What Profit Profit - Homestead

At What Cost? The Political-Economy? An Extended Introduction:
A Criticism of Neo-Liberal Ideology,
And, An Existential Re-Construction of the Political-Economy
Acting as a First Critique of Neo-Liberalism Noël Tointon 2016 I dedicate
This extended essay,
As an introduction,
To Francesco,
To my many philosophical friends at
The Continental Philosophy Group
And all those who think everything has a cost,
And, especially,
To all those who also think
That not everything should have a price...! Index
Foreword - Pre-Introduction/Introduction - Postword Extended Introduction 0. Pre-Introduction and Introduction
1. Background
2. Dialectics 3. Emergence 4. Existential Re-Direction 5. Practical Methods 6. Provisional Conclusions (in Six Sections) A. Neo-liberalism
B. A First Critique
C. A Case Study: Recent Coalition 'Funding' of the Arts D. A Second Critique E. An Existential Critique: Simultaneous Deconstruction and
Reconstruction F. 'Last Words': Reconstruction or Destruction of the Democratic
Process?
Appendix A: Abbreviated Version: Neo-liberalism - the ideology at the root
of all our problems (George Monbiot, the Guardian, 15.4.16) Appendix B: Four Internet Articles re Recent Reduced Arts Funding in
Australia
Appendix C: George Monbiot: Neo-liberalism - the ideology at the root of
all our problems (Non-abbreviated Version) Appendix D: A Summary Re-Presentation/Re-Conclusion: Should We Worry About
Neo-liberalism as an Ideology - At What Cost??
Appendix E: Greed is good is yesterday's mantra (Elizabeth Farrelly/ SMH)
Appendix F: Initial Address: An Existential Critique of Neoliberlism... Appendix G: Fifield Set To Restore Raided Arts Funds To Australia Council
Foreword - Pre-Introduction/Introduction - Postword Ostensively, this is a foreword, but, being written on the completion
of this extended essay, in the form of an introduction, more correctly is a
postword. Then, as an introduction to this Introduction it becomes a pre-
introduction. Moreover, as a pre-introduction I would rather suggest that
your 'introduction' to it be postponed if not completely avoided. However,
if you have some small reserve of wit and patience you might find it more
profitable to go straight to Appendix D where I have prepared an
abbreviated introduction to this extended essay although it is titled A
Summary Re-Presentation/Re-Conclusion: Should We Worry About Neo-liberalism
as an Ideology - At What Cost?? If not already confused you may soon be,
for which I must apologise as the fault, without doubt, is mine. (i) Two recent books have been completed by myself in political
philosophy and economic philosophy. In this extended essay I look at their
integration in the form of a political-economy albeit from the critical
perspective of a critique of neo-liberalism as a disruptive ideology. (ii)
The full title of this extended essay, in the form of an
Introduction, is: At What Cost? The Political-Economy: An Extended
Introduction: A Criticism of Neo-liberal Ideology, and, An Existential Re-
Construction of the Political-Economy. (iii)
'At what cost' signals my concern that neo-liberal ideology is
distorting political- economies, and, could fatally disrupt democratic
political behaviour? (iv) By 'political-economy', with a hyphen, I am indicating its nature as
an integrated discipline in its own right. In this light we would need to
treat the political economy and the economic economy (or commercial
economy) as sub-disciplines of the political-economy. In the course of
writing this essay I have discerned the need to examine a third aspect of
the political-economy namely 'stylistics'. This relatively new field of
disciplinarian behaviour concerns the resolutional formation of political-
economic artifacts be they products and/or processes as textually deposited
through the ongoing harmonic resolution of our relationships. This sub-
discipline can be seen as an extension of literary criticism. However,
given its interests in texts that are intentionally deposited in forms that
are either relatively classical in nature, like e.g., letters and essays,
etc., or, relatively non-classical in orientation like photos and
footprints on the sand, etc., we should refer to this total sub-discipline
as 'trans-classical stylistics'. (v) Although political-economics is considered by myself to be a
discipline, and can be studied as a discipline, in this extended essay I
have concentrated on merely forming an introduction to this topic in the
light of a developing a critique of neo-liberalism. (vi) A second idea that will be developed outside this essay is the
concept that at the center of the political-economy resides the world of
policy formation without ourselves being able to reduce the former to the
latter. By 'policy formation' is meant policy design wherein we have policy
thematization, policy implementation and (an ongoing) policy critique.[1]
'Thematization' will be treated as primarily political, implementation will
be treated as primarily economic. The ongoing, balanced interaction of
these two sub-discipline will critically generate the third sub-discipline
of a trans-classical stylistics (i.e., 'stylistics' for short). (vii) I would argue that in the revolutionary and successful dismantling of
a major discourse, like neo-liberalist ideology, we would need to
persuasively dismantle that philosophy through the power of rhetorical
means, and, importantly, replace it with a well-constructed reconstructed
philosophy that, hopefully, better meets all our relevant political-
economic functions and aspirations. (viii) In this essay I propose an existential shortcut, namely, the taking
of an existential approach that simultaneously both deconstructs a
defective ideological sense of positioning and reconstructs a viable
political-economy. To this end much of the central sections of this essay
are devoted to developing an adequate exposition of what is meant by
observing[2] an existential orientation. (ix) This essay also critically looks at recent Coalition funding of the
arts as a case study in order to demonstrate how attitudes influenced by a
rampant neo-liberalism are often disruptive, anti-innovative and generally
wasteful and counter-productive. Unfortunately, such attitudes have
extended across the entire political economy and also extensively and
adversely influence international trade as well. (x) We only have to look at low or backward growth in wages, a potential
or actual disenfranchisement of lower socio-economic classes, the hollowing
out of the Middle Classes, excessive transfers of wealth to big business
and the multi-nationals and the one percent of the one percent behind such
organizations. Then, we have an effective intergenerational transfer of
wealth as expressed through lower levels of home ownership by members of a
younger demographic, etc. Certain economists have warned that increasing
inequality will have an adverse impact of the stability of democratically
organized societies. Sadly, I have now come to the opinion that such
changes are already with us as expressed through Brexit, Trump-ism, the
rise of the Far-Right in Europe (recently exacerbated by increased intakes
of refugees and economic migrants)... and, even, perhaps, the recent trend
in Australian politics where our Prime Ministers no longer see out their
full terms of office? Given the innovative nature of this (Contemporary)
era, through digital disruption and non-digital disruption,[3] democratic
political systems have enough disruption to deal with without the
inapposite and heavy hand of neo-liberalism further upsetting this period
of accelerated technical and social transformation. In such a transition,
governments are needed more than ever since the markets alone cannot
protect and assist us as we meet this brave new future. (xi) This book is not a best-seller, but, in writing it I have found much
enjoyment. It is my hope that a serious reader of it might also participate
in some of this pleasure I have gained through working my way through a
development of its complex demands and tortuous arguments.... (xii) Noël Tointon, Leura and Sydney,
21.7.16. At What Cost? The Political-Economy: An Extended Introduction*
A Criticism of Neo-Liberal Ideology, and, An Existential Re-Construction of the Political-Economy
0. Pre-Introduction and Introduction I have argued elsewhere[4] that politics and economics should not be
confused, but we do live in one world, so, now, I wish to redress the
dialectical balance by examining 'how they interrelate in general,
particular and specific terms of reference (without confusing these two
disciplines)?'[5] In this regard I will be investigating transformations in
valuation that one may consider to be eithe