Neoliberal era is no-more, now!
An oedipal desire of Neoliberalism to replace its predecessor (Keynesianism and Socialist economics in descriptive sense) finally failed and compelled itself to death.
The world of greedy capitalists was ‘haunted by the unspoken phrase: There must be more money! There must be more money!’ They gave a birth to ‘TINA’ (There Is No Alternative-Thatcher) and she started ‘rocking horse’ as D H Lawrence’s ‘PAUL’ did. They tried to conquer the globe with TINA’s ‘rocking horse’ (international economic integration) spreading Goebbelian propaganda that ‘luck causes to have money’ and they will bring ‘luck’ to the world.
Hiding their brutal face behind ‘Bretton-Woods’ they tried to be messiah of developing countries. ‘Luck’-less people, believing-unbelievingly, followed them because ‘their must be more money’. TINA never listened to her ‘nurse’ neither ‘spoke to any(no)body when she was in full tilt’. (“I have written repeatedly about the problems of globalization: an unfair global trade regime that impedes development; an unstable global financial system that results in recurrent crises.” Stiglitz- Making Globalization Work).
A secret tie-up between TINA and ‘Uncle Oscar’ (Uncle Sam) was observed and leg-wounded ‘Bassett’ (United Nations) got involved in. They produced more for themselves and some ‘gifts’ to ‘mother’ (the capitalism) but ‘the unspoken phrase’ became ‘a chorus of frogs’ rather stopping. "There must be more money! Oh-h-h; there must be more money. Oh, now, now-w! Now-w-w - there must be more money! - More than ever! More than ever!” Greedy capitalism went mad.
TINA’s concentration was broken by the chorus. Neither her ‘Daffodil’ nor ‘Honor Bright’ (World Bank & IMF) even nor ‘Lincoln’ (WTO) could stop her loosing. Suddenly she turned her face from ‘Derby’ (the oppressed southern half of the globe) and this turn popped up with an oedipal syndrome, ‘a secret within a secret’ to overcome even her birth givers. TINA (Neoliberalism) was absolutely gone mad without ‘alternative’ and started swallowing her own birth givers (Thatcher’s UK, Reagan US and other global north). She was already fallen in to ‘dark’ with ‘soundless noise’; before they felt the smell of her craziness as US President Bush uttered “our entire economy in danger.”
TINA (Neoliberalism) ‘felled with a crash to the ground, and’ they, ‘all’ their ‘tormented motherhood flooding upon’ them, ‘rushed to gather’ her ‘up’. ‘But’ she ‘was unconscious’. ‘Mother’ (capitalists) became worry and warned to ‘Uncle Oscar’ (US) but without giving a damn to the suggestions he continued his rascal greed in ‘Darby’ (Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere) riding on ‘Malabar’ (so called war against terrorism). TINA did not stop claiming her absoluteness even on the deathbed (US Congress) and finally US President Bush signed the death certificate of Neoliberalism in the form of bail out bill on October 2008.
Now TINA is no-more, goodbye TINA, ‘TATA’ (There are Thousands of Alternatives- Susan George).
Complete transformation rather reform!
We have no doubt to say the craze of ‘there must be more money’ of ‘mother’ (greedy capitalism) and the oedipal desire of TINA (Neoliberalism) are the prime cause of ‘crises’ which the world is paying now. Today World Bank is hystericallymaking a noise that the global financial crisis could become ‘a human and development calamity’. Fears over flu that sickened some people in North America, retreated money from East Asian share markets. Rampantly damaged economy is not able to deal with even a‘Flu’. Shame on you!
The unilateral command of ‘Uncle Oscar’ (US) on global financial and monitory institutions and week governance of global institutions including leg-wounded ‘Bassett’ (UN) are both cause and effect of such ‘craze’ and ‘desire’. It means the root of problem can be found on failure of governance of such global institutions which were largely trusted and followed by both, ‘mother’ (capitalism) and ‘luck’-less countries. The crisis caused by TINA’s death is challenging us with an opportunity to change the situation in a right direction. Rahm Emanuel, the chief of staffs of US President Obama, is right somehow that this crisis is opportunity too.
Most recently, ‘Bassett’ (UN) has called a Conference on the World Financial and Economic Crisis and its Impact on Development to review the global financial system ‘democratically and in an inclusive manner’ and ‘to stop viewing the global economy as the private dominion of such exclusive clubs as the G-8 or G-15’. (Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann, President of UN General Assembly) But it compels me to spasmodic laughter that UN could never get rid of reformism. Even today, GA has formulated a commission of exports under the chairmanship of former ‘nurse’ of TINA, Stiglitz (former chief economist of World Bank), to find out the way reforming the international monetary and financial system. Although suffering from an abandoned idea of reform since mid ‘90s leg-wounded ‘Bassett’ (UN) could do nothing for itself.
The commission recently submitted a preliminary report to the GA concluding ‘ten point immediate measures’ and ‘ten point agenda for systemic reform’. Obviously, the recommendations are around the gravity of the reform rather transformation. The report tried to cover some buzz since the Barcelona Development Agenda to most recent urge of new international currency by some countries (as China). We should wait and see till June first week, how the ‘highest level’ conference answers to the other former ‘nurses’ like Uri Dadush (former director of World Bank) who are saying "I love Joe, but it isn't going to work." (Business News)
Okay, give ‘Bassett’ (UN) a break to find a ‘new’ deal to the crisis but we should not ‘indulge in the illusions of hope’ and should not be apt shut our eyes against a painful truth’. Such so-called reforms will only support dirty capitalism to change its course and find a new ‘Derby’ for its revival to next crisis. Come on! Let’s go for finding proper alternative to transformour condition and position before greedy capitalists ‘transform us in to beasts’ (words borrowed from Patrick Henry). Without such alternative, dramatic episodes of ‘crisis’ (food crisis, economic crisis, Swine flu crisis.....) will never end.
A social justice based economy - with no entity to confiscate people’s right on resources, neither market nor state, a complete transformation of world governance to make people the sole master of his/her life-world rather a new episode of dirty capitalism - is indispensable.
Yes! Transformation is possible!!
(This article was published in University Magazine, "AJOU GLOBE" of Ajou University (Republic of Korea) on May 2009.)
