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| Finding the language to expose a neoliberal confidence trick | Finding the language to expose a neoliberal confidence trick |
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| I have always admired Aditya Chakrabortty’s analytical writings and his latest offering (Britain fell for a neoliberal con trick. Even the IMF says so, 17 October) is no exception, apart from one thing, which isn’t really his fault. I wish one could say that in the pubs and bars where I live they speak of little else but “neoliberalism”, but I can’t. I have never heard the word used by anyone in ordinary conversation. Never. And that’s a problem for the left if opposing it encapsulates what we stand for. The word is too academic and remote, and too unclear in meaning, to set the pulse of opposition racing. | I have always admired Aditya Chakrabortty’s analytical writings and his latest offering (Britain fell for a neoliberal con trick. Even the IMF says so, 17 October) is no exception, apart from one thing, which isn’t really his fault. I wish one could say that in the pubs and bars where I live they speak of little else but “neoliberalism”, but I can’t. I have never heard the word used by anyone in ordinary conversation. Never. And that’s a problem for the left if opposing it encapsulates what we stand for. The word is too academic and remote, and too unclear in meaning, to set the pulse of opposition racing. |
| In order to shift the mass of public opinion in favour of the state and public sector, we need a word or phrase that sums up why, and for whom. Franklin D Roosevelt’s New Deal did it in 1930s America, and we need something like that here and now. “For the many, not the few” is fine in its way, but already feels somewhat tired and empty. The Tories won the economic argument with their use of the word “austerity”, so it’s vital to oppose that, but that is not enough. We need something optimistic and positive in language that captures the public mood.Giles OakleyEast Sheen, London | In order to shift the mass of public opinion in favour of the state and public sector, we need a word or phrase that sums up why, and for whom. Franklin D Roosevelt’s New Deal did it in 1930s America, and we need something like that here and now. “For the many, not the few” is fine in its way, but already feels somewhat tired and empty. The Tories won the economic argument with their use of the word “austerity”, so it’s vital to oppose that, but that is not enough. We need something optimistic and positive in language that captures the public mood.Giles OakleyEast Sheen, London |
| • Nobody “fell” for a neoliberal con trick; they were pushed, and in some cases dragged kicking and screaming. This isn’t just a debating point. Those that did the pushing, those with the real power over the economy, have pursued neoliberalism for a good reason. As Aditya Chakrabortty shows, it has consistently and very successfully continued to increase economic inequality. From the perspective of the capitalists that make up big business, big finance and big agriculture, neoliberalism has served its purpose well. | • Nobody “fell” for a neoliberal con trick; they were pushed, and in some cases dragged kicking and screaming. This isn’t just a debating point. Those that did the pushing, those with the real power over the economy, have pursued neoliberalism for a good reason. As Aditya Chakrabortty shows, it has consistently and very successfully continued to increase economic inequality. From the perspective of the capitalists that make up big business, big finance and big agriculture, neoliberalism has served its purpose well. |
| I think it is also important to recognise that we are not only now waking up to all this. From the very early days of neoliberal policy in the Reagan/Thatcher era, there have been plenty of people and movements of people that exposed, opposed and struggled against it. Why those movements did not succeed is a matter for another debate, but for many it was not because of a lack of understanding of where neoliberal policies were leading and who they were intended to benefit.Joe HartneyLondon | I think it is also important to recognise that we are not only now waking up to all this. From the very early days of neoliberal policy in the Reagan/Thatcher era, there have been plenty of people and movements of people that exposed, opposed and struggled against it. Why those movements did not succeed is a matter for another debate, but for many it was not because of a lack of understanding of where neoliberal policies were leading and who they were intended to benefit.Joe HartneyLondon |
| • Aditya Chakrabortty assembled a formidable array of evidence to support his case. There is one further point worth making. The neoliberal mistrust of public services led governments, Labour and Tory alike, to impose tick-box controls on public servants. The assumption was that unless public servants were micromanaged, they would slack off for lack of a financial incentive. As a result, teachers and police officers spend precious time filling in reports on their activities, when they could have been teaching pupils or chasing crooks. Someone must find the time to study these reports or at least to file them, so the cost to the nation is doubled. Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell should (to coin a phrase) make a bonfire of these controls.David ButlerLondon | • Aditya Chakrabortty assembled a formidable array of evidence to support his case. There is one further point worth making. The neoliberal mistrust of public services led governments, Labour and Tory alike, to impose tick-box controls on public servants. The assumption was that unless public servants were micromanaged, they would slack off for lack of a financial incentive. As a result, teachers and police officers spend precious time filling in reports on their activities, when they could have been teaching pupils or chasing crooks. Someone must find the time to study these reports or at least to file them, so the cost to the nation is doubled. Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell should (to coin a phrase) make a bonfire of these controls.David ButlerLondon |
| • Aditya Chakrabortty is wrong to say renationalisation of the railways would cost tens of billions. Network Rail is already in the public sector, and taking back the franchises when the contracts end would be cost-free. It would not be worthwhile buying back the rolling stock, but any new trains could be bought by the new nationalised body.Christian WolmarLondon | • Aditya Chakrabortty is wrong to say renationalisation of the railways would cost tens of billions. Network Rail is already in the public sector, and taking back the franchises when the contracts end would be cost-free. It would not be worthwhile buying back the rolling stock, but any new trains could be bought by the new nationalised body.Christian WolmarLondon |
| • Much as I agree with Aditya Chakrabortty’s laying the blame for all our recent and not-so-recent woes at the feet of Margaret Thatcher, I feel that we should not forget the important contribution made to the misery of the nation by her colleague, Nigel Lawson. He, after all, was chancellor of the exchequer for six years in the 1980s; more recently he has shown himself to be a prominent climate change denier and a leading proponent of Brexit, despite applying for his French residency card.John ReynoldsBrighton, East Sussex | • Much as I agree with Aditya Chakrabortty’s laying the blame for all our recent and not-so-recent woes at the feet of Margaret Thatcher, I feel that we should not forget the important contribution made to the misery of the nation by her colleague, Nigel Lawson. He, after all, was chancellor of the exchequer for six years in the 1980s; more recently he has shown himself to be a prominent climate change denier and a leading proponent of Brexit, despite applying for his French residency card.John ReynoldsBrighton, East Sussex |
| • We are about to fall for another con trick. Brexit is nothing other than the final frantic effort to save the Thatcherite “free-market” experiment, which, as Aditya Chakrabortty points out, is already dead in the water. But it seems we are going to go ahead with it anyway. Mugs.John AirsLiverpool | • We are about to fall for another con trick. Brexit is nothing other than the final frantic effort to save the Thatcherite “free-market” experiment, which, as Aditya Chakrabortty points out, is already dead in the water. But it seems we are going to go ahead with it anyway. Mugs.John AirsLiverpool |
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