06-28-2022, 12:48 AM
(This post was last modified: 06-28-2022, 01:09 AM by Eric the Green.)
We are really suffering today because of the long reign of neoliberalism. This word stands for policies of allowing the market to set policy; free-market conservatism and libertarian economics. It means trickle-down economics; giving all the breaks to the rich because they are "job creaters" and hoping the benefits trickle-down. These policies were largely instituted in the USA by Ronald Reagan and his Republican Party. It has some antecedents in previous laissez-faire, social darwinian, robber baron policies that dominated the USA before progressivism and the New Deal, not to mention the earlier overt institution of slavery in which people were property. Now what we have is a society in which property is the only value, and this amounts to much the same thing.
In the midst of related but sometimes diversionary debates over identity and civil rights issues, the fundamental issue of neoliberalism can get forgotten. Our current Supreme Court was given to us by the "Culture War", which essentially was waged during the Third Turning that received that title from S&H. In the battle for public opinion, the left or cultural freedom and rights largely won, but the culture warriors did not give up, and Mitch McConnell and the Electoral College has left us with a Supreme Court and many legislators dedicated to the culture war.
But those dedicated to the Culture War on the Right are also tied and bound largely to neoliberalism too. You could say all culture warriors are neoliberals, even though all neoliberals are not necessarily Culture Warriors. Essentially the Culture Warriors want to overturn the 1960s, whereas the neoliberals want to overturn the 1960s but also the 1930s. Neoliberalism favors the wealthy, and they are likely to be from the "race" or ethnic group or sexual identity group that is already privileged. To favor neoliberalism is thus to disenfranchise less-fortunate groups in our society. And this also means the great group called the middle class also declines and shrinks as a new feudalism takes over; one just like the previous Medieval and mercantile one but without the cultural values it provided; a feudalism of owners and wealthy corporate people who have no cultural interests or values at all and could care less.
We really suffer from 40 years of neoliberalism today. The power of public institutions and a government dedicated to creating communities in which people benefit, get educated, connect with each other and enjoy life, are disappearing. Public ownership is denigrated. The power of money and property continue to push out small businesses and cultural facilities in favor of those few who can pay high rents to big landowners. Thus in my County I learned today than an iconic amusement park, Great America, is going to have its land sold for 313 Million dollars to some owner who will close the park. No doubt, in wealthy Silicon Valley the big oligarchs, developers and real estate tycoons see big bucks in erecting expensive housing condos and commercial office buildings on this site, which will no longer be dedicated for any purpose other than to make more money for its owners and high-income tenants. What is likely to be built on the land is stuff like insurance companies, real estate offices, big banks, financial service offices, computer companies, etc. and some expensive housing; businesses that have no cultural or community value at all and only are there because they make money for a few wealthy people.
If we had responsible social-democratic-green government, it would not permit this. The government would take over this property, by eminent domain if necessary, and make this amusement park a public park and a possession of a city, county or state. The people would own it collectively. But no, under neoliberalism, "individualism" is all that counts. The market is to decide these things, and the magic of the market will create prosperity for all. After 41 years of this nonsense, any sane country would call BS-- especially in a liberal state like California. But the price of property has become so high here, and the force of money so powerful, that stores, businesses and cultural operations that have some value to the people can't afford the rent or the title to the property.
Do I want politics to be humdrum? No, I want it to be exciting, and the excitement comes (rarely, these days) when we have leaders who call BS on trickle-down economics and seek as much as possible reform and progress toward what we call now a green new deal.
For more info:
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/a...ge-monbiot
https://youtu.be/jOuzABjrAo4
https://youtu.be/scok7hEexCk
https://youtu.be/KW5FRuMkQ6g
https://www.filmsforaction.org/watch/thi...liberalism
https://youtu.be/1BgGCu5N--I
https://youtu.be/z5CCRI1vdwE
In the midst of related but sometimes diversionary debates over identity and civil rights issues, the fundamental issue of neoliberalism can get forgotten. Our current Supreme Court was given to us by the "Culture War", which essentially was waged during the Third Turning that received that title from S&H. In the battle for public opinion, the left or cultural freedom and rights largely won, but the culture warriors did not give up, and Mitch McConnell and the Electoral College has left us with a Supreme Court and many legislators dedicated to the culture war.
But those dedicated to the Culture War on the Right are also tied and bound largely to neoliberalism too. You could say all culture warriors are neoliberals, even though all neoliberals are not necessarily Culture Warriors. Essentially the Culture Warriors want to overturn the 1960s, whereas the neoliberals want to overturn the 1960s but also the 1930s. Neoliberalism favors the wealthy, and they are likely to be from the "race" or ethnic group or sexual identity group that is already privileged. To favor neoliberalism is thus to disenfranchise less-fortunate groups in our society. And this also means the great group called the middle class also declines and shrinks as a new feudalism takes over; one just like the previous Medieval and mercantile one but without the cultural values it provided; a feudalism of owners and wealthy corporate people who have no cultural interests or values at all and could care less.
We really suffer from 40 years of neoliberalism today. The power of public institutions and a government dedicated to creating communities in which people benefit, get educated, connect with each other and enjoy life, are disappearing. Public ownership is denigrated. The power of money and property continue to push out small businesses and cultural facilities in favor of those few who can pay high rents to big landowners. Thus in my County I learned today than an iconic amusement park, Great America, is going to have its land sold for 313 Million dollars to some owner who will close the park. No doubt, in wealthy Silicon Valley the big oligarchs, developers and real estate tycoons see big bucks in erecting expensive housing condos and commercial office buildings on this site, which will no longer be dedicated for any purpose other than to make more money for its owners and high-income tenants. What is likely to be built on the land is stuff like insurance companies, real estate offices, big banks, financial service offices, computer companies, etc. and some expensive housing; businesses that have no cultural or community value at all and only are there because they make money for a few wealthy people.
If we had responsible social-democratic-green government, it would not permit this. The government would take over this property, by eminent domain if necessary, and make this amusement park a public park and a possession of a city, county or state. The people would own it collectively. But no, under neoliberalism, "individualism" is all that counts. The market is to decide these things, and the magic of the market will create prosperity for all. After 41 years of this nonsense, any sane country would call BS-- especially in a liberal state like California. But the price of property has become so high here, and the force of money so powerful, that stores, businesses and cultural operations that have some value to the people can't afford the rent or the title to the property.
Do I want politics to be humdrum? No, I want it to be exciting, and the excitement comes (rarely, these days) when we have leaders who call BS on trickle-down economics and seek as much as possible reform and progress toward what we call now a green new deal.
For more info:
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/a...ge-monbiot
https://youtu.be/jOuzABjrAo4
https://youtu.be/scok7hEexCk
https://youtu.be/KW5FRuMkQ6g
https://www.filmsforaction.org/watch/thi...liberalism
https://youtu.be/1BgGCu5N--I
https://youtu.be/z5CCRI1vdwE