Why YSK: I’ve noticed in recent years more people using “neoliberal” to mean “Democrat/Labor/Social Democrat politicians I don’t like”. This confusion arises from the different meanings “liberal” has in American politics and further muddies the waters.
Neoliberalism came to the fore during the 80’s under Reagan and Thatcher and have continued mostly uninterrupted since. Clinton, both Bushs, Obama, Blair, Brown, Cameron, Johnson, and many other world leaders and national parties support neoliberal policies, despite their nominal opposition to one another at the ballot box.
It is important that people understand how neoliberalism has reshaped the world economy in the past four decades, especially people who are too young to remember what things were like before. Deregulation and privatization were touted as cost-saving measures, but the practical effect for most people is that many aspects of our lives are now run by corporations who (by law!) put profits above all else. Neoliberalism has hollowed out national economies by allowing the offshoring of general labor jobs from developed countries.
In the 80’s and 90’s there was an “anti-globalization” movement of the left that sought to oppose these changes. The consequences they warned of have come to pass. Sadly, most organized opposition to neoliberal policies these days comes from the right. Both Trump and the Brexit campaign were premised on reinvigorating national economies. Naturally, both failed, in part because they had no cohesive plan or understanding that they were going against 40 years of precedent.
So, yes, establishment Democrats are neoliberals, but so are most Republicans.
I would add that liberal means something different in USA vs. the rest of the world… so when a non-US progressive uses liberal as an insult someone in the USA should probably interpret that closer to what we’d call a neoliberal in the US.
And when conservatives use it they just mean “not conservative”.
The word has vanishingly little meaning at this point. Anytime you see someone using it implies ignorance or disingenuousness, more typically the former than the latter.
If you look up the definitions of liberalism and neoliberalism I do not see a difference. Both want exactly the same: deregulation, strengthening the ownership of private capital assets, low taxes, no trade unions, reduced government spending, privatisation.
Nah.
We mean liberal, it’s only in the US that liberal means something different.
And it’s… bad that I’m pointing out that the difference in language exists? And is it really an issue to add neo- so we’re all on the same page, particularly if you are using it in negative context?
Except you didn’t point it out, you incorrectly said what it was.
Adding neo before it makes it different. Liberalism (As in the right wing ideology) and neoliberalism are different things and both are bad.
I think it should’ve been clear before but I’ve edited it to what I meant, is it better now?
@ParsnipWitch