Neoliberalism – the ideology at the root of all our problems

"Neoliberalism" is usually used as a vague, undefined slur, by ideologues such as the writer of this article. The essay "I’m a neoliberal. Maybe you are too" [1] offers some interesting commentary on this theme, in trying to reclaim the term such that it applies to many people more on the centre of the political spectrum.

[1] https://medium.com/@s8mb/im-a-neoliberal-maybe-you-are-too-b...

George Monbiot is a crazy guy with crazy ideas. I mean, crazy crazy.

The root of all our problems is that we have the worst of socialism and the worst of liberalism.

This article doesn't really define its terms, yet it wants to introduce a new one. Meaning is important when it comes to political labels.

I have sometimes used the word "neoliberalism" as a parallel to "neoconservative"- as both, to me, represent the current movements which ape the positions of the past in propaganda but fundamentally betray them in practice. For instance, neoconservatives are pro-war while conservatives were isolationist, neo-liberals are pro-war while liberals are not. Drugs are a similar issue where both philosophies should be pro legalization if they followed their propaganda but in practice are pro criminalization.

Classical liberalism, the liberalism popular at the time of the countries founding, is now called libertarianism. In fact "classical liberalism" is a new term for it, seemingly used by libertarians who are attempting to reach liberals who don't realize how much their movement has changed over the years.

Part of the reason we have such a messed up situation is that symbols are used and manipulated because people attach meaning to them. In fact, people's identities get tied up with political parties, and they believe that their fellow party members agree with them... but this turns into a powerful lever to manipulate them.

For example: Many gay people will be supporting someone this fall who campaigned to ban gay marriage from 1991-2013 when the issue was already settled by the states (certainly not leading the campaign to legalize)... and look with discorn on the candidate who has always supported legal gay marriage who is running on a party platform that has supported gay marriage since 1972! (namely Gary Johnson and the Libertarian Party.) Yet these same people identify as democrats, in part, because gay rights is one of their top issues.

Neoliberalism is responsible for the epidemic of loneliness? I'm skeptical...