While the capitalist system has undergone numerous restructurings throughout its history, the capitalist elites' purpose in elaborating these changes has remained the same: to restore and/or extend their hegemony over domestic class and global challengers. The current systemic designation, operative since 1978, is "neoliberalism," deployed to obfuscate what in actuality is US imperialism and domestic class warfare. The Scourge of Neoliberalism describes the origins and evolution of the specifically American form of Neoliberalism. Its expansionary phase--from 1978 to 2008--was disrupted by the global crash and crisis of 2008-09 and was only partially restored by the Obama regime thereafter. Trump's attempt to resuscitate Neoliberalism has led to the emergence of a new, more aggressive and virulent form which, despite some gains, is nonetheless a destabilizing policy regimen destined to break down with the next global economic crisis, which is likely occur by 2020. The political consequences of US neoliberal policy evolution and restoration efforts have led, on the one hand, to the breakdown of government institutions, the decline of mainstream political parties, the atrophy of democratic practices, rights and values, and attacks on civil liberties, and on the other to the embedding of the Neoliberal credo that business tax cuts create jobs, free trade benefits all, low interest rates generate investment, entitlement programs are the cause of government deficits, markets are always efficient, recessions are caused by external shocks to an otherwise stable equilibrium system, and similar empirically unverifiable propositions. In describing the evolution of Neoliberal policies from Reagan through Clinton, the Bushes, Obama, and Trump presidencies, Rasmus shows how they have played a central enabling role in the financialization of the US capitalist economy, in its ever-growing income and wealth inequality gaps, and in the increasing polarization of US society and polity.

"Rasmus excels at economic history... The Scourge is a powerful, important book. We ignore it at our peril." David Baker, Zmag While the capitalist system has undergone numerous restructurings throughout its history, the capitalist elites’ purpose in elaborating these changes has remained the same: to restore and/or extend their hegemony over domestic class and global challengers. The current systemic designation, operative since 1978, is “neoliberalism,” deployed to obfuscate what in actuality is US imperialism and domestic class warfare. The Scourge of Neoliberalism describes the origins and evolution of the specifically American form of Neoliberalism. Its expansionary phase—from 1978 to 2008—was disrupted by the global crash and crisis of 2008-09 and was only partially restored by the Obama regime thereafter. Trump’s attempt to resuscitate Neoliberalism has led to the emergence of a new, more aggressive and virulent form which, despite some gains, is nonetheless a destabilizing policy regimen destined to break down with the next global economic crisis, which is likely occur by 2020. The political consequences of US neoliberal policy evolution and restoration efforts have led, on the one hand, to the breakdown of government institutions, the decline of mainstream political parties, the atrophy of democratic practices, rights and values, and attacks on civil liberties, and on the other to the embedding of the Neoliberal credo that business tax cuts create jobs, free trade benefits all, low interest rates generate investment, entitlement programs are the cause of government deficits, markets are always efficient, recessions are caused by external shocks to an otherwise stable equilibrium system, and similar empirically unverifiable propositions. In describing the evolution of Neoliberal policies from Reagan through Clinton, the Bushes, Obama, and Trump presidencies, Rasmus shows how they have played a central enabling role in the financialization of the US capitalist economy, in its ever-growing income and wealth inequality gaps, and in the increasing polarization of US society and polity

America's most popular progressive radio host and New York Times bestselling author Thom Hartmann reveals how and why neoliberalism became so prevalent in the United States and why it's time for us to turn our backs to it. With four decades of neoliberal rule coming to an end, America is at a crossroads. In this powerful and accessible book, Thom Hartmann demystifies neoliberalism and explains how we can use this pivotal point in time to create a more positive future. This book traces the history of neoliberalism-a set of capitalistic philosophies favoring free trade, low taxes on the rich, financial austerity, and deregulation of big business-up to the present day. Hartmann explains how neoliberalism was sold as a cure for wars and the Great Depression. He outlines the destructive impact that it has had on America, looking at how it has increased poverty, damaged the middle class, and corrupted our nation's politics. America is standing on the edge of a new progressive era. We can continue down the road to a neoliberal oligarchy, as supported by many of the nation's billionaires and giant corporations. Or we can choose to return to Keynesian economics and Alexander Hamilton's American Plan by raising taxes on the rich, reversing free trade, and building a society that works for all.

This book, written by an impressive international array of scholars and activists, explores the mechanisms and ideologies behind neoliberal education, while evaluating and promoting resistance on a local, national and global level.

The financial crisis seemed to present a fundamental challenge to neo liberalism, the body of ideas that have constituted the political orthodoxy of most advanced economies in recent decades. Colin Crouch argues in this book that it will shrug off this challenge. The reason is that while neo liberalism seems to be about free markets, in practice it is concerned with the dominance over public life of the giant corporation. This has been intensified, not checked, by the recent financial crisis and acceptance that certain financial corporations are ‘too big to fail'. Although much political debate remains preoccupied with conflicts between the market and the state, the impact of the corporation on both these is today far more important. Several factors have brought us to this situation: The lobbying power of firms whose donations are of growing importance to cash-hungry politicians and parties The weakening of competitive forces by firms large enough to shape and dominate their markets The moral initiative that is grasped by enterprises that devise their own agendas of corporate social responsibility Both democratic politics and the free market are weakened by these processes, but they are largely inevitable and not always malign. Hope for the future, therefore, cannot lie in suppressing them in order to attain either an economy of pure markets or a socialist society. Rather it lies in dragging the giant corporation fully into political controversy.

The unspoken, private and emotional underbelly of the neoliberal university

With strong first-hand reporting and an original, provocative thesis, Naomi Klein returns with this book on how the climate crisis must spur transformational political change