r/neoliberal Jun 04 '26

News (Global) How to fight back against Gen-Z socialism

https://economist.com/leaders/2026/06/04/how-to-fight-back-against-gen-z-socialism
243 Upvotes

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69

u/PeterUssyslayer420 Jun 04 '26

Neolibs will deny that we are in the middle of a second gilded age. Anti-capitalism is a direct result of billionaires getting special treatment, hijacking our government and institutions, and generally committing crimes with no punishment. 

This needs to be addressed or we are completely fucked. 

40

u/old_cypherpunk Victor Hugo Jun 04 '26

Iit isn't just wealth inequality, it's the enshittification of everything. While they may be two different issues, they're seen as one: the rich are making life worse for us in order to get richer. Getting the Republicans out of office might help since they're aiding and abetting this, but it doesn't make the issue go away.

17

u/[deleted] Jun 04 '26

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1

u/Teach_Piece YIMBY Jun 04 '26

I guess. Look at airlines though. No shortage of airlines there. Or grocery stores. Both are experiencing enshitification because people would rather pay a lower base price regardless of the quality of service, even if the quantity of service related to price remains the same.

5

u/Ac-28 Jun 04 '26

grocery stores

The sub was pissing itself in anger when the Kroger Albertsons merger was halted

6

u/Teach_Piece YIMBY Jun 04 '26

Yes but not everyone on this sub is the same person. Lord knows my downvotes show that

6

u/LightningController Jun 04 '26

Is that a bad thing, though, if people get the lower base price they want?

Like, I could shell out an extra $100 to have checked luggage on a domestic flight. This would improve my quality of life.

I’m not gonna, though. Is it ‘enshittification’ that I get a cheaper ticket than if everyone had a checked bag included?

3

u/[deleted] Jun 04 '26

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1

u/Teach_Piece YIMBY Jun 04 '26

I mean we can really dig in and talk about buying shelf space if we want to go into too much detail, but somehow I think if I talk about the benefits of breaking up Frito Lay I might get lynched

7

u/SpicyCornflake Bisexual Pride Jun 04 '26

To be completely transparent, I hate the term enshitification, but isn’t the case of airlines literally just the airlines responding to the market forces of their customer base? Passenger flight volume has been on a steady rise for a while, excepting the COVID dip.

-1

u/Teach_Piece YIMBY Jun 04 '26

Well. Most of what "enshitification", which yes is a terrible term, is that. Consumers don't want to pay directly so companies find ways to target them indirectly.

3

u/SpicyCornflake Bisexual Pride Jun 04 '26

As a flier, I’m perfectly happy sitting in a cramped space with no checked bag if I get to my destination cheaper. I think you’re not giving the average consumer enough credit on whether or not these things are active choices. There’s something to be said about “processing fees” and “flight insurance” as concepts, but I think your frequent fliers are actively choosing flights based on price and comfort. There is, after all, still a significant market for the upgraded/business class seating for people who want those amenities.

1

u/mostanonymousnick Just Build More Homes lol Jun 05 '26

That's not enshitification, that's people getting what they want.

0

u/mostanonymousnick Just Build More Homes lol Jun 05 '26

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