The Fear Machine of Neoliberalism – Opinion
Neoliberalism didn’t endure because it worked. It endured because it scared everyone into believing there was no alternative. Question it, and you’re branded a radical, a populist, or even a fascist. That’s the genius of the system: it doesn’t win arguments — it silences them.
Table of contents
The Politics of Fear
For decades, neoliberalism has defended itself with labels, not logic. Opponents of globalisation? “Dangerous nationalists.” Critics of corporate power? “Populists.” Campaigners for redistribution? “Extremists.”
Fear is the first line of defence. If the system can convince people that challenging it means chaos, they’ll cling to the status quo — even if the status quo is ruining them.
The Pseudoscience of Growth
Neoliberalism hides behind economics dressed up as science. GDP growth, complex models, and corporate-funded “studies” are waved around as irrefutable proof that markets know best.
But economics isn’t neutral. It’s politics with graphs. The models always assume deregulation and privatisation are efficient, because the people writing them built their careers on those assumptions. Any policy that challenges corporate interests gets dismissed as “bad economics.”
Smear, Don’t Debate
Neoliberalism rarely debates its critics. It brands them. Protesters become “mobs.” Leaders who question the IMF are “dictators-in-waiting.” Demands for fair wages are “unrealistic.”
The tactic works: when opposition is always painted as extreme, ordinary people turn away in fear. Better the devil you know than the one you’re told is waiting.
The Great Illusion of Choice
Neoliberalism loves the word “choice.” Schools, healthcare, pensions — you’re “free to choose.” But choice without real alternatives isn’t freedom.
If every path leads back to private providers, corporate monopolies, and debt, the choice is an illusion. You’re not free — you’re just trapped in a different cage.
Conclusion
Neoliberalism isn’t immortal. It just looks that way when fear silences alternatives. The machine survives by branding critics as dangerous, by hiding ideology behind spreadsheets, and by convincing people that nothing else is possible. Its greatest weakness? A public that stops being afraid.
Read more:
Why Neoliberalism Hollowed Out Society – Opinion
FAQ
How does neoliberalism use fear?
By branding critics as “extremists” or “fascists,” it discourages people from supporting alternatives.
Why call economics pseudoscience here?
Because many models are built on ideological assumptions that always favour markets and corporations.
Why does neoliberalism still dominate?
It benefits elites, controls narratives, and convinces people that alternatives would be worse.
How can it be challenged?
By refusing fear-driven labels and questioning the “science” used to justify it.
