New Liberalism (Critical Reader)

Author: (English) Alfredo Saad-Filho, Deborah Johnston
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-11-01
Features: Neoliberalism has dominated the intellectual landscape since the 1970s, not only entering academia as a dominant doctrine but also holding overwhelming sway in political and economic spheres. It has reigned supreme not only in Europe and America but also in Latin America, Africa, Asia, and even in China, where its influence has been growing. By the 1980s, with the collapse of the Soviet bloc, neoliberalism was even more confident, seeing few rivals in the world. Thatcher thus coined the slogan of "There Is No Alternative" (TINA), asserting its supremacy. But is there truly no other choice for humanity in the 21st century? The slogan "There Is No Alternative" is overly authoritarian, not only being theoretically inconsistent—such as ignoring equality, imposing double standards on democracy and human rights—but also revealing many problems in practice. Human choices are inherently diverse, and there should be multiple options for lifestyles and paths to modernization. This not only aligns with the values of freedom and human rights but is also more likely to be practical and a blessing for the development of world culture.
About the Author: Alfredo Saad-Filho is a senior lecturer in the Department of Political Economy of the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London. He has written The Value of Marx: Political Economy for Contemporary Capitalism (2002) and Marx's Capital (2004, co-authored with Daniel Fernand). He has also edited Anti-Capitalism: A Marxist Introduction (2003).