Neoliberalism, the hyper-modern totalitarianism ...

In the last few decades faced with the advances of the Left, even after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Right invested heavily in academic circles to make Neoliberalism appear as the sole ideology in economics, with considerable success. In spite of it there is a growing number of thinkers who consider Neoliberalism a danger to humanity, just as we have shown in the earlier examination of its outstanding characteristics. Here we want to summarize one of these critical evaluations, as a way to foster a dialogue that could save the world from this new version of inhuman totalitarianism that is looming ahead of us.

We divide our presentation in three parts: (1) Neoliberalism; (2) The capitalist state; and finally, (3) Capitalism or Democracy? To begin with: liberalism is the theoretical foundation of current version of capitalism, that is to say, Neoliberalism. There are not a few who think that a (supposedly) self-regulated market system is no threat to the human being or the nature or the human society. This is a conclusion drawn from the exacerbated individualism that capitalism preaches.

(1) Liberalism accompanies capitalism in all its stages. It is true that "Keynesianism" advocated a more active role of the state in the economy and prioritized social areas such as schools, roads, and hospitals. However, neo-liberals of the Chicago School and that of Austria rejected such a doctrine based on the old ideas of "laissez faire", stating that there are only individuals and not a society, besides they deny the concept of public interest.

Since the 1970s the transition from social welfare state to a capitalist state under the command of financial capitalism, the system controlled by rentiers, speculators, bankers and financial institutions, has been taking place.

One of the theorists of this new phase, Ludwig Heinrich Edler von Mises (1881-1973), states that only in the "uncontrolled" market can a human being find his freedom in unlimited competition. His version of neoliberalism rejects the idea of ​​social justice and affirms that there is no place for policies of redistribution of wealth. The moral principles of Christianity would be disastrous for the market.

Friedrich August von Hayek (1899-1992), another theoretician, goes much further and believes that social policies founded on social justice are incompatible with the 'rule of law'. Egalitarian claims represent the envy of failures as to the success of some people, a sign of intellectual immaturity, assumed as a social doctrine of the Catholic Church, and a formula that lacks any meaning.

(2) In the light of these doctrines, what is the nature of the Capitalist State? According to Robert Nozick (1938-2002) the minimum state, limiting its functions to protection against force, theft, fraud, enforcement of contract enforcement, is ideal. A fair state is one that does not interfere with the fundamental rights of freedom, life and property.

It was Milton Friedman (1912-2006) who helped persuade governments and politicians to implement the "neoliberal agenda" of deregulating economies, opening national markets for capital, fiscal austerity, and privatizations.

The State, an indispensable institution, has the role of adjusting to the economy to consolidate capitalism in its territories. The ideal scenario is: all profits and no liability. Capitalism controls the government to ensure its survival and hegemony. Neoliberalism, in turn, shifts the focus of power from politics to the economy in a radical way. Reducing politics to the force of money makes governments immune to civil society participation. The market defines the rules of the game and its only ideology is the unlimited accumulation of wealth.

(3) In the face of all this we are challenged to make a choice: capitalism or democracy? Neoliberalism is the term that perfectly names the current stage of capitalism. For the neoliberals, society is only a large market, composed of individuals identified as consumers who calculate profits and losses in everything they do. This permeates all aspects of society and private life. Competition is the mode of social organization.

The market is the political subject that governs the world. All mechanisms of political power (elections, parties, congress, executive power, etc.) must be submitted to economic calculation. Popular cravings are below the automatic mechanisms of the market. The sole purpose of society is to maintain the market itself.

Such a system produces neoliberal subjects that govern their social relations according to the cost-benefit logic. This "neo-subject" has his vulnerability exposed in such a way that in his solitary struggle for survival, the collapse of his self can occur at any moment: depression, stress, exhaustion, anguish, and suicide result.

Participative democracy is incompatible with capitalism. The rich have privileged access to power. The dimensions of human life,