Skip to content

Neoliberalism

Return Of The Robber Barons: Trump’s Distorted View Of US Tariff History

Donald Trump’s tariff policy has thrown markets into turmoil among his allies and enemies alike. This anarchy reflects the fact that his major aim was not really tariff policy, but simply to cut income taxes on the wealthy, by replacing them with tariffs as the main source of government revenue. Extracting economic concessions from other countries is part of his justification for this tax shift as offering a nationalistic benefit for the United States. His cover story, and perhaps even his belief, is that tariffs by themselves can revive American industry. But he has no plans to deal with the problems that caused America’s deindustrialization in the first place.

From Uncle Tom To Cousin Cory

So wrote the epochal scholar and thinker W.E.B DuBois as part of his elegant polemic of the father of Black accommodationism and an ancestor of the Black Misleadership Class, Booker T. Washington. Whereas Dr. DuBois was diplomatic with his opprobrium of Mr. Wasington, I cannot offer the same semblance of benevolence when it comes to Senator Cory Booker, who represents a pernicious manifestation of bootlicking and an exemplar of the fact that white “supremacy” ideology can be upheld and exercised by anyone regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender, or other identity.

As Elections Near, Ecuador’s Working Poor And Colonized Under Siege

As Ecuador heads into a very important run-off election on April 13, the issues of security, state violence and the economy remain at the forefront for many Ecuadorians. Dollarization, submission to U.S. dictates, the proliferation of arms shipments through privately owned ports, and the expansion of international drug cartels to justify military presence have all combined to make the living conditions of the poorest unbearable, especially for African and indigenous communities with a constant war directed at them from the militarized structures of the state, like the case of the Guayaquil Four .

Ecuador: Luisa González Signs Unity Pact To Counter Neoliberalism

This Sunday, March 30, as the electoral campaign for Ecuador’s presidential elections on April 13 progresses, Luisa González, candidate of the leftist Citizen Revolution movement, participated in the National Meeting for an Equitable, Plurinational, and Violence-Free Ecuador. There, she signed an agreement with indigenous movements and other social organizations ahead of the runoff. Before tens of thousands of people gathered in Tixán, Alausí canton, Chimborazo province, González signed a roadmap to advance toward unity with Guillermo Churuchumbi, national coordinator of the Pachakutik movement.

What Comes After Globalization?

Donald Trump is back in power, and, to put it mildly, he’s no fan of globalization. The president has publicly “rejected globalism and embraced patriotism” and said that “it’s left millions and millions of our workers with nothing but poverty and heartache.” To better understand the current era of globalization that he’s trying to bring to an end and its track record, it’s useful to compare it with the globalization that took place between 1870 and the outbreak of World War I. Both globalizations represent pivotal periods — watershed years that shaped today’s world. And both saw the largest expansions of global economic output to date.

The Fog Of Class War

The primary weapon of the ruling class is capitalism, and the greatest anathema to the capitalist construct is multiracial, multiethnic, and, intergenerational/intergenderational working class solidarity and militancy. This has been known since the 1786 Shays’ Rebellion, which occurred just ten years after the colonies’ so-called Declaration of Independence from the British empire. The significance of Shays’ Rebellion is multifaceted - not only did it represent a coordinated class struggle against the newly minted ruling class of the independent states, it also exposed the fickleness and abject hypocrisy of so-called revolutionaries like Samuel Adams.

Javier Milei Deepens Argentina’s IMF Debt Trap With ‘Emergency’ Loan

Argentina’s President Javier Milei is a self-declared libertarian and “anarcho-capitalist” who has completely subordinated his country to the United States. In a previous article, Geopolitical Economy Report showed how Argentina’s real economy is in severe crisis under Milei. 53% of the population is in poverty, and manufacturing and construction are collapsing amid rapid deindustrialization. However, the stock market has boomed, enriching Milei’s oligarch backers — although even the financial sector took a hit after Milei promoted a crypto scam that caused thousands of his own supporters to lose millions of dollars.

Eurocentric US ‘Left’ Carries Water For Neoliberal Right, Again

The supporters of the Ukraine Solidarity Network (USN) inhabit the same contradictory moral and political space as the European leaders who met with Volodymyr Zelensky, their frontman from Ukraine, to reaffirm their collective commitment to the proxy war in Ukraine. The language of self-determination and rights easily flowed from their lips but not one of them had a word to say about the self-determination of Palestinians who are now facing another illegal siege by Israel in occupied Gaza. This is the terrain of white privilege that must be confronted. The power to define who is human and who has rights.

Javier Milei Is Destroying Argentina’s Economy

Argentina is governed by a right-wing libertarian named Javier Milei. He proudly identifies as an “anarcho-capitalist”. His career has been cultivated by powerful billionaire oligarchs, such as Eduardo Eurnekián, who employed Milei and several of his cabinet members. Milei has also enjoyed the support of US billionaires like Elon Musk and Silicon Valley oligarch Peter Thiel. US President Donald Trump considers Milei to be an obedient ally. When he campaigned for president in 2023, Milei embraced the nickname “el loco” (the madman). He brought a chainsaw to rallies, pledging to cut government down to the bone.

Farmers Launch An Indefinite Strike In India’s Karnataka State

Thousands of farmers and agricultural workers began an indefinite protest sit-in on Monday, February 10, at Freedom Park in Bangalore, in India’s southern state of Karnataka, to oppose the ongoing corporate looting of their resources and demand economic protections. The farmers and agricultural workers gathered in the capital from different parts of the state under the leadership of Karnataka Prantha Raitha Sangha affiliated with the left wing All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) and other groups affiliated to All India Agricultural Workers Union (AIAWU).

Syria’s De Facto Authorities Execute ‘Sweeping’ Neoliberal Reforms

The self-appointed transitional government in Syria is undertaking sweeping internal reforms, including privatizing state-run enterprises and laying off a third of the public sector, as authorities say they are shifting to "a competitive free-market economy." In an interview with Reuters, ex-officials of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) who are serving as cabinet ministers for transitional President Ahmad al-Sharaa – former ISIS and Al-Qaeda commander Abu Mohammad al-Julani – say they have a “wide scope” of plans to shrink the state, including removing thousands of “ghost employees.”

Farmers Organize Tractor Rallies Across India

Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) and other farmers’ groups carried out tractor parades in areas across India on the country’s Republic Day on Sunday, January 26. Their national mobilization was in an effort to continue putting pressure on the central government to respond to their demands. The demands of farmers include a legally guaranteed minimum support price (MSP) for all farm produce, the withdrawal of the draft National Policy Framework on Agricultural Marketing (NPFAM), the withdrawal of all pending cases against farmer leaders, and loan waivers for farmers and farm workers, among others.

Joe Biden’s Terrible Legacy

On January 20, 2025, Joseph R. Biden will no longer be president of the United States. Unlike other one term presidents he was not defeated in a re-election effort. He was undone by the same wealthy donors who rigged the process to make him the Democratic Party’s nominee in 2020. Biden was already not up to the task of running in 2020 but his obvious state of debility had noticeably worsened by 2024. He could no longer rely on claims that he only had a stutter when there were so many strange outbursts, verbal miscues, handshakes with invisible people, and wandering off as a toddler would do.

Kenya’s High Court Delivers Blow To Neoliberal University Funding Model

The Kenya High Court delivered a landmark ruling on December 20, 2024, that declared the new funding model for higher education unconstitutional. The case, brought before the court by the Kenya Human Rights Commission and other organizations including the National Student Caucus, challenged the legality and fairness of the new model launched last year. In his ruling, Justice Mwita declared the new university funding model unconstitutional for several reasons. The high court noted that it violates Section 53 of the Universities Act by introducing policies that conflict with the law.

Higher Education Must Champion Democracy, Not Surrender To Fascism

For decades, neoliberalism has systematically attacked the welfare state, undermined public institutions and weakened the foundations of collective well-being. Shrouded in the alluring language of liberty, it transforms market principles into a dominant creed, insisting that every facet of life conform to the imperatives of profit and economic efficiency. But in reality, neoliberalism consolidates wealth in the hands of a financial elite, celebrates ruthless individualism, promotes staggering levels of inequality, perpetuates systemic injustices like racism and militarism, and commodifies everything, leaving nothing sacred or untouchable.