Coincidentally (?) I had just finished reading Slow Down by Kohei Saito when I picked up this book. It turned out to be a fantastic pairing. Both are Coincidentally (?) I had just finished reading Slow Down by Kohei Saito when I picked up this book. It turned out to be a fantastic pairing. Both are taking an analytic look at the current political and environmental situation to arrive at similar conclusions: the chances for a liveable future are getting slimmer, the tipping point is in sight, and the one remaining question is whether the world will end before capitalism does. That's, of course, a gross simplification, but the point stands: the change is in political action, not in personal consumption (that is, paper straws and status quo will not undo rampant inequality and the unimaginable consumption of the mega rich).
Invisible Doctrine is a really solid introduction to neoliberalism. It may not be the book for those who buy into the whole pull-yourself-by-the-straps kind of self-made-billionaire story; but this is the book they need the most.
"When you strip capitalism’s justifying myths away, you see something that should be obvious. Capitalism is not, as its defenders insist, a system designed to distribute wealth, but one designed to capture and concentrate it. The fairy tale that capitalism tells about itself—that you become rich through hard work and enterprise—is the greatest propaganda coup in human history."
If you're wondering why universities, hospitals and entire countries are being run like businesses, with their ultimate goal being not education, health or welfare, but PrOfiT... then the answer is neoliberalism. If your choice of higher education was influenced by its potential economical pay-off, it was influenced by neoliberalism. If you work hard with not much besides burnout to show for it, that's just the neoliberal status quo. It's not something obvious but it's always there, shaping your life.
"The ethos of public services shifts to reflect their new role as cash cows for capitalist enterprises. Hospitals are rebranded as “care businesses,� universities become “knowledge businesses.� Humanities and the liberal arts are denigrated, while governments emphasize (but still underfund) “economically useful� subjects: science, technology, engineering, math.The result is widespread institutional failure, with services often driven to the brink of collapse."
Overall, a good choice for an anti-capitalist reading group....more
Some people read self-help books, others read guidebooks to modern womanhood. As a real biological woman, I know it's tough to put up a good performanSome people read self-help books, others read guidebooks to modern womanhood. As a real biological woman, I know it's tough to put up a good performance of womanhood. This book fills a huge gaping hole in the field of womanhood studies, offering heaps of indispensable knowledge relevant to the modern woman like myself. It helps the reader pick the right shoes, hook up with strangers, consider the pros and cons of various addictions and so much more. A must-read, really....more
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