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anigbrowl

(13,889 posts)

32. If people don't know what it is then their economic opinions have no real value

Wed Apr 27, 2016, 03:02 PM

Apr 2016

I've been a classical liberal (a term I prefer to neoliberal) for years. I encountered the ideas, found them persuasive, and then got interested in economics and bought a bunch of books in order to educate myself on the topic. I don't think competition is the answer to every problem, but having grown up in a quasi-socialist country with a lot of central planning (and a parent who was a top level bureaucrat) I'm not too impressed with planned economies either.

It's easy to point out things you don't like about an economic system but critics of liberalism rarely offer any evidence to show that their proposals will lead to better outcomes. Mostly they just talk about the better outcomes they'd like to see and assume that defining the goal is equivalent ot having a good plan to achieve it. Well I'm for world peace and free everything, so vote for me.

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Neoliberalism Is Destroying Our Lives and Many of Us Don’t Even Know What It Is [View all] marmar Apr 2016 OP

And Hillary is among the architects of neoliberalism, or at least rode their coat-tails. KPN Apr 2016 #1

The entire presidentisl farce is a DIVERSION from the REAL BATTLE GOING ON OVER FTAS Baobab Apr 2016 #16

Sadly, Exactly correct Ferd Berfel Apr 2016 #37

oh yes,this^^^ wendylaroux Apr 2016 #51

Nonsense. Neoliberalism is the ideology, such as Hortensis Apr 2016 #42

I mentioned years ago... IthinkThereforeIAM Apr 2016 #57

Lol. You called it, then and now. Sure, a lot of people Hortensis Apr 2016 #59

Neoconservatism and neoliberalism are two different things... JHB Apr 2016 #61

So if "neoliberalism" represents uneducated opinion KPN Apr 2016 #67

I'm neither your political science or reading instructor. Hortensis Apr 2016 #74

Funny, you posed as such in your previous post. KPN Apr 2016 #79

Throwing the dog a bone... IthinkThereforeIAM Apr 2016 #86

Enlightened my ass. Enraptured with their own brilliance and potential gain KPN Apr 2016 #87

The information is out there... IthinkThereforeIAM Apr 2016 #88

So you obviously don't think Hillary is a conservative when it comes to KPN Apr 2016 #66

Thanks! Good observations. Eom reACTIONary Apr 2016 #89

neoliberalism is what rw talk radio sells for free all day certainot Apr 2016 #63

or at least rode their coat-tails. AlbertCat Apr 2016 #82

And Hillary carries Neoliberalism's banner, and their water. djean111 Apr 2016 #2

doesn't make sense - certainot Apr 2016 #64

Neo liberalism is 1970s GOP. n/t Gore1FL Apr 2016 #3

Neoliberalism... ReRe Apr 2016 #4

A Democrat that believes in war as a means to profit (for a few)? Enthusiast Apr 2016 #22

. . . and the Democratic Party dominated by the DLC and Third Way Jack Rabbit Apr 2016 #6

But in many cases the belief in gay rights and abortion is not a strong one. A Simple Game Apr 2016 #12

Yes, they are republicans without the bigotry. TIME TO PANIC Apr 2016 #15

I would argue that the only reason they are socially liberal is to give us a false sense of hope. cui bono Apr 2016 #40

This is spot on. potone Apr 2016 #53

That's certainly what the young folk believe. And .,.. KPN Apr 2016 #68

Spot-on analysis. So hard to get Democrats to see this, though. canoeist52 Apr 2016 #73

Absolutely! It's mostly theatre, at this point. TIME TO PANIC Apr 2016 #85

Bingo Populist_Prole Apr 2016 #84

Yep. cliffordu Apr 2016 #20

exactly. neoliberalism = rockefeller republican jg10003 Apr 2016 #43

She is, after all, a Goldwater gal..... cliffordu Apr 2016 #9

That is such a weak criticism. world wide wally Apr 2016 #11

or you never evolved AlbertCat Apr 2016 #83

And 1990s-2010s Democrats Svafa Apr 2016 #28

BINGO! KPN Apr 2016 #69

1970's GOP'ish is pretty much where the DLC took the Democratic Party. NorthCarolina Apr 2016 #80

"Many of Us Don’t Even Know What It Is" Phlem Apr 2016 #5

Some Hillary voters know. And they strongly approve. nt stillwaiting Apr 2016 #45

I say they just don't care. Their adulation for authoritarian leadership blinds them rhett o rick Apr 2016 #46

Applause. Simple and straaightforward ... KPN Apr 2016 #70

Kicked and recommended. Uncle Joe Apr 2016 #7

It's what Hillary supports fasttense Apr 2016 #8

Kick and rec. cliffordu Apr 2016 #10

We need a viable alternative to neoliberalism or we're all screwed n/t deutsey Apr 2016 #13

We have that alternative and his name is Bernie. Marie Marie Apr 2016 #31

I take some small consolation in the possibility deutsey Apr 2016 #50

Yep libodem Apr 2016 #14

"Neoliberalism" isn't a reference to progressive New Deal-style liberalism deutsey Apr 2016 #21

Thank you for the info libodem Apr 2016 #24

K & R! TIME TO PANIC Apr 2016 #17

Neoliberalism is Capitalism in its worst form blackspade Apr 2016 #18

Markets are free, people not so much - eom dreamnightwind Apr 2016 #27

But apparently "resources' are free" (to destroy) glinda Apr 2016 #58

I read this this morning and planned to post it here Rebkeh Apr 2016 #19

Kicked and recommended! Enthusiast Apr 2016 #23

Neoliberalism is just watered down Reaganomics. The assholes that love to worship Reagan Rex Apr 2016 #25

K&R ReRe Apr 2016 #26

one of the top five best books ever published, in my opinion. mountain grammy Apr 2016 #30

And it reads fast, too ;-) n/t ReRe Apr 2016 #33

I keep it on my table, always handy.. mountain grammy Apr 2016 #34

Sounds like... ReRe Apr 2016 #35

Yep, just like the bible only true.. mountain grammy Apr 2016 #36

Of course ReRe Apr 2016 #38

It's how the oligarchs run the world.. mountain grammy Apr 2016 #29

It's all a big dog and pony show BigMin28 Apr 2016 #77

If people don't know what it is then their economic opinions have no real value anigbrowl Apr 2016 #32

The responses in this thread illustrate the point of this thread perfectly. beastie boy Apr 2016 #39

Neoliberalism is the current predominating ideology of capitalism. ronnie624 Apr 2016 #44

You described the essence of neoliberalism pretty well, but... beastie boy Apr 2016 #48

VERY good essay. ronnie624 Apr 2016 #41

+1 deutsey Apr 2016 #60

Thanks for the link, marmar... Thespian2 Apr 2016 #47

Neolibs, centrists, pragmatists, moderates are ALL a cancer on the middle class and below.. whereisjustice Apr 2016 #49

Whatever it is we are living thru, it is not a meritocracy. MadLinguist Apr 2016 #52

Neoliberalism.... reACTIONary Apr 2016 #54

Guess you just chose to skip over the OP Wednesdays Apr 2016 #55

No, I looked at the artcle.... reACTIONary Apr 2016 #92

The people who are labeled neoliberal may not like it, ronnie624 Apr 2016 #56

You should take a look at the wiki article..... reACTIONary Apr 2016 #62

A bad Wikipedia article simply reflects the ignorance of the editors of that article, nothing more. drm604 Apr 2016 #65

Its not a bad wiki article.... reACTIONary Apr 2016 #90

It wasn't the case until fairly recently beastie boy Apr 2016 #71

Both Parties Have Moved Steadily Right colsohlibgal Apr 2016 #72

If you follow voting patterns of the last 30 years, It is the blue collar Democrats who beastie boy Apr 2016 #75

Neoliberalism is an example of severe ignorance. davidthegnome Apr 2016 #76

Quite an eye-opening read - thanks. rurallib Apr 2016 #78

BIG K&R! Thanks for this. The rec list is telling...nt riderinthestorm Apr 2016 #81

Bookmarked to read later. demmiblue Apr 2016 #91