Neoliberalism puts profits ahead of people

A world order that profits on inequalities crafted to answer neoliberal desires is sliding into disarray.

Naom Chomsky

That paradigm, which enriches a few and financially, psychologically and physically cripples many, is bringing a disorder that most of Australia’s comfortable can’t understand.
Many in the Goulburn Valley stand among the comfortable and while just a few see the inevitable, many feel a shiver of uncertainty as “they” appear equally undecided about what to do next.
Neoliberalism is a notion that has surreptitiously swept up most political isms leaving nearly all vulnerable to an ideology that flourishes in a greenhouse-like magical aura that corporate financed public relations machinations have convinced us is right and proper.
The ideology is about smaller taxes for the wealthy, fewer limitations and restrictions on doing business, the dismantling of public education and social welfare programs and, of course, the removal of anything that might interfere with the working of the free market.
Writing in the preface for Naom Chomsky’s “Profit Over People”, Robert W.McChesney said: “At their most eloquent, proponents of neoliberalism sound as if they are doing poor people, the environment, and everybody else a tremendous service as they enact policies on behalf of the wealthy few”.
Neoliberalism is one of those places where democracy goes to die as its adherents are happiest when the citizenry is largely depoliticized and pre-occupied with various frivolities leaving it advocates unhindered as they continue to exploit the world for their private gain – in essence privatizing the profits and socializing the costs.
The arrival of neoliberalism has been so silent, and subsequently unannounced, that few have had the opportunity to attempt to understand the risk it brings to the broader well-being of our society.
Rarely can we point a finger at any one thing and argue that we are watching neoliberalism at work for it has permeated society to such an extent that its manoeuvres appear normal.
Its stratagems are not in the broader interest of society and so the responsibility falls upon each of us to step back from life’s distractions at least long enough to consider what is and isn’t in our best interests.
Having reached a workable conclusion, our task doesn’t end there for it is at that point we need to engage with democracy and have make our presence felt at the ballot box.
That, however, is not end of our involvement, rather it is really just the beginning of democracy and the casting of your vote should be little more than a prelude to involving ourselves in helping piece together ideas that will make our community more socially equal, and a collaborative and happier place that enriches communities, rather than individuals – that is the ideal, but the neoliberal doctrine delivers something quite different.