

It's true that neoliberalism can't be explained in a quick soundbite unfortunately, which is all some people have the concentration span to deal with when it comes to politics. But it's very real and it's complicated, which is probably why this thread is now 23 pages long. And ultimately it will destroy democracy and probably the world. So it's well worth knowing about, and spending some time trying to understand it. You ignore it at your peril.

Me bold.

 

The thread maybe 23 pages long but it seems mainly be a rebuttal of your original post. What is needed is a concise definition of Neoliberalism as even the books you suggest can't say what it is only give and idea of when it supposedly started and what they think is a history of it. Writing about it is also a good way to make money as it has become a popular misused term and sells books.  Like others here have said it seems to be used mainly as a pejorative by those who also don't understand what it is.

Edited April 30, 2021 by apelike

[RollingJ 1,999]

I think @apelike has saved me a lot of typing.

[Anna B 1,401]

Thankyou Captain Swing, saved me a job there. I've linked to many articles etc, but people don't bother reading them, they'd rather nit pick and argue without the knowledge to do so. I tried to explain it to the best of my ability in my first post,  and subsequently, so there doesn't seem to be much point in repeating myself.

 

  The topic is huge and there are so many aspects to it. It impinges on so many areas of life, politics, global politics, trade, wars, democracy, environmental issues, Coronavirus, climate change, wealth discrepancies, you name it. In fact you only need to look around at the state the world is in to see it before your eyes. But it all links to those at the top, and the power of the Corporations, whose greed knows no bounds thanks to our lack of regulations and inability to tax them properly. The game is rigged so there's no stopping them until it's too late and people wise up, but that isn't going to happen while the powers that be, control the press and media. That's the hold our world leaders and the people who pull their strings have on the population. 

 

It's going to be hard to change things, and the longer we leave it the harder it will become. 

 

There are quite a few videos on Youtube which explain it too for those who find reading too taxing. I've linked to those in the past too, but I'll link the 3 minute one again. Maybe people who are interested can spare 3 minutes. It raises questions, let's hope they'll do their own research this time.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[apelike 10]

4 hours ago, Anna B said:

It's going to be hard to change things, and the longer we leave it the harder it will become. 

OK, so what exactly would you like to change? given that the majority of people are happy with the way it is.

Edited May 1, 2021 by apelike