Neoliberalism, a type of antisocial corporatism, is the economic model used by Western countries for the past 40 years or so. The system affirms the primacy of un-regulated or under-regulated markets, to the detriment of ordinary folk. The system is ultimately destructive to community and social democracy, as almost all populations struggle with the cost-of-living crises (that have emerged and will continue to ensue) and their respective governments have fully given up on ensuring fairness and equity in respect to the redistribution of wealth, and most especially extreme wealth.
Housemate & I recently discussed Richard Murphy’s article “Young people are alienated by neoliberalism”, and reflected that a couple of weeks ago we were hearing about 50+ folk being edged out of jobs (experience costs too much presumably, e.g. teachers). Now we see that 20-24 year olds cannot access employment.
Does that mean most employers now only employ 25-50 year olds? And if so, that must have implications? Apart from the limiting of work-cultures to exclude experience and perhaps seeing the job through younger eyes, that would also seem to exclude more folk from buying their home if mortgages last 25 years.
I was fortunate enough to be given a 100% mortgage back in 1986 aged 21, in part because I demonstrated that my monthly rent & savings exceeded the mortgage payment. Now almost no single person could do so. In Inverness, rents far exceed mortgage costs, but the ban on 100% mortgages means folk are not given the opportunity I was given. In Inverness, it is not just youngsters who are brassed off.
I am fortunate to reside on a mixed (ethnically, culturally & socio-economically) housing-estate in a leafy Manchester suburb, but even middle-class neighbours are feeling the pinch and are fed up of job-insecurity (businesses in constant cost-cutting mode). Neighbours have been let go several times and this appears to be normalising, for management rôles at least.
One neighbour in a senior rôle, let go due to a merger along with all experienced staff, found out that because they were made redundant prior to the new bosses determining what employees actually did and no documentation to refer to, the business now does not have sufficient folk to do all that is needed. The minimal managers remaining were given double the number of folk to manage for no more pay.
I reälise this is a long-winded way of saying it, but it seems that almost everyone whether never-worked, in-work or out-of-work is unhappy with the system. My father, a bus-driver, advised me in the 1970’s, that the ‘pan-internationals’ would creäte ever more ‘monopolies’ and control us whilst destroying our communities. Thatcherism may have expedited same, but all subsequent UK governments have continued to control the populace. Dismay, despair & apathy abound. Almost no-one trusts our politicos. Newspapers & news-channels on the whole are not trusted.
The UK and the Globe need a new vision and hope. Perhaps we have the seeds of change. The new mayor of New York; the new president of Ireland; the new leader of a revitalised and seemingly more competent Green Party - are all examples of folk getting their ideas across to electorates and winning. I sincerely hope change is a-coming, sooner rather than later, for young folk, for older folk, and for those in the middle.
