Picture this: You’re at a party, sipping your drink, minding your own business, and someone calls you a “neoliberal.” You weren’t even discussing economics, but suddenly, you’re feeling like you just got slapped with a name tag that says “I’m the bad guy.” But here’s the kicker: you’re not even sure what it means! You’ve heard it thrown around in debates, on Twitter, and usually by people who aren’t your biggest fans. The one thing you do know is that being called a “neoliberal” is never a compliment.
So, what gives? Why is “neoliberal” used like a four-letter word, and why do free-market folks like you keep getting hit with it? Let’s break it down and, hopefully, have a laugh along the way—because if we don’t laugh, we might just cry into our Friedrich Hayek books.
The “N” Word No One Wants to Own
First off, being labeled a neoliberal is like being called the villain in a movie you didn’t even audition for. Neoliberalism, like a good ghost story, is something people talk about with a sense of dread, but nobody really knows where it came from or what it actually means. Ask five people what neoliberalism is, and you’ll get seven different answers. It’s become this shape-shifting term that opponents of the free market throw around whenever they want to sound intellectual and scary. Spoiler alert: half the time, they don’t know what it means either.
Neoliberalism started as an intellectual movement back in the 1930s when some economists, including the likes of Friedrich Hayek and Ludwig von Mises, met in Paris. They were trying to figure out how to save classical liberalism (think free markets, limited government) from the rising tide of authoritarianism. It was kind of like the Avengers, but instead of superpowers, they had economic theories.
Fast forward a few decades, and “neoliberalism” gets stuck to anyone who thinks markets might just be a good thing. It became the political equivalent of pineapple pizza—some people love it, but to others, it’s an abomination that should be wiped from the face of the Earth.
The Blame Game: How You Became a Neoliberal Without Even Trying
You’re probably wondering, “But wait, I didn’t sign up for this! I’m just a libertarian student who thinks people should be free to make their own choices without the government breathing down their necks!” Well, my friend, you’re right. But here’s the catch: in the battle of political ideas, “neoliberalism” became a convenient boogeyman. Anything that smells like the free market, deregulation, or heaven forbid, Milton Friedman, gets thrown into the neoliberal soup. And guess who’s the latest ingredient? You.
The problem is that the term has been hijacked by critics—mostly from the political left—who use it as a one-size-fits-all insult. Don’t like free trade? Neoliberalism. Angry about income inequality? Neoliberalism. Your favorite band didn’t win a Grammy? You guessed it—neoliberalism! It’s the Swiss Army knife of political insults. The word now covers so many things that it’s lost all meaning, kind of like when your grandma calls every video game a “Nintendo.”
Neoliberalism: A Mystery Wrapped in an Enigma, Wrapped in an Insult
Here’s the thing—nobody identifies as a neoliberal. Go ahead, try to find a group of people who proudly wave the neoliberal flag. Spoiler: it doesn’t exist. People don’t wake up in the morning, put on their neoliberal uniform, and head to their neoliberal meetings to discuss how to ruin the world. That’s why being called a neoliberal feels so strange—like being accused of something you didn’t even do.
In reality, neoliberalism is more of an academic term that’s been twisted and overused until it became a catch-all for “stuff we don’t like.” It started as a way to rethink classical liberal ideas in the modern world—like how to keep markets free but avoid the problems of crony capitalism and big government control. But today, it’s turned into an insult lobbed at anyone who doesn’t buy into socialist or heavily interventionist ideas.
So… What Is Neoliberalism, Really?
If we’re going to set the record straight, we need to figure out what neoliberalism was supposed to mean. Originally, it was about balancing individual liberty with some state involvement to make sure the market worked efficiently. Think of it as classical liberalism 2.0—repackaged for a world that just survived two world wars and needed to avoid both fascism and communism. It wasn’t about unchecked capitalism or letting big corporations run the world (that would be more “corporatism” than neoliberalism).
But here’s where it gets tricky: by the time the 1980s rolled around, people like Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher started pushing for deregulation and privatization, and suddenly, neoliberalism became the go-to term for critics of those policies. Did Reagan and Thatcher call themselves neoliberals? Nope. But that didn’t stop their opponents from slapping the label on them—and now on you.
Why You Shouldn’t Sweat It
Now that we’ve untangled this mess a bit, what’s the takeaway? Should you be worried about being labeled a neoliberal? Not really. The term has been stretched so thin that it barely means anything anymore. Being called a neoliberal today is like being called a wizard—it sounds cool, but it’s based on a misunderstanding.
Instead of worrying about the label, focus on the principles that actually matter: individual liberty, free markets, and limited government. Those ideas have a rich history going back to classical liberalism, and they’ve helped build some of the most prosperous, free societies in the world. If someone throws the neoliberal insult your way, just smile and ask them what it means. Chances are, they’ll struggle to define it, and that’s when you know you’ve already won the argument.
The Bottom Line: Be Proud of Your Free-Market Roots
At the end of the day, neoliberalism is just another phantom in the world of political discourse. It’s a term used to scare people away from free markets and the principles of liberty. But now that you know where it came from—and how it’s been twisted—don’t let it faze you.
The next time someone calls you a neoliberal, laugh it off. After all, it’s better than being called a socialist, right?
And if you ever feel confused again, just remember: the free market might not be perfect, but it sure beats central planning. So embrace your liberty-loving, market-friendly, Hayek-quoting self. Neoliberal or not, you’re in good company.
Based on comprehensive research. You can read more here.
