Neoliberal violence and approaching anarchy

It is becoming increasingly clear that neoliberalism is marked by a particular relationship with violence. The issue is not in repressing constantly increasing protests, but acknowledging the fact that these movements in reality constitute a reflection of brutal forces which resulted in degradation and demoralisation of everyday life in neoliberalism. There is currently a lot of room for scepticism towards the discourse promoted by the adherents of the neoliberal ideology, claiming that the economic growth was beneficial to all people, since the free market has definitely failed when it comes to creating a harmonious global village. This promise of utopia should be confronted with tough, dystopian reality which exists in a growing number of countries where neoliberalism led not to peace and prosperity, but to a violent and unrepeatable encounter with violence.

Simon Springer shows how neoliberalisation processes are saturated with exclusion processes (“otherings”) which lead to conflicts, and he argues that neoliberalism in itself can be understood as a particular form of violence. He also considers the world possible beyond neoliberalism.