Marama mentioned how the neoliberal Chilean government allowed corporations like Fonterra to do basically whatever they want with the land. This got me thinking about how dangerous an ideology and how highly influential neoliberalism has been in the politics of many Western nations. Neoliberalism basically involves “[leaving] the fate of citizens largely up to the market” as opposed to emphasising government intervention (Coburn, 2004). It is largely orientated around notions of personal responsibility (see McGregor, 2001). Neoliberal economic reforms, such as the emphasis on free markets were key features of the Ronal Reagan (US) and Margaret Thatcher (UK) governments. In NZ, the 1984 Labour government headed by Roger Douglas initiated multiple neoliberal political reforms including a flattened tax system, market rental housing, user charges for government services and increased privatisation in general (Blakely, Tobias and Atkinson, 2008).
As a health science student, I have become very aware of the many consequences of neoliberal policies for health inequities. Income is an important social determinant of health. Neoliberal reforms resulted in income inequality increasing dramatically in NZ (Blakely, Tobias and Atkinson, 2008). The personal responsibility rhetoric has led to victim blaming models of health. This is important because framing of the problem affects the solutions proposed. For example, targetted marketing of cigarettes to Māori, higher psychological distress and higher deprivation among Māori contribute to high Māori smoking rates-all of which are ignored by neoliberal approaches. Similarly, poor neighbourhood planning, increased access to fast food and the role of socioeconomic status on opportunities for exercise are all ignored from a neoliberal framework, despite the massive role they play in the ever-increasing rates of obesity among low socioeconomic groups. Instead, poor individual decisions around food and exercise are held responsible. For both health issues, educational campaigns for individuals, as opposed to sanctions on corporations and other society level interventions, are prioritised.
Thus, neoliberalism is dumb.
References/see also:
Blakely, T., Tobias, M., & Atkinson, J. (2008). Inequalities in mortality during and after restructuring of the New Zealand economy: repeated cohort studies. Bmj, 336(7640), 371-375.
Coburn, D. (2004). Beyond the income inequality hypothesis: class, neo-liberalism, and health inequalities. Social science & medicine, 58(1), 41-56.
Jenkin, G. L., Signal, L., & Thomson, G. (2011). Framing obesity: the framing contest between industry and public health at the New Zealand inquiry into obesity. Obesity Reviews, 12(12), 1022-1030.
McGregor, S. (2001). Neoliberalism and health care. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 25(2), 82-89.
