The Dissenter

#1161 Anna Bocca: The Origins, Spread, and Failures of Neoliberal Capitalism

Oct 10, 2025
Anna Bocca, a YouTuber known for her insights on neoliberalism and corporate power, dives deep into the roots and consequences of neoliberal capitalism. She discusses how propaganda since the 1920s laid the groundwork for market fundamentalism, the influence of figures like Milton Friedman, and the political shifts led by Thatcher and Reagan. Bocca explores the myths of meritocracy, the rise of hustle culture, and how economic precarity fuels social movements. She questions the morality of neoliberalism and critiques the marketization of dating and self-improvement ideologies.
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INSIGHT

Neoliberalism As Elite Power Project

  • Neoliberalism is a political-economic project that elevates markets and private property while restoring elite class power.
  • It pairs deregulation and privatization with government spending that primarily benefits elites, not welfare.
INSIGHT

The Myth Of Market Infalibility

  • Market fundamentalism treats markets as infallible and discourages government fixes for clear market failures.
  • This myth is used to dismiss harms like child labor and pollution as temporary or self-correcting.
ANECDOTE

Think-Tank Propaganda After The New Deal

  • After the New Deal big industrialists funded think tanks and propaganda to roll back government involvement.
  • They poured money into media and education to prevent unionization and weaken the welfare state.
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