Thread by @SteB777

On the subject of neoliberalism, which has a very sinister past, and maybe even more sinister now.

I want to briefly highlight what I think it actually is, which is very different to the theory of it.

1/🧵threadreaderapp.com/thread/1948044…

I just want to give an outline. It is best understood, through the Chicago Boys, a group of economists who studied under Milt Friedman, and who were instrumental in the Pinochet regime, which was the first full-scale implementation of neoliberalism.

2/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_B…

It is worthwhile remembering, that the Pinochet regime got into power in Chile, via a coup, and they systematically murdered, mass murdered, political opponents, and neoliberalism was a key component of this. Neoliberalism has its roots in mass murder.

3/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rig…

If you read the Chicago Boys Wikipedia page, you will see it was inextricably mixed up with a US State Department plan, to eliminate Marxism, in S.America. It was a means to an end.

4/theguardian.com/news/2017/aug/…

In other words, there is the theory of neoliberalism, developed by economists, and then there is the way, it is used to manipulate people, governments, and politics. It is an ideological vehicle (I regard all ideologies as a vehicle for power) for power and control.
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I believe that modern neoliberalism, is not really a theory, but a means for very powerful people, oligarchs, billionaires, big corporations, and malignant political operators, to control society for their own ends.
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Often, neoliberalism is portrayed as a set of beliefs about policy. In fact, whilst partly correct, I believe it actually operates in a way quite different to that.

7/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC96…

In practice, I believe that neoliberalism as it happens in modern politics, defines a set of parameters, for how governments operate. That no government, should be allowed to step outside this economic model.
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When politicians such as @jeremycorbyn and @BernieSanders have set out a policy objective, quite contrary to the neoliberal hegemony, the whole neoliberal establishment, has closed ranks to monster, and smear them, to make them unelectable.
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It is very important to understand, that the vast majority of the public, possibly as much as 95%, have never heard of neoliberalism, and have no idea what it is. They have no idea that all the parties and politicians they can vote for, follow the same ideology.
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This makes modern politics fraudulent, and a scam. People mistakenly think they are being offered parties and politicians with very different visions, when actually they are all the same.
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Virtually all political options people are offered, including and especially the populist right, all have core economic and societal ideology, which they hide from the public, because it is sociology unacceptable.
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In fact, the populist right, have traded on how the way the public is horrified, that no matter who they vote for, they get the same horrible policy (neoliberalism), that the public hate. But the public does not know the name of it, or what it is.
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This is what allows Trump, Farage etc, to get away with peddling conspiracy theories about the deep state, and elites, because the public detects this shadowy control of the system, via neoliberalism.
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But this is the big lie, because Trump and Farage are dyed in the wool, neoliberals. They are as much part of the deep state, if not more so than other politicians. Remember, neoliberalism started with right wing dictators.
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The populist right are not an alternative to neoliberalism, they are neoliberalism on steroids. The ultimate con, where people mistakenly think these conmen, are offering an alternative, when they are the worst exponents of deep state politics.
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Essentially, I see modern neoliberalism as the collective vision of oligarchs, billionaires, big corporations, and other malign power players, to rig democracy, and ensure our societies are what they want.
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That the way it works in practice, is that politicians are allowed to govern, as long as they agree to follow broad neoliberal parameters, and to never step outside these parameters, or the neoliberal establishment, will destroy them.
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By the neoliberal establishment, I mean oligarchs, billionaires, big corporations, especially the oligarch owned media, and pet poodle politicians who have completely sold out to them.
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A good analogy of how it all works, is the mafia and organized crime. They are always fighting amongst each other in deadly wars. But when it comes down to it, they cooperate for their common good, and to ply organized crime.
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That the neoliberal establishment are type of gangster and con-artist regime, rigging our democratic system, to fix it for themselves. They might superficially fight with each other, but really they are as thick as thieves, maintaining their corrupt operation.
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We have a pretend democracy, where supposedly, the public are offered alternative political visions, when really all those options, actually share the same hidden neoliberal ideology.
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It is, as George Monbiot says, an Invisible Doctrine. Very real in practice, but they deceive the public, by pretending that neoliberalism doesn't exist, and hiding it from the public.

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As I say, the best way to smoke out neoliberalism, is to create an "Oppose Neoliberalism Declaration", in which politicians and parties sign. Where those that refuse to sign it, or acknowledge neoliberalism, are clearly neoliberals.

24/threadreaderapp.com/thread/1947637…

Why would politicians refuse to acknowledge the existence of an ideology, with such a well documented history, and which by no coincidence whatsoever is identical to the inexplicable policy that makes no sense, they impose on us - as if there are no other options?
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