Richard Murphy on Neoliberalism

Via Bobski, I see that Richard Murphy is being utterly hypocritical again, this time on the subject of neoliberalism:

Neoliberals to the core, all of them, and utterly indifferent to a) reasoning b) rationality c) the reality of the economy d) the needs of real people e) the reality of democratic politics.

As Bobski points out, the descriptions in that sentence might remind one of someone other than "neoliberals":

I thought that a-e were a bit rich considering the source, I'd consider them most apt descriptions of Mr. Murphy.

Which is spot on, frankly.

But it is worth pausing for a further moment on Murphy's words. First up, there is something slightly bigoted in what Richard Murphy is saying. Somehow - and don't ask me how - he knows every neoliberal and also knows what they think and how they act. Short of divine omniscience - which I am pretty damned sure Murphy does not possess - I'm guessing that he is using the bigot methodology of using personal prejudices to make sweeping generalisations. Hardly the sort of thing a progressive should be doing, surely?

Still, I think you can argue the claim that there some neoliberals who warrant some of Murphy's insults. But they are the dogmatic neoliberals, who have turned neoliberalism into some sort of blueprint for all people at all times. Those who treat neoliberalism almost as a secular religion, or as a form of absolute truth that will broach no criticism and that those who do not adhere to this credo are in some way stupid, and perhaps even need to be silenced.

Of course, the problem with Murphy making this point is he behaves in exactly the same way about his own political beliefs. He is just as dogmatic as many neoliberals, just about different ideas.

And here's the nub of the matter - Murphy hasn't just revealed himself as a hypocrite, but as a dogmatic bigot. Good going, for just one sentence in one blogpost...