Neoliberalism (or neoliberal capitalism) is a term which gets thrown around a lot in cultural and political discourse. Is it often used to describe the policies of Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher in the 1970s and 1980s and the subsequent premierships of Bill Clinton and Tony Blair and the adjective "neoliberal" continues to be used as a derogatory phrase in the ongoing Democratic debates in the US. Yet it is also used with reference to the "gig economy" and services such as Uber, Deliveroo and Airbnb.

Is neoliberalism, then, simply a synonym for capitalism or is there more to it than that? In this "neoliberalism explained" video, I aim to answer just that.

In this month's episode of What the Theory, I unpack what we mean when we talk about neoliberalism. From the early work of economists such as Milton Friedman (author of Capitalism and Freedom), Friedrich von Hayek (author of The Road to Serfdom) and the Mont Pelerin Society, through its implementation by Reagan and Thatcher to its infliction upon countries in the global south as described in The Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein, I undertake a brief history of free-market capitalism and consider some of its consequences.

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Further Reading

A Brief History of Neoliberalism by David Harvey
US: https://amzn.to/2O4dD21
UK: https://amzn.to/2ZSygoR

The Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein
US: https://amzn.to/32Hgxhg
UK: https://amzn.to/2Q6Fnp5

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Thanks for watching!

Twitter: @Tom_Nicholas
Website: www.tomnicholas.com

#neoliberalism #Reagan #gigeconomy