Alex Himelfarb's book examines the history and impact of neoliberalism, arguing that it has shaped Canadian society and public policy to the detriment of many.
Alex Himelfarb’s newest book, Breaking Free of Neoliberalism: Canada ’s Challenge, is a compelling read. Breaking Free takes the reader through neoliberalism’s origins during Second World War, its philosophical originators—Ludwig von Mises and Friedrich Hayek, and other advocates —its ascendence during the economic turmoil of the late 1970s, and its hold on governments of various stripes up to the present day.
Corporate and billionaire-funded think tanks in the United States and Canada—notably the Fraser Institute and the C.D. Howe Institute—were essential for moving the agenda to prominence. A corporate-owned media ecosystem has worked for decades to shape our culture and beliefs. At the core of neoliberalism, in its various mutations, is that the paramount freedom is economic freedom. Therefore, the state’s first obligation is to protect “the right to profit.” It was originally ideology, an elite consensus that became a political project and, eventually, a political order that shaped public policy, public attitudes, and beliefs. The key feature of an “order” is that its core tenets define what is desirable and what is possible across political parties, within government, and for the public at large. Under neoliberalism, governments are part of the problem, not part of the solution. Taxes are a “burden.' Regulations that protect labour rights, health, safety, and the environment are “red tape” that inhibits competition and wealth creation. Former PCO Clerk Alex Himelfarb, pictured on the Hill in July 2016. The Hill Times photograph by Jake Wright Himelfarb captures neoliberalism’s essential recipe: rein in public spending, cut taxes, raise interest rates as the automatic response to inflation, reduce demand; with, as a result, less investment, higher unemployment, lower wages, pressure on small businesses, renters and mortgage holders, less help to those in need—and lower expectation
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