Quick Post: Book Recommendation - David Harvey's A Brief History of Neoliberalism

If you want to get a grasp of the political and economic structures behind neoliberalism, I recommend the following book:

David Harvey's A Brief History of Neoliberalism (Oxford University Press, 2007) - Harvey does an excellent job of demonstrating how capitalism informs everyday life, both at the micro- and macro-levels. Michael J. Thompson wrote a good review of Harvey's work when it first came out in 2005. Thomspson also contextualizes Harvey's intellectual development by referring to earlier publications. Moreover, Thomspon is correct in asserting that Harvey wishes to drive home an important Marxian point, i.e., capitalism is not merely about money and economic markets. Instead, capitalism is a driving force in modernity. Neoliberalism, in my view, is the terrifying end of modernity. In its reckless drive to commodify all things in a market system, postmodernity is bereft of the core values once shared in a modern context. Within a neoliberal system all things are measured by their role in a "market system," and that is precisely why higher education has been wrecked in this country. Furthermore, the state is perceived to be the enemy, and the Tea Party - and their backers - exemplify this attitude. At the same time, the state does not disappear as an acting agent. Instead, it turns against its citizens and becomes a police and war state. Hence, our never-ending wars across the country, and our obsessive need to create enemies and occupy - we also justify these actions by insisting that these efforts are "humantarian" in nature, even when we murder innocent children, women, and men. That is really code for partial colonization. Iraq is a great example of that (if we have built the largest fortified embassy in Baghdad, that suggests we have no intention of leaving). We are a flailing empire. While social programs for the poor and the needy are eviscerated at home, the state offers welfare to businesses who privatize things once run and regulated by the government. That is how criminals, for example, become commodities. As the welfare state hemorrhages, the poor find themselves fighting for scraps. At the same time the middle class shrinks, because it is no longer needed to help propel economic growth (that was the old model), and that leads to more and more people joining the ranks of the poor and forgotten. The spiral of poverty widens, like a mega-tornado, and millions more are sucked into economic misery. Privatization is tied "harmoniously" to efficiency, both of which lead to significant job cuts, homelessness, and societal decay. Desperate, fighting for few resources, many succumb to violence. They either become victims of brutal crime (both at home and in their communities), or they become criminals. Since the prison system has been privatized, that specific industry relies upon these "commodities" to commit crimes. Even when crimes are committed out of hunger, the poor are punished severely. Here is one atrocious example.

An increase in crime is easily justified by the wealthy few at the top. Just as many of the wealthy in the nineteenth century blamed the poor for their "deviant" and "criminal" behavior, rather than honestly assessing the brutality and inequity of the economic structure in place, the wealthy today have returned to these same despicable and wantonly cruel old tales.


While I am no suggesting that we are repeating history - that's an egregious idea - we certainly see parallels to what occurs when capitalism is allowed to dominate all forms of discourse and, even more importantly, social reality. There is hope, however. It will most likely be painful, but neoliberalism will implode. It appears to be happening at this very moment. I was foolish in thinking it would be slower. That means that the possibility for something different, something better is within reach.

In addition, I also recommend reading the work of Henry A. Giroux. His work is enormously insightful  in diagnosing the symptoms of neoliberalism.