A Critical Reader of Neoliberalism

Author: Sade
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 politics and economics. 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 grown steadily. By the 1980s, with the collapse of the Soviet bloc, neoliberalism was even more confident, facing 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 dogmatic, not only being theoretically inconsistent—such as its double standards in ignoring equality and restricting 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 Middle East and Africa at SOAS, University of London. He has written The Value of Marx: Political Economy for Contemporary Capitalism (2002) and Marx's Capital (2004, co-authored with éric Farnaud), and edited Anti-Capitalism: A Marxist Introduction (2003).