To be entirely fair, we do exactly the same shit with all our "I should read theory but I'm too lazy so I absorb it through memes and breadtube" posts.
Thing is, I don't think the burden of proof lies with us as much as it does with neoliberals.
If you wanna comically oversimplify it, our beliefs are kinda like "I think we should give everyone as much money/education/housing/etc as they need, for free". And you don't need to read theory to know that giving the needy things that they need is good. You would only need theory or studies to find out how to do it and to what extent it is possible.
Neoliberals come along and say "Actually, no, we shouldn't do that", which I'm gonna claim is more of a statement that demands proof. Giving a homeless person housing is the obvious thing to do, you would need concrete evidence to prove that it would be bad.
We have proof though. The USSR for 70 years. China pulling people out of poverty. Etc.
We have proof of neoliberal failure as well. Climate change, wealth inequality, the society that we live in now. All is 40-50 years of neoliberalism causing humanity's death spiral.
I think supporting theory doesn't matter if you can look at the actual effects of imementation. Neoliberalism is an absolute failure.
I can imagine someone first encountering politics, realizing the world is way too complicated for one person to fully understand or solve, and immediately wishing for a class of experts to tell them what the right thing to do is without requiring them to get multiple degrees. I don't get how that motivation can translate into long term political commitment though. It seems like an ideological position ripe for disillusionment.
This is exactly what neoliberalism depends on. Means testing, opaque language, complicated laws, programs, and deals, expansion of lawyer-written policy -- its all meant to discourage people from attempting to understand what's going on by making politics and legislation seem complex.
I think
yep. it's pretty much forcing people to take the grill pill because everything is so complicated and the average person has no political power or leverage. part of the reason that people are reluctant on decreasing work hours is because that would make it easier for workers to get political and organized.
Well when you consider Nixon ghouls are on tape admitting thats exactly what they're doing...
Here's a good video about the Nixon tapes and his dealings with Kissinger. But its just generally all the tapes is them making policies to fuck things up and lie about it. Its why they called him Tricky Dick. https://youtu.be/rFZkm3jjMkc
Most of the “evidence” for neoliberal policy is based on research by people paid to arrive on that conclusion. Good scientific method!
