We switched close but stifling social networks for a capitalist safety net that offered modern life choices. Now we don’t have either

  • reddig33@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    So confused by the use of “liberal economics” here. Was Brexit liberalism? Is privatizing NHS liberalism? In the US, that would be the conservative wing, not liberal.

    • xMadwood@lemm.ee
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      1 year ago

      “Liberal” is defined differently in the context of economics vs politics. It doesn’t mean “economics that political liberals support”.

    • skhayfa@lemmy.worldOP
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      1 year ago

      The author is British. Liberalism in its theoretical aspects autonomy, equality of opportunity, freedom of choice, protection of individual rights is a wonderful promise. But the author argue that in our unchecked capitalist environment it’s just a pipe dream which leaves individual vulnerable and exposed to exploitation.

    • Poob@lemmy.ca
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      1 year ago

      It’s only confusing because of America. Liberalism is basically the political ideology of capitalism.

    • floofloof@lemmy.ca
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      1 year ago

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberalism

      Liberalism is not what people in the USA understand by the word (i.e. anything left of pretty far right). If you hang out with socialists you’ll find they’re not fond of liberals, because liberals are capitalists. This meaning of the word is why the most damaging, ultra-capitalist, right-wing economic policies of the past 50 years are known as neoliberalism.

    • grue@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Was Brexit liberalism?

      No.

      Is privatizing NHS liberalism?

      Yes.

      Economic liberalism is about free markets and globalization. Privatization fits with that; protectionism doesn’t.