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Crafting the neoliberal state – Workfare, prisonfare and social insecurity

Against the marginalised, the neoliberal state uses both traditional negligence – They are responsible for their fate thus no intervention is needed – and punishing discipline against this group, in cases even tangible, direct and brutal oppression.

The article is a modified and shortened version of the theoratical summary of the book of the author Loic Wacquant: Punishing the Poor: The Neoliberal Government of Social Insecurity. Durham, Duke University Press 2009.


The tasks ahead – March 2009 interview by Debate Socialista (Brazil)

The present crisis of the capitalist world is not just a cyclical one, but a comprehensive structural crisis of the system signing that the capital system has reached its absolute boundaries. As a result on the long run not only attempts to strengthen state regulation but also system stabilisation efforts by increasing oppression will be ineffective. This situation opens a new historic opportunity to create a new order based on solidarity and full social control of production. However to realise this theoretical opportunity, the defensive 20th century attitude of interest protection has to be given up, and strategic goals and the ways of fight of the working class should be profoundly rethought, as well as the relationship between its political and economy organisations.

Crisis and employment

According to the author, the global crisis in employment is finally the result of the geopolitically biased and historically and socially unjust relationship between labour and capital. The situation is not new at all maybe some of its aspects are renewed that did not occur before. The article not simply examines the negative effects generated by the production crisis but also the global world system that is responsible for the production crisis.

Financial and monetary issues as the crisis unfolds

A group of experts of the Economists for Peace and Security and the Initiative for Rethinking the Economy met again in Paris to discuss financial and monetary issues. Contrary to the mainstream, they were pessimistic that there would be sustained economic recovery and a return of high employment. The financial system preceding the crisis should not be restored and governments should not pursue exit strategies that permit a return to the status quo. Rather, the solution requires continuous state initiatives and financial structures serving public interests.

Originally published az Public Policy Brief No. 103, 2009 of the Levy Economics Institute of Bard College.