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That’s right Milky, as a socialist I did vote to leave the neo-liberal EU cartel
Lol, the EU is a cartel, but a protectionist cartel. That is the oposite of neo-liberalism.
What is your definition of neoliberalism and also the opposite definition of neoliberalism, you don’t actually say?
The EU…. Free movement of trade, capital and people. A fanatical commitment to market forces, privatization and competition rules that favor private enterprise and corporatism (TTIP etc).Crippling austerity/or rules on borrowing that has decimated public services across Europe, leading to more privatization. Railways and public utilities etc under EU competition rules, must be open to the so called free market. Full nationalization of those services forbidden under EU competition rules.
The Growth and Stability Pact that forbids governments from borrowing over a certain % to boost economic growth, leading to prolonged “austerity” across Europe and longer recessions, decimated public services and which ultimately has feathered the nest of corporatism as it moves in to fill the void.
Flexible labor market rules that are dismantling workers rights. In two landmark legal cases “Viking and Laval” the European Court of Justice ruled that collective action by a trade union could be deemed illegal if it is taken to prevent an employer setting up in, or posting workers to, another member state, for example in an attempt to pay cheaper wages.
I could go on…
Mark Pennington, Professor of Public Policy and Political Economy at King’s College London, and an expert on classical liberalism and the Austrian school of economics.
Neoliberalism.
“Well, I think there are probably three different elements to it. As a general principal, it’s based on the idea of reducing the role of the state in the economy, relying more on private enterprise rather than publicly-owned industries, and in particular fostering the creation of competitive markets.
Alongside reducing the role of the state in terms of ownership of industry, a thoroughgoing neoliberal perspective would also be committed to reducing the role of government in terms of financial expenditure. So, a neoliberal policy would be associated with a declining share of GDP being spent by the state, and a greater share being dedicated to private individuals and companies.
The final element would be, I suggest, a commitment to a low-regulation environment. So, the idea is that competitive markets rely on low regulation. The higher levels of regulation you have, the less competition you have, because regulation acts as a barrier to entry into markets and makes them less competitive than they otherwise would be.”
Now that explains the neoliberal corporate driven EU cartel to me….
Edit. http://www.debatingeurope.eu/2015/09/23/neoliberalism-failed/#.WfUwpohpyUk
I’ll post the other link I used when I find it again.
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This reply was modified 7 years ago by
Ge.
Gerry, please do.
I’m glad you’re taking this discussion with the seriousness it deserves.
I’m delaying answering the points made because I can’t get to the PC for more than a few minutes for the next couple of days, but I at least want to continue this discussion.
Of course it is an important issue Sceptical, because any negotiated deal or not, will affect all of us, one way or another. Personally I think it is a game of bluff and counter bluff, ‘last man (woman) standing’ which will be resolved at the 12th hour. We shall see.
I was thinking of your other link on neo-liberalism. This is something which is profoundly uninteresting for most people, but it’s very important for some (including Corbyn).
Who knows how all this will end? I was thinking of the survival of May’s government.
I was thinking of your other link on neo-liberalism. This is something which is profoundly uninteresting for most people, but it’s very important for some (including Corbyn). Who knows how all this will end? I was thinking of the survival of May’s government.
I can’t find the link, I had loads open and lost it when I shut them, it gave a basic explanation of what is considered ‘neoliberalism’ that’s all and what isn’t, although I do agree with your previous comment that it is not cut and dried.
Corbyn is well known for his views on the EU, perhaps that is why the EU negotiators prefer May. Like I said there are numerous political battles being played out and which may not be apparent and obvious at first glance.
Amazes me how people say politicians aren’t leaders….they may be right…..but why aren’t the ones who say it in the place of who they put down or critique?
commitment to market forces
Lol wut?
The EU is highly protectionist.
competition rules that favor private enterprise and corporatism (TTIP etc)
The EU voted against TTIP.
The Growth and Stability Pact that forbids governments from borrowing over a certain % to boost economic growth, leading to prolonged “austerity” across Europe and longer recessions, decimated public services and which ultimately has feathered the nest of corporatism as it moves in to fill the void.
Make you best argument as to why borrowing money is good.
“Well, I think there are probably three different elements to it. As a general principal, it’s based on the idea of reducing the role of the state in the economy.”
Neo-liberalism is much more extreme than this, it seeks to undermine state powers in many or all areas, not just the ecconomy. This is why TTIP had clauses about corperations being able to sue governments, and to have their own private enforcement with powers to seize private property, similar to what police officers have.
Neo-liberalism is much more extreme than this, it seeks to undermine state powers in many or all areas, not just the ecconomy. This is why TTIP had clauses about corperations being able to sue governments, and to have their own private enforcement with powers to seize private property, similar to what police officers have.
It’s probably one of the reasons that the EU is against neo-liberalism, it wants those powers itself.
Every time I come across a someone talking of neo-liberalis, then they give it a different definition, It means something you don’t really like, so you call it neo-liberal.
That is why Drac and Gerry are shouting at each other without really coming to terms with the arguments of the other. To both of them, neo-liberalis means soethng they don’t like, so they take what they don’t like, call it neo-liberalism, and then try to explain to the oteh why they are confused.
Globalisation? Well, it’s something to do with that, so that must be neo-liberal. But the economy has become increasingly global in the last two centuries. The main difference in the last 40 years is that globalisation has intensified. Why call it neo-liberal? Why not just call it globalisation? It’s less confusing.
Austerity. Well, we don’t like that, so let’s call it neo-liberal, though austerity comes under every sort of government.
Free markets? Well, that must be neo-liberal. Except that Thatcher (and before her Enoch Powell) were strongly pro-market and anti-globalisation. Powell was a fierce critic of the Common Market, and Thatcher stressed the nation-state as the basic unit of politics.
It’s a vague word thrown around and everybody claims it as their own. Mark Pennington gives a series of throw-away policies and just claims it’s all neo-liberal without checking out how consistent those things are.
I would say get rid of the term, but more and more people are using it as a swear word, so we’re just going to have to figure out what they mean in each instance.
The best attempt art a definition was given by the Marxist professor, David Harvey, in his HA Brief History of Neo-Liberalism, and he falls into the same confusions (is it a policy, an ideology, a phase of capital accumulation) as everybody els
That is why Drac and Gerry are shouting at each other without really coming to terms with the arguments of the other.
No one is shouting. No wonder your threads never go anywhere… I prefer the theory of the Professor of Public Policy and Political Economy at King’s College London compared to yours.
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This reply was modified 7 years ago by
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