Neoliberalism and the Demise of Democracy Article Analysis

The issue of poverty has become rampant in regions that embrace neoliberalism since access to resources is limited to those who own them (Fainstein, 2014). The incorporation of fundamentalism in the free market instead of democratic idealism has become the force driving most economic and political operations in various countries. The political powers of most of the countries are influenced by the free markets. Giroux stated that "Free market fundamentalism rather than democratic idealism is now the driving force of economics and politics in most of the world, and it is a market ideology driven not just by profits but by an ability to reproduce itself. " In his statement, Giroux aims at expressing the challenges associated with neoliberalism in most parts of the world.

The article states that the rich few who own resources have an opportunity to make decisions on how to use them without considering the impacts which their actions will have on the other citizens. Private companies have contributed to high rates of environmental pollution through disposing of wastes and emissions from the operations undertaken. However, since the companies and the owners have an impact on the political system, they do not face the charges and consequences associated with such irresponsibility. Instead, they receive an economic environment which supports their success as the politicians who receive their support have to give back in return. In his article, Giroux (2008) states that, "Halliburton gives war profiteering a new meaning as it is granted corporate contracts without any competitive bidding and then bilks the U.

If the corporations work towards improving the living standards of the citizens without influencing the political systems, they would have a positive and significant impact on the economy of the world as a whole. Giroux makes it clear that most of the governments in different countries have to adhere to the requirements of the private companies created through neoliberalism. This is true because in the present day, democracy does not have a significant meaning to the lives of the citizens in nations such as America and many others in the world. I agree with Giroux that, after citizens exercise their democratic rights, the chosen leaders realize that they have to pay for the favors given by private corporations including financing during their campaign period.

The cycle makes neoliberalism productive and makes it hard for leaders to consider the needs of the citizens of a country. Conclusion Neoliberalism was introduced to facilitate privatization but became used for personal benefits by a few across nations. Democracy has become unimportant since the citizens do not have access to facilities and resources through government provision (Sugarman, 2015). Citizens have suffered from the unequal and unfair distribution of resources and this has also affected their lives and their wellbeing. Issues of unemployment have grown and poverty has continued affecting most of the citizens. The free market capitalism has failed to recognize the need for fairness and equity and this has also affected the growth of most nations.  Critical Policy Studies, 8(3), 356-358.