Dedicated to the Restoration of Progressive Democracy
Saturday, December 22, 2018
Obama Admits Neoliberalism Wrecked Liberal Democracy
Former President Barack Obama has blown the whistle on neoliberal capitalism and admits it fostered the rise of the far-right and fueled crippling levels of inequality.
From everything I've seen, Cap, no, he's not. Justin is a devout neoliberal, a champion of globalism and market fundamentalism. Every mandate letter he issued to his cabinet ministers, charged them with dual responsibility to economic growth and whatever their particular ministry dealt with. Our EnviroMin, Dame Cathy Mckenna, has proclaimed herself every bit as much an economic minister as an environment minister.
Reagan, Thatcher and Mulroney launched the world onto this toxic path. Four decades later and we're still on it despite knowing full well the havoc it wreaks on the majority of our populations. We are turning the populace into easy pickings for rightwing nutjobs like Trump.
And now the libertarians are tripping over their professed principles in courting the white supremacists and religious bigots on the “open borders” issue. I guess that was in the cards all along. Any electoral segment made up mostly of morons will do whether it’s “economic freedom” or the culture wars.
So a neoliberal says neoliberalism is a disaster and prescribes more neoliberalism to fix all the previous neoliberal failures. Makes sense: if you're a double-thinking neoliberal weasel.
(And of course, if you're not a neoliberal weasel, you're an evil, evil RACIST! Even though all the real racism occurs in Big Liberal Cities which segregate out People of Color like Apartheid South Africa.)
I think there's plenty of real racism to go around. But yeah, far from Justin listening to him, clearly Obama isn't even listening to himself--he acknowledges some of the harm neoliberalism has done, but what he backs seems still to be more of the same. Like Justin, he professes to want it to be a kinder and gentler neoliberalism; like Justin, and George H.W. Bush, what he means by that is . . . nothing.
Better late than never, I suppose. I wonder if Junior's listening?
ReplyDeleteCap
ReplyDeleteFrom everything I've seen, Cap, no, he's not. Justin is a devout neoliberal, a champion of globalism and market fundamentalism. Every mandate letter he issued to his cabinet ministers, charged them with dual responsibility to economic growth and whatever their particular ministry dealt with. Our EnviroMin, Dame Cathy Mckenna, has proclaimed herself every bit as much an economic minister as an environment minister.
Reagan, Thatcher and Mulroney launched the world onto this toxic path. Four decades later and we're still on it despite knowing full well the havoc it wreaks on the majority of our populations. We are turning the populace into easy pickings for rightwing nutjobs like Trump.
And now the libertarians are tripping over their professed principles in courting the white supremacists and religious bigots on the “open borders” issue. I guess that was in the cards all along. Any electoral segment made up mostly of morons will do whether it’s “economic freedom” or the culture wars.
ReplyDeleteSo a neoliberal says neoliberalism is a disaster and prescribes more neoliberalism to fix all the previous neoliberal failures. Makes sense: if you're a double-thinking neoliberal weasel.
ReplyDelete(And of course, if you're not a neoliberal weasel, you're an evil, evil RACIST! Even though all the real racism occurs in Big Liberal Cities which segregate out People of Color like Apartheid South Africa.)
I think there's plenty of real racism to go around. But yeah, far from Justin listening to him, clearly Obama isn't even listening to himself--he acknowledges some of the harm neoliberalism has done, but what he backs seems still to be more of the same. Like Justin, he professes to want it to be a kinder and gentler neoliberalism; like Justin, and George H.W. Bush, what he means by that is . . . nothing.
ReplyDeleteIncidentally, there's one thing Obama's totally wrong about--neoliberalism doesn't actually even increase GDP growth; it seems to be the contrary.
ReplyDelete