If the Twitter/X thing teaches you one thing, let it be this: Twitter was a neoliberal place. Then Elon Musk made it into X, a fascist place. Once again, neoliberalism laid the foundations of fascism. But that’s not the (whole) lesson… Neoliberal folks are still using X, calling it Twitter to make themselves feel better, and pining for the good old days. And there’s the real lesson: When neoliberalism turns into fascism, neoliberals will adapt to life under fascism. Right, class dismissed.

source

(We really need a better way to crosspost from mastodon…)

    • @[email protected]
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      278 months ago

      It says the same thing about TERF. When people find accurate, clinically boring descriptions of themselves offensive, it’s not the term that’s at fault.

      • @[email protected]
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        78 months ago

        I think it’s just that people use it as an insult. I think that is the case with many insults. I think retarded started as just a descriptive word.

        • @Viking_Hippie
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          78 months ago

          Except “neoliberal” is insulting because it’s accurate.

          It’s never changed meaning. People just began to realize that neoliberalism is awful and neoliberals are calling it an insult to be accurately described. Exactly like TERFs.

          • @[email protected]
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            68 months ago

            It’s not like mentally retarded can’t be accurate. But it’s the intent and repeated use as an insult that makes an insult and insult. Could just be a neutral descriptor because in itself it doesn’t mean something insulting.

            • @Viking_Hippie
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              -28 months ago

              It’s not like mentally retarded can’t be accurate

              It literally can’t. That’s not the scientifically used word anymore because people changed it into an ableist insult meaning something else than the original descriptive term.

              Nobody’s changed the meaning of the word neoliberal. That neoliberals pretend otherwise to avoid being called out for being neoliberals doesn’t change the meaning of the word or the legitimacy of its use.

              • @[email protected]
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                58 months ago

                It literally can’t. That’s not the scientifically used word anymore because people changed it into an ableist insult meaning something else than the original descriptive term.

                You are describing how it was the accurate, descriptive medical term but how the use as an insult made it so that it’s an insult. Isn’t that exactly what I was saying?

                Nobody’s changed the meaning of the word neoliberal. That neoliberals pretend otherwise to avoid being called out for being neoliberals doesn’t change the meaning of the word or the legitimacy of its use.

                It was and sometimes still is used neutrally as a descriptor of certain type of economic policies. Those who view those economic ideas and policies negatively use it as an insult. In that respect it’s the same as “communist”, it’s not inherently negative and just means someone who believes in the idea of communism. But some, who dislike communism, use it as an insult.

                • @Viking_Hippie
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                  -58 months ago

                  You are describing how it was the accurate, descriptive medical term but how the use as an insult made it so that it’s an insult. Isn’t that exactly what I was saying?

                  No. You were saying that the meaning of the r-word hasn’t changed and can be accurately used to describe what it originally did. That’s not true.

                  It was and sometimes still is used neutrally as a descriptor of certain type of economic policies.

                  Because that’s what it means. Always have, always will.

                  Those who view those economic ideas and policies negatively use it as an insult

                  Because to people who know how awful neoliberalism is, it’s insulting to be labeled as an adherent of that ideology.

                  Insulting doesn’t automatically mean inaccurate or without use as a factual descriptor.

                  In that respect it’s the same as “communist”

                  No it isn’t.The vast majority of the people who use the word communist to insult don’t know what it actually means beyond cold war propaganda equating it with misery and deliberate evil.

                  People who use the word neoliberal in a disparaging way are fully aware of the actual meaning and are using that as the insult, not some Reaganesque caricature.

                  Neoliberals pretend to be centrist or center-left and don’t want to be called out as Neoliberals, since everyone knows that’s a center right to right wing ideology.

                  Just like Republicans exhibiting all 14 common characteristics of fascism don’t want to be called out on being fascists because people know that fascism is bad.

                  • @[email protected]
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                    58 months ago

                    No. You were saying that the meaning of the r-word hasn’t changed and can be accurately used to describe what it originally did. That’s not true.

                    I think it’s just that people use it as an insult. I think that is the case with many insults. I think retarded started as just a descriptive word.

                    Emphasized the relevant part. Would be silly to say something started as something and mean it is just the same now. It’s like the joke “I used to”.

                    Because to people who know how awful neoliberalism is, it’s insulting to be labeled as an adherent of that ideology.

                    Insulting doesn’t automatically mean inaccurate or without use as a factual descriptor.

                    I don’t know who you are arguing against. People who view thing negatively use descriptor for the thing as an insult. Yes that’s what I’ve said.

                    No it isn’t.The vast majority of the people who use the word communist to insult don’t know what it actually means beyond cold war propaganda equating it with misery and deliberate evil.

                    People who use the word neoliberal in a disparaging way are fully aware of the actual meaning and are using that as the insult, not some Reaganesque caricature.

                    Somehow I feel like both insults see their fair share of inaccurate and accurate use.

    • @[email protected]
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      108 months ago

      Well, think of it this way. Have you ever heard anybody call themselves a ‘neoliberal?’

        • @[email protected]
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          98 months ago

          I got permanently banned from Reddit for saying that punching Nazis was a good thing.

          Probably the best thing that ever happened to me on the interwebs.

          • the post of tom joad
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            8 months ago

            Damn i feel like a chump comparitively. I still have my old reddit account tho i haven’t logged in since i left for here. I want to see if he becomes a shill if i leave him there.

        • @[email protected]
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          58 months ago

          The users of it don’t like it when you point it out either. Or they try to say it’s embracing the joke, as they usually do nothing but show why it’s an insult

    • @[email protected]
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      68 months ago

      Neoliberal is an accurate descriptor for most liberals, progressive or conservative. The politics they support are similar more than they are different. The strong social safety net libs are social democrats who are either confused or in denial. I can’t fault them too much, good political education is basically non-existent in most schools. That still doesn’t mend the whole “caving to fascism” thing, social democrats still advocate capitalism. See how Sweden or Finland have been doing lately for a prime example

      • @[email protected]
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        -38 months ago

        You’re off the rocker lol. How are most liberals neoliberal. It’s like you just regurgitate words you saw without knowing what any of them mean.

        • @[email protected]
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          48 months ago

          The status quo in the US is neoliberalism, shifting towards fascism. Joe Biden is upholding the status quo with little in the way of real mitigation of the greatest problems in our country, doubly so for congress. Ardent supporters of the democratic party (a neoliberal party since the Clinton administration) are neoliberal. They vote for, and vocally support a neoliberal party. How aren’t they neoliberal?

          I’m not talking about confused social democrats. People who call themselves liberal despite falling in line with a social democrat platform.

    • @[email protected]
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      08 months ago

      According to Wiktionary:

      A political ideology or ideological trend based on neoclassical economics that espouses economic liberalism, favouring trade liberalisation, financial deregulation, a small government, privatisation and liberalisation of government businesses, passive antitrust enforcement, accepting greater economic inequality and disfavouring unionisation.

      The Spanish polisci professor Juan Carlos Monedero explained the utility of the term this way: “Classical liberals challenged the status quo because the status quo was antidemocratic. Neoliberals challenge the status quo because they want the state to shrink.”

      In US terms, both the Democrats and the Republicans have neoliberals, although both wings are shrinking in favor of progressives and ultraconservatives, respectively, in the last few years.