Neoliberalism and Doublespeak

Abstract

A strawman argument of Milton Friedman’s position on liberalism has been promoted as representing the concept of “greed is good” to attack the concept of a decentralised free-market approach to political regulation and control and the ability for markets to change with the needs of society organically. Instead, neoliberalism represents a system and structure of increasing government centralisation at the expense of small to medium businesses and individuals. The attack on the writings and ideology of Milton Friedman exposes the Orwellian doublespeak that underlies many of the leftist attacks on truth and the early Scottish Enlightenment values that led to the growth of liberal capitalism and markets and the increase in freedom throughout society.

Keywords: Freedom, Liberty, neoliberalism, Friedman, Orwell, enlightenment