Open Thread - Wed. May 11, 2016 - Characteristics of Neo-Liberalism
Good Morning 99%'ers!
Today's Open Thread essay is the fourth in a series of essays I have planned on the subject of neo-liberalism. If you are interested in the first three essays in this series, you can read them here and here and here.
Recently over at TOP, I engaged in the following exchange with a Clinton supporter. This essay is not about TOP, but instead, I am using this exchange to demonstrate the ignorance of the American people over the devastating effects of neo-liberalism. Most people, including myself, know only superficially about neo-liberalism and who is pushing this ideology upon we the people. My above referenced comment and the reply appeared late the comments in poligirl's excellent diary that she posted both here and there so they did not get much attention. But it is worth using this exchange as an intro to today's essay. First, here is my comment:
Don’t kid yourself. Neoliberals want to cut social programs and eventually privatize as much as possible. A large portion of the Democratic establishment are neoliberals and have been complicit in the cuts to funding of the social safety net, beginning with Bill Clinton. More Democrats do not necessarily guarantee that our social safety net is safe. Too many of them are comfortable neoliberals.
To which a Clinton supporter made the following reply (with my bolding added).
Just because you believe a caricature doesn’t make it true.
S-Chip expansion under Clinton did more to help hungry children than just about anything in the past 30 years.
But, hey, if you use the derisive term “neoliberal” enough to demonize and distort, maybe that’ll change reality!
What struck me was that this comment reflected an ignorance or an unwillingness to acknowledge the ills caused by over three decades of neo-liberalism. Not only that, but the commenter viewed the term as a slur that demonized and distorted the positions of his preferred candidate. The defensiveness in the comment basically demonstrated a willing lack to own up to the Democrats' contributions to the rapid demise of our middle class and the continued impoverishment of the American people as more and more Americans fall down the economic ladder.
The study, by the Pew Charitable Trusts, found that nearly a third of Americans who were part of the middle class as teenagers in the 1970s have fallen out of it as adults. Though Pew examined only a certain demographic swath of participants, its findings suggest the relative ease with which people in the U.S. can end up in low-income, low-opportunity lifestyles — even if they started out with a number of advantages.
In my research for this series on neo-liberalism, I found an excellent article from the Corporate Watch website that neatly lists the primary characteristics of the neo-liberal ideology. This is a good starting point towards understanding how the impacts of this massive shift of wealth upward to just a few in our society has devastated our middle class and continues to impoverish our society.
Listed below are main characteristics of neo-liberalism as compiled in What is “Neo-Liberalism”? which was written by Elizabeth Martinez and Arnoldo Garcia from Corporate Watch.
THE RULE OF THE MARKET. Liberating "free" enterprise or private enterprise from any bonds imposed by the government (the state) no matter how much social damage this causes. Greater openness to international trade and investment, as in NAFTA. Reduce wages by de-unionizing workers and eliminating workers' rights that had been won over many years of struggle. No more price controls. All in all, total freedom of movement for capital, goods and services. To convince us this is good for us, they say "an unregulated market is the best way to increase economic growth, which will ultimately benefit everyone." It's like Reagan's "supply-side" and "trickle-down" economics -- but somehow the wealth didn't trickle down very much.
CUTTING PUBLIC EXPENDITURE FOR SOCIAL SERVICES like education and health care. REDUCING THE SAFETY-NET FOR THE POOR, and even maintenance of roads, bridges, water supply -- again in the name of reducing government's role. Of course, they don't oppose government subsidies and tax benefits for business.
DEREGULATION. Reduce government regulation of everything that could diminsh profits, including protecting the environmentand safety on the job.
PRIVATIZATION. Sell state-owned enterprises, goods and services to private investors. This includes banks, key industries, railroads, toll highways, electricity, schools, hospitals and even fresh water. Although usually done in the name of greater efficiency, which is often needed, privatization has mainly had the effect of concentrating wealth even more in a few hands and making the public pay even more for its needs.
ELIMINATING THE CONCEPT OF "THE PUBLIC GOOD" or "COMMUNITY" and replacing it with "individual responsibility." Pressuring the poorest people in a society to find solutions to their lack of health care, education and social security all by themselves -- then blaming them, if they fail, as "lazy."
We have all seen examples of these characteristics on the national, state, and local levels of government. In every instance, we are told that we can no longer afford these services that government has been providing for generations. This is occurring in the richest country that the world has ever seen.
The United States is now fully a neo-liberal country. While the concept of neo--liberalism was introduced under Reagan, Bill Clinton embraced it and implemented it. The Third Way or New Democrats or DLC is the neo-liberal arm of the Democratic party.
Neo-liberal globalism: This is more or less the official ideology of the political and corporate and financial establishments, shared by centrist New Democrats as well as by most Republican conservatives in their practice as opposed to their preaching. Shared by Barack Obama and Bill Clinton with George W. Bush, neo-liberal globalism combines moderate conservatism in economics with the idea of beneficial U.S. global military hegemony.
In the future, I intend to further flesh these points about neo-liberalism.
This is an Open Thread, so feel free to post anything that may be on your mind this morning.
Comments
Thank you, gulfgal
for an interesting (and depressing)
open thread.
This came in the context of Flint water, but on a recent Maher show, Mark Ruffalo said:
Sums it up to me.
Indeed, OLinda...
Our government is more worried about what goes on in other countries than it is about what goes on right here at home to it's own people.
Please help the Resilience Resource Library grow by adding your links.
First Nations News
Our government
is the legislative arm of the neo-liberals. It is sad but true.
Knowledge is power. I am hoping when people see how this has changed our lives that they will rise up against those who represent neo-liberalism.
Good Morning, Martha!
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
To be fair
I doubt many of them even know the meaning of the term. They are simply corrupt politicians following the lead of their donors and their leadership.
However, I do agree that neo-liberlaism is the dominant economic policy position of all the top leadership in the Democratic party and has been for some time.
"You can't just leave those who created the problem in charge of the solution."---Tyree Scott
That applies to people as well
We're more informed about what's going on with Putin in Russia than we are about the shenanigans down at the local City Hall or county supervisor's chambers. The corporatization and subsequent death of the local newspaper has guaranteed that -- makes it easier for TPTB to hide their activities.
Good Morning, O'Linda!
Mark Ruffalo is an amazing actor and activist!
I think that we need to look at these issues facing us as Americans and the world from a comprehensive view. This is one of the reasons why I have focused upon neo-liberalism in these recent essays. It is capitalism on steroids and it lies behind nearly all the problems facing us.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
I'm glad you're writing on this subject.
I wasn't really clear on what the term neo liberalism meant, so am glad to get educated.
Just noticed the 2nd quote in your sigline goes quite well with Ruffalo's remark.
I didn't last long outside. It is a little too chilly for me this morning. About 43 degrees F on the porch. Very pretty morning though. Might not make it to 60 degrees today.
The second sig line
was taken form a comment that Southern Liberal in MD made over at TOP. She now uses the name Can't Stop the Signal here and was the person who had the original idea for this place.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
Speaking of an adversarial relationship
between the govt and people.
In a recent video posted here at c99, Jon Stewart talked about when he went to Capitol Hill with First Responders who were sick and dying from illnesses caused by working in the 911 rubble. He said the condescension and disrespect shown to the First Responders by our elected officials was disgusting. He really could barely believe it. He said they eventually, grudgingly caved and allotted more funds for their healthcare.
He also said he would "never get over it." You know it had to be bad for someone as aware as Stewart to be that shocked by the experience.
I saw that interview
between Jon Stewart and David Axelrod. After hearing Jon speak off the cuff, he confirms what I have always thought about comedians. They are very intelligent and perceptive people. Lee Camp is in that same vein.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
Political comedians
may be the most knowledgeable people in the country about what's really going on; they have to know so they can have up to date material for their routines. And the best skewer both sides -- Democrat or Republican, if you fuck up you're going to be a target of their rapier wits.
Good morning, everyone.
Happy Wednesday.
I'm just waiting for sunrise. I enjoy sitting on the porch in the early hours. Sunrise is supposed to be a 5:49AM here. 27 minutes to go, but it usually gets light a bit before the time says it will be.
♫ ::Les Paul and Mary Ford guitar music:: ♫
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_World_Is_Waiting_for_the_Sunrise
Oh, that is lovely.
Thank you, lotlizard.
A nice morning tune. :)
\ (^_^) / ☼ n/t
Les Paul
I actually did an Open Thread topic on Les Paul way back in the early days of this place.
I associate "Waiting for the Sunrise" with my childhood. My parents would put the radio on when my father was getting ready for work in the morning. And I remember hearing that song back in those days. I am dating myself.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
Good morning-just reading about a cute trick Clinton used
regarding her entire State Dept sojourn-her chief of staff was also her lawyer! Makes you wonder, huh? (I'd call that good planning, myself) Somehow that little tidbit isn't really well known.
"Investigators consider Mills -- who served as chief of staff while Clinton was secretary of state -- to be a cooperative witness."
(snip)
"The questions that were considered off limits had to do with the procedure used to produce emails to the State Department so they could possibly be released publicly, the people said. Mills, an attorney herself, was not supposed to be asked questions about that -- and ultimately never was in the recent interview -- because it was considered confidential as an example of attorney-client privilege, the people said."
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-clinton-aide-fbi-inter...
This is exactly
why I despise the Clintons and the way they operate. Corrupt criminals.
Thank you for sharing that Julia.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
well Hillary was a corporate lawyer
for years. Of course she would think of something like this.
I prefer Saul Goodman - he makes no bones about his unethical behavior.
"You can't just leave those who created the problem in charge of the solution."---Tyree Scott
This was the trick the Death Party in Fitzwalkerstan used to
hide the malfeasance of their redistricting scheme: They hired an outside team of lawyers to do the redistricting, and then asserted (successfully, for the most part) that all related documents were protected by attorney-client privilege, & thus not subject to, for example, Wisconsin's open records laws.
The earth is a multibillion-year-old sphere.
The Nazis killed millions of Jews.
On 9/11/01 a Boeing 757 (AA77) flew into the Pentagon.
AGCC is happening.
If you cannot accept these facts, I cannot fake an interest in any of your opinions.
Folks,
I am going to have to be away for a short while but will respond to comments when I return.
Please feel free to continue this conversation or any other conversation you wish to post.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
Neo-liberalism = imperialism?
With international monopoly capitalism taking over the people's lives and resources of the global south, to their detriment, it seems to me to be old fashioned imperialism without the overt, and expensive, military presence. The military establishment helps pave the way for the financial/industrial takeovers, but bribery and newly installed corporate-friendly governments do the work of the occupiers.
With runaway climate change, this end-stage of capitalism is taking the habitable planet with it. In the view of many, the world cannot tolerate this dying, and murderous, system, and needs to replace it with a political economy that is based on sustainability and respect for the biosphere which has nurtured us and our fellow species.
The downward mobility of people in the developed world is obvious and is the source for the energy behind Sanders and Trump and the spectacular unpopularity of Clinton. Trump is a negative force; Sanders a positive one; but, both have supporters who know the 1% have stolen from them and their children and their children's children.
"The justness of individual land right is not justifiable to those to whom the land by right of first claim collectively belonged"
Outstanding comment, duckpin!
This comment is worthy of an essay of its own. I hope you will consider writing one.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
Neo-Liberalism
Neo-Liberalism , a term I don't particularly like but it's the common descriptor of this political/economic system, needs to be discussed as often as possible because it's taken over as the dominent factor in the world's economy and is boring its way into the safety net, public education, the delivery of clean water, the proper handling of sewage, etc.
Many people think it's the natural way of the world but it's purely a construct by selfish and greedy people to dominate the world's resources and concentrate the wealth into the hands of the very few.
Thanks very much for keeping the focus on this because it needs to be eliminated and replaced with a people-centered, make that species-diverse centered, system. In my opinion we need the end of Neo-liberalism not the end of a habitable planet.
"The justness of individual land right is not justifiable to those to whom the land by right of first claim collectively belonged"
the term is misleading
in that you are made to think it is liberal when it is exactly the opposite.
Neo-liberalism is what happens when all the impediments and controls on capitalism are removed. It is a destructive force that has taken over the world. It is also the reason why Hillary Clinton will never adopt any parts of Bernie's policies into her platform. She is a neo-liberal and her ideology is in direct conflict with that of Bernie's democratic socialism.
I totally agree with this too!!!
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
Neoliberalism
It's funny, in the ironic sense, that the banks are too big to fail while the 99% are too insignificant to not fail. I remember that back in the pre-Clinton days an average person could go to a state college, drop out to go to India, return to finish a degree, and end up debt-free with a job with training, benefits, and upward mobility. That can't happen anymore because, after just one slip up or youthful indiscretion, bam! you've screwed up and there's no forgiveness. Just one auto accident and unaffordable repair bill and you can't get to work so you lose your job, or more likely, jobs. Left a job to take another but the new job ends after six months? You're a loser and unemployable. Get sick and expect your insurance to cover your cancer surgery? Forget about it because you live in a right to work state that allows employers to fire you without cause. The chances to slip up are endless but the good olde forgiving days are over because there's no such thing as pensions, second chances, guaranteed sick leave or parental leave, guaranteed state college seats for residents, or guaranteed jobs anymore, just the relentless loss of the safety net and government help we used to count on. The golden age in America has morphed into the New Gilded Age for the one%. Thanks Clintons for ushering it in.
If hardship and privation were shared more equally,
for the sake of a greater good such as a new ecological industrial revolution to save the planet, that would be one thing.
But to see all the wealth go into the coffers of speculators, bankers, and armaments makers, or, stained with innocent blood, seep into the sands of the Middle East, is another thing entirely.
It’s almost too much to bear.
Hardship and privation
should never occur in a first world nation. We have enough resources and wealth that no one should worry about food, water, shelter, or healthcare, the basic essentials for living.
Neo-liberalism systemically funnels everything upwards to the meritocracy while hollowing out the rest of society.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
Perfectly agree with your comment
but I'd quibble with the term "meritocracy". Although the young neolibs like to think that's how the successful got where they are, it's really a misnomer. It's a kleptocracy.
re: "meritocracy"
The reason I used the word "meritocracy" and probably should have put it into quotation marks is that last Wed.'s Open Thread topic in this series was the Myth of Meritocracy. It is an underlying factor in the neo-liberal ideology. Like the term neo-liberal, meirtocracy means something much different in reality than what it sounds like.
http://caucus99percent.com/content/open-thread-wed-may-4-2016-neo-libera...
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
Neo-Classical economists
Mainstream economists are usually called neoclassical. One of their bits of received wisdom is that unfettered capitalism tends toward full employment with rising wages. Some even say the system leads to equality of wealth within the limits of merit.
Real world experience tells us this is not true.
For one: Markets only exist under government protection; without government, you cannot have functioning national and international markets.
For another: Neo-liberal capitalism absolutely depends on governments intervening on behalf of the capitalists. The recent bailouts and non-prosecutions show this.
For another: Monopoly capital depends on free resources and near free use of the environment for dumping grounds for the system's waste. Rain forests, petroleum, valuable elements and minerals are all exploited by the neo-liberal regime with as little costs to the owners of capital as they can bribe their way out of.
It has been said that the weight of plastics disposed of in the oceans will be greater than the biomass of sea life next year. This enormous amount of pollution is impacting sealife and people who depend on the sea for their living.
One last thing, which I read this morning: Obama's EPA has quickly and quietly withdrawn the proposed regulation on glysophate(sp?) the main active ingredient in Monsanto's Roundup because of industry pressure. This chemical is said by the World Health Organization to be a cause of cancer. Starting with Reagan, the EPA has become more and more captured by the polluters it was established to protect us from.
This election, in my view, is one of the most critical the USA (and the world) has faced and we need Sanders.
"The justness of individual land right is not justifiable to those to whom the land by right of first claim collectively belonged"
duckpin,
I really hope you will find the time to write some essays here. Your comments are outstanding and contain a wealth of great information.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
Economics pretends it is a science
because they use numbers now.
What it is is the greatest intellectual con game of all time.
"You can't just leave those who created the problem in charge of the solution."---Tyree Scott
Economics is like psychology
There is probably a science behind it, but it's hard to tell because there are so many quacks. And even the non-quacks go about things in a non-scientific way.
They even made up a PR event in which they award one
of themselves a prize, which they inexplicably named after a 19th-century Scandinavian industrialist, inventor, and philanthropist.
The earth is a multibillion-year-old sphere.
The Nazis killed millions of Jews.
On 9/11/01 a Boeing 757 (AA77) flew into the Pentagon.
AGCC is happening.
If you cannot accept these facts, I cannot fake an interest in any of your opinions.
Politics masquerading as science.
That was Uncle Milty's greatest triumph, convincing the gullible that economics was a science like physics or chemistry, with "laws" and equations and such. It's not, nothing that deals with human behavior is a science in the sense that the physical sciences are.
We wanted decent healthcare, a living wage and free college.
The Democrats gave us Biden and war instead.
you said it, amen to that /nt
https://www.euronews.com/
Kind of like that oxymoron
political science.
Numbers don't lie but the weasels that use them have no interest in the truth.
There’s a macabre Randy Newman song called Political Science.n/t
The spelling is “glyphosate.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glyphosate
MIT researcher’s new warning: at today’s rate, half of all U.S. children will be autistic by 2025
The MIT researcher’s name is Stephanie Seneff. Seneff sees a link between autism and glyphosate.
(Edit: this seems to have been discredited; see reply by JuliaW)
I am not looking up
those links. It was introduced to the US market in 1974. Market penetrance seems to have been good by the 1980's. It is supposed to be a short half-life herbicide when applied to fields and spots in yards.
I am skeptical ( but that's my deal, I stay skeptical of much for a long time) that this is anything other than multiple time-association studies with too many variables to pick out relevance, partly dependent on the recognition of what a variable is.
Meanwhile, I am post-childbearing, two "normal" kids so it it not pointed at me. I do not use glypohosate in the wild without a brush, no spray ever now.
Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.
Interesting.
"I'm not letting possibly new information disrupt my preconceived notions." "It doesn't affect me personally so I don't care."
Bless you.
An important change between 1970s and now:
Roundup-Ready crops that survive exposure to glyphosate. The idea of glyphosate having a short half-life depended on the fact that it killed everything it landed on, and then was fairly quickly degraded by sun and rain. Plants that are NOT killed by glyphosate can absorb and accumulate it:
And then you eat it.
After which who knows? We really don't know as much about glyphosate toxicity as we should, given that we're dumping a billion pounds of it per year onto our crops.
One bit of good news: It doesn't seem to find its way into milk, neither human nor dairy.
The earth is a multibillion-year-old sphere.
The Nazis killed millions of Jews.
On 9/11/01 a Boeing 757 (AA77) flew into the Pentagon.
AGCC is happening.
If you cannot accept these facts, I cannot fake an interest in any of your opinions.
Seneff has been completely discredited as a scientist and a
researcher.
http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2014/12/31/oh-no-gmos-are-going-to-mak...
Hm. Case of a scientist going way beyond her field of expertise?
Obviously at one time Seneff was competent at some kind of science, otherwise she wouldn’t have been hired by MIT.
Assuming your and a previous poster’s comments are correct and this particular attribution of danger to glyphosate is a crackpot idea, what is it that protects Seneff now? Tenure?
"some" kind of science-yes
Reading the article. or even using Google will get you her credentials. But that isn't what you're interested in, since you respond immediately with a logical fallacy.
No, no, you misunderstand, I think you’re right.
Why so aggressive? Especially when I’m trying to concede your point? You are reading defiance or argumentativeness into my words that aren’t there. I made a mistake. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t claim to be able to read my mind and impute motives that aren’t there, with the intent to insult.
I’ve edited my original post to add that it seems to have been discredited and reference your comment.
I'm sorry if I misunderstood you
But your comment was so much like that of every crackpot anti-vaxxer that I have to attempt to counter and refute, that (yes) my immediate reaction was negative and aggressive. They use innocent "just questioning" replies and that, again, was what triggered my reply. I apologize.
Very graciously, too. Aʻole pilikia — no problem. Peace! :-) n/t
Aha. I was trained as a scientist.
Part of that training is observational, looking at correlations. And then the true part of research begins: can the correlation be teased away from the observation? Or can the correlation be further deconstructed to find bits within that can be placed into yes- or no-bins? Everything must be testable, and the null hypothesis (which at the end may not be no) tested again.
We are now in information overload. And AI has yet to develop the ability to sort through all the data because it's dependent on data input. I think.
Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.
I am one of
I am one of those Pew research numbers. I grew up and hit my teenage years in the late 1970's early 1980's (Graduated in 1982). I was middle class as a kid-to-teen, came out of the Army and became a low wage worker. My highest ever yearly income in this nation was 20k for one year, it had been less before and after that peak. Then as I got older, and less healthy and I discovered my heart was damaged, I had to go through unemployment,,,,worse year was just under 5k for the year, and then nothing until my disability finally kicked in, now a present monthly check amounting to a little bit over 13k for a year.
Living in the poverty zone. The American Dream race under the Republicants and the Neo-liberal Dems showed me what a farce, a cruel joke they trashed that so called dream into. And one needs to wonder why I am voting Bernie or Jill? Fuck the reps and fuck the Neo-liberal bullshit democrat party. they grabbed their checks from the taxpayers and added their money from their fat-cat patrons, and decided to fuck us all. Both establishment parties deserve to crash and burn to the ground and be replaced with new parties with better guidelines and rules, and a mandate from the people to serve the people, not the Billionaires and the corporations.
So long, and thanks for all the fish
It is really sick
when every aspect of our lives has become commodified. Rent seeking is neo-liberalism. That is why one circumstance of bad luck can lead to a life destroyed fiscally and physically. I am so sorry to hear how it has affected you.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
I have grown used to it.
I have grown used to it. watching when younger as the Oil crisis of '73 started that inflation and the loss of things under Reagan, (small, yet), the Bush senior, then Clinton, who fooled and bamaboozled so many, then Bush Jr merrily playing at warmonger. Followed by Obama, and his albeit hamstrung incrementalism, the racists in the House looking ot make sure he got little if anything done with their obstructionism, but his own letting us down with the fracking and drilling, the pipelines and the crowning touch of TPP..
Meanwhile the "Democratic" Neo-liberals carving away at the social safety nets to appease the republican bullies, but wait, that was an excuse, they wanted more to appease the billionaires who spent on them, the corporates in their constituency that make the war-toys, and hence keep the money making warmachine going on our dimes.
they took welfare and other programs away just to hand that money to Big Corporates as corporate welfare handouts.
they took money away from infrastructure to pay for the war on terror.
they took money from unemployment and food stamps to hand over to contractors who waste it.
And Hillary, the poster girl for all that is corrupt and wrong is who the party picks as they too have embraced that lifestyle as they abandoned the rest of us. To me, that is what is Neo-liberalism, benefits for the elite and rich, pain for all others.
And thank you for this series, the light it shines on the cancer of Neo-liberalism is refreshing.
So long, and thanks for all the fish
Really great comment!!!
This part in particular. And yes, Hillary is the poster girl for all that is wrong.
One of the things I hope to do with this series is to shine a very bright light on the fact the Democratic establishment (which is nearly the entire party) is equally, if not more culpable in the promotion of neo-liberalism. The Democrats ostensibly were playing the good cop to the Republicans bad cop, but the Democrats were saying they were the party of the people while they were stabbing us (we the people) in the back.
This is exactly why the Democratic establishment will do anything to prevent Bernie from winning. His policy positions are antithetical to those of the neo-liberal establishment. What the PTB in the Democratic party are doing is protecting neo-liberalism at all costs even if it means they lose the election.
BTW, I am learning as I research this series which is good. Knowledge is power and we need all the knowledge and power we can muster up.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
Good morning, gg, and a big TY again for this series. Neo-
liberalism and its child climate change are THE topics of our time. Neoliberalism is an ideology - a perverted worldview that does not accord with the established facts on the ground. Communism was an ideology that perverted socialism and neoliberalism is an ideology that perverted capitalism. One day, historians will point to both as examples of the same human tendency to fixate on preferred "facts" despite the evidence on the ground.
Have a great day gg and all :=)
Resilience: practical action to improve things we can control.
3D+: developing language for postmodern spirituality.
You are so very right Gerrit!
I hope you do not mind me saying this, but I actually see this series as a companion to your Resilience series. This series addresses causes and Resilience addresses some of the solutions for dealing with the causes of neo-liberalism.
Have a great day, Gerrit!
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
Oh well said indeed, gg. I see it the same way: causes and
solutions - they go hand in hand. And it makes c99 a very productive environment for progressives to learn and brainstorm together. w00t!
Resilience: practical action to improve things we can control.
3D+: developing language for postmodern spirituality.
good monring, gg, I find your neo-liberalism series
to be some courageous writing in these days. Thank you for it.
I heard this morning about torture of mentally challenged inmates in a Florida prison going on and how difficult it is to get the facts out into the public. I feel scared about what is possible to happen in this country.
I hope Sanders wins the nomination and hope that the discussion of supporting Trump with a vote to not have to vote for Clinton, if Sanders doesn't get the nomination, will be over soon. I personally consider this unacceptable.
Sometimes I feel I don't know what this site here is all about. I hoped it would be solidly a left socialist democracy supporting environment. Being open and courteous to commenters of different agendas or persuasions is fine, but it's confusing and makes me want to be silent. That I consider a negative outcome from reading here.
If this is a 99% caucus, it means it can include a certain percentage of people, who think that white supremacist populism and old-fashioned style of anti-communist, anti-Russia or anti socialist bashing is something one has to consider as being acceptable. To believe one can fight with that kind of strategy or tactics against the secretive and scary neo-liberalism found behind the Democrats, who are constantly flip-flopping, while adjusting verbally to a progressive-like agenda to win the elections and to save their jobs, is to me incomprehensible I am tired of that. I am tired of being confused. I am tired of needing to apologize and I am tired to be scared.
Have a good day, all left-wing socialist democratigc C99percenters.
https://www.euronews.com/
Thank you mimi
for your kind words. It means a lot coming from you.
As a planner, I tend to try to see the big picture behind why things are the way they are. This is why I decided to do a series on neo-liberalism because it gets to the root cause of our societal and economic problems. We need to understand it so we can fight it.
As far as the purpose of this site, I do not know what to say to you to make you feel better. Each of us has a tolerable level of discomfort towards things with which we may not agree or accept. I can only speak for myself in that my tolerance level is very high because differing and dissenting opinions make me think more deeply, either to open my mind or counter them with my own researched arguments.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
thanks, gg, for your kind words,
I answered below to OLinda, just wanted to say that personal tolerance levels are different mainly because the tolerance of someone may have differently strong challenged. People exposed to more hardship and unfair treatments by others have a harder time to be tolerant to those they see as being the perpetrators of the hardship they went through. Having been a victim yourself in real time (not using the past victimhood of your ancestors though) makes you a little bit more impatient and probably a little bit more intolerant person.
I remember sometimes thinking that it's easy to be civil and tolerant, if you are rich or well enough insulated to the conditions the more intolerant people might have experienced.
I am an equality hawk more than a "Liberty uber Alles" hawk. I can't deal easily with libertarians, because in my mind they are often obfuscating and confusing other people. I never know what they really stand for. I am distrusting them, as to me they seem to easily flip-flop from right-wing populism to socialist populism. I guess I have more problems with them than most of you. It's always harder to understand people that you are not by default a "brother' or "sister" with, which is the case with most immigrants.
https://www.euronews.com/
I think it’s not so much that one has to consider it acceptable,
it’s more that one has to be civil in expressing one’s view that it is unacceptable.
We were trying to get away from the social norm of other places on the Web where, if one person dislikes another person’s views strongly enough, the former has a kind of license to mount personal attacks on and hurl insults at the latter, particularly if the former presents themselves as speaking for the feelings of a whole group.
Good morning, mimi.
I haven't seen the socialist bashing here. Or maybe I've misunderstood that sentence.
It might help to look at differing opinions as a way to keep out of a bubble. You can at least stay aware of how some others may think differently on topics and what their reasoning is. We want a supportive community, but not a strict, bubbly, echo chamber like TOP. As gg said, it could help you see something from a different point of view and that is not a bad thing, even if you disagree.
You should feel very free to comment to anyone that you disagree with them, politely of course, and maybe doing that will help you feel a balance for the site, and to keep it on the track you like.
no, I didn't meant to say the socialist bashing has (edited)
happened here and if it would, I know I can say something politely (I guess my German way of being polite is still quite in your face or rude to non German ears though) to point it out and voice my disagreement.
I think I looked at different opinions the last 12 years on TOP and for almost fifty years my whole life in real life. I had to "compromise" or "stay silent" a lot to keep "the peace". I was able to not "lie" to keep the peace, thank God. Most people need to lie in their lives. So, yes, it helps to be aware of different opinions than my own, it's just that I feel in the US like in a solitary mental bubble and my desire to find some people, who come close to me own pov, may be more prevalent than in Americans, who might not have been aware of different opinions of non Americans around the world so much.
It's a persona thingie. Just look at how immigrants to the US all huddle around their own, it's a deliberate physical and emotional separation from their environment, something they need. If you happen to not have that small group of your own "tribe" so to speak, be it ethnically or ideologically, you feel isolated. And that just makes you a little bit more "cranky" at times than would be necessary.
There was nothing more to my comment above than that.
https://www.euronews.com/
Wiping their a** with voters & legislators when it suits them
French PM to use special powers to bypass parliament on labour reform
Thank you, lotlizard
for answering that much better than I did.
I believe I read where the kitty in your avatar has passed over the rainbow bridge.
But his or her green eyes are wonderful and they get to me every time I see them. This kitty was a very intelligent animal. You can see that in its eyes.
Last Sat at our Peace vigil, traffic was slow, but we did get to talk with one older couple who had the most interesting dog I have ever seen. It was a cross between a standard poodle and a red Aussie. His coat looked like it was made of cammo (the desert color of cammo) and his eyes were green! I have never before seen a dog with green eyes. I could not stop looking at them.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
He mea iki — you’re quite welcome, gg.
I do miss that cat. It may sound strange, but I feel knowing him gave me something very important spiritually.
Doesn't sound strange to me, Lotlizard.
I have a beautiful and precious little long hair chihuahua. He is my almost constant companion for years. His name is Jax. He was rescued from an evil puppy mill. He is a very gentile soul. I adore him.
'Well, I've wrestled with reality for thirty five years, Doctor, and I’m happy to state I finally won out over it." Elwood P. Dowd "
misinformed supporters
Hey gg,
Nice essay. Hope you and all the 99ers have a good day.
The comment from the DailyLost about Hellery's Schip is misinformed. Interesting how the hillbots avoid and ignore evidence. From 2008 http://archive.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/03/14/clinton_role_i...
It isn't always timely, but people usually reap what they sow. My hope is an indictment or a public airing of the Clinton foundation money laundering. If people only knew!
I'm glad we did well in WV yesterday. NJ concerns me, but onward we go educating as we can.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Thank you, Lookout!
Based upon my interaction with the Clinton supporters over there, most are uninformed and none can actually articulate what she stands for. IMO, this is a classic case of identity politics "trumping" policy issues. Jon Stewart in his interview with David Axelrod complained about the Democrats relying so heavily on identity politics. He also characterized talking with Hillary is like waiting for the seven second delay for her answer. I am paraphrasing, but he also said he has no idea what she really believes.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
She believes she should have been elected President in 2008
and that she will not be denied this year.
That is about the extent of it.
"You can't just leave those who created the problem in charge of the solution."---Tyree Scott
I really should go listen to that again.
talking with Hillary is like waiting for the seven second delay for her answer.
I think, iirc, that he was saying she was not authentic. That delay was calculation time. I think he said he would wonder if she stuck to her convictions except he can't tell if she actually has any convictions. LOL. Perfectly expressed.
I hope I have that right.
They also do not care
Most are true believers in unfettered disaster global capitalism. It's the 'free market' and how the game is played. Look at Kos he sold his online sports and Vox empire and he won! He now touts buying high end toys like the Telsa as the green way forward to fix the environment. Win or die. Goldman Sachs rules the world. This neoliberal world view goes hand in hand with imperialism and endless bloody war on terra.
If you care about the common good of people and the planet your a purist far lefty. Austerity is necessary because the losers in this viscous brand of capitalism are collateral damage who do not deserve a 'free lunch'. Human rights and democracy and all those inalienable truths like equality are an impediment to growth and wealth creation. Might effect the GNP, and interfere with growing the 'economy', or we might all go over the dreaded fiscal cliff of mass destruction. 'Let's do the Numbers' Fear and greed is how you keep the ordinary people in line.
Tesla is working on some reasonably priced models
I'll give them some props for that -- sell the high-priced toys to folks like Markos and use the money to fund R&D on models for ordinary folks. If the infrastructure would catch up with the technology (most apartment dwellers can't run an extension cord to their carport space to charge an EV) I think more people would consider electric cars -- if not the Tesla maybe a Chevy Volt or a Nissan Leaf. An electric or even hybrid mini-van would be ideal if we had the money; we could get it retrofitted to take Mr. Scribe's mom places without having to haul her in and out of the car to her wheelchair (would be easier on both her and Mr. Scribe), then when she's gone we could use it for travel/camping.
New Chevy
The Chevy Bolt (B, not V) being released this year is a complete redo of the Volt and is superior in many ways. Electric cars are getting close to the tipping point of mass production and mass acceptance. See: AutoBlog: Chevy Bolt
Posted at TOP
Posted at TOP
"So, now that she has focused on the GE, and is wooing Bush donors as she has said “I hare your values” i.e, she shares Republican values with Bush supporters and donors to get votes away from Trump. Last I checked, republican Values and Democratic values were supposed to be different values. Is she indeed “shares their values” how the hell is she not running as a republican?
Neo-Liberalism is not very different that Republicanism of the 1970s,,,, NOT Democratic at all. FDR would be rolling in his grave. anyone who supports such anti-human, pro-corporate and pro-Greed ideals is not a Democrat in my book."
I am betting that they will refuse to answer that.
So long, and thanks for all the fish
Posted by who?
Just curious.
"You can't just leave those who created the problem in charge of the solution."---Tyree Scott
me
me
here
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/5/10/1525284/-Bernie-Wins-West-Virg...
So long, and thanks for all the fish
Well done, gg98. Thanks.
That CorpWatch piece is a good, short reference on Neoliberalism. Here's Naomi Klein:
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKTmwu3ynOY]
We wanted decent healthcare, a living wage and free college.
The Democrats gave us Biden and war instead.
thanka for making me aware of CorpWatch /nt
https://www.euronews.com/
Thank you for sharing this video (n/t)
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
Oops! Glyphosate comment moved back to where it belongs
Sorry, a bit of a brain glitch there.
You can mve comments? How?
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
“The New York Fed president is worrying about the next crash”
http://wallstreetonparade.com/2016/05/new-york-fed-president-is-worrying...
Pro-Clinton pundit says he doesn’t remember his Iraq War stance
From Salon:
After noted Hillary supporter “forgets” his Iraq position, Twitter comedian creates the best timeline of pundits’ reactions to the war
When pro-Clinton pundit John Aravosis said he forgot his Iraq War stance, Trillburne wrote a brilliant chronology
somewhat despondent...
My son as most know is 23 and autistic. He was accepted into an intense on the job training and inter-personal skills building and such .. 9 month course for the disabled. He blew them away at the interview and all were so excited to have him.
But yesterday we got the call. Kaiser who funds the project, requires a DRUG TEST.
I explained to the case manager that my son doesn't even drink a beer but that he uses a medical marijuana tincture for his anxieties, ocd, self-injurious behaviors and it helps him form sentences. He communicates better.
She was all for it but the drug test is a disqualifier.
No he cant get his medical card because for the longest time he was a minor and in school and then he was in another program and then another OJT at a community college.
I have a card so that is how I get the proper tincture...
We are so scared for him to lose this incredible opportunity. He was going to be their star - case manager's words.
I'm so upset, my son just feels beaten. We are hoping there will be some way to go around this and the case manager for the program who met with our son... she's going to start asking some "delicate questions". She's on our side but there's not much she can do.
He's not on any other medication. I feel so beaten down.
But maybe it's a reason to stand up and say - Marijuana tinctures has helped our autistic son!!!!!
There'll be more opportunities in the future because he is a shooting star. But he really wanted this program. He was so excited about it. He's a bit depressed and this did knock his confidence down hard last night.
Thanks for listening gang... life still goes on.
"Love One Another" ~ George Harrison
Is the drug test
a federal requirement? Doesn't the fact that marijuana is legal in OR make a difference? Or is it Kaiser's policy to drug test? Another reason to vote for Bernie as he is in favor decriminalization on a federal level. I'm so sorry for your son. Hope you can find a way to circumvent this punitive harsh block. How sad that we have to jump through hoops and tests get help. What a world where you can be deemed unworthy and locked out because you take drugs or can't pass their stupid authoritarian tests.
Thanks Shaha
He won't even drink a damn beer. He doesn't do drugs.. he uses a tincture that helps him stay in his own skin. It helps him so much.
He already passed their "tests" and interview and came out as the STAR. It's just the drug test part... we've never faced one.
It's a damn policy. But the casemanger for the project is going to do her best.
I feel like bashing my head against a wall. This project was so huge for him.
But he got some great news this morning. His old buddy is coming back to his hockey team.
He'll always be with the Winterhawks but this job program was at a hospital and was really going to be ideal. They were hoping he'd apply for a job at the hospital after the program.
They had HIGH hopes for them... I guess one could say.
And also... from woman to woman... I just feel like a horrible mother even though I know I have advocated for him so much and have gotten him so far. He is such a hard worker, it's not fair...
"Love One Another" ~ George Harrison
You're an awesome Mom in a system that sucks
If we could get sane drug laws in this country, where ordinary use is no big fucking deal and actual abuse is treated as a public health issue rather than a criminal one, think of the money and families that would be saved.
Hope things work out for him -- we know full well he's a star, the world just has to catch on.
(((Cali Scribe))))
I bawled my ass off yesterday. He and all who love him have done nothing wrong and none of this should impact his opportunity.
And you know him.... you know how much of a kick down this is going to be for him. Confidence an Dignity issues... we have more of those than Vogue.
I just called his case manager at the program and left a message saying that "W" would like to talk to her and that he's willing to speak to the entire staff about why he's still good.
Marijuana Tincture folks... he's done nothing wrong. the one side effect to this tincture is that helps his allergies, it unblocks his nasal passage.
I just want to scream. I have to get ready for work...
"Love One Another" ~ George Harrison
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