Neo-conservatism’s rise reflects a shift to competitive individualism, not economic success

Evidence

Since the political success of neo-conservatism can hardly be attributed to its overall economic achievements (its strong negatives of high unemployment, weak growth, rapid dislocation, and spiralling indebtedness are offset only by control of inflation), several commentators have attributed its rise to a general shift from the collective norms and values, that were hegemonic at least in working-class organizations and other social movements of the 1950s and 1960s, towards a much more competitive individualism as the central value in an entrepreneurial culture that has penetrated many walks of life. — David Harvey, The Condition of Postmodernity, 1046

Categorization

• XREF: The claim that neo-conservatism won despite economic failures connects to the rival-periodization debate over cultural vs. economic drivers. — connects to: Individuality is a product of market political economy, not its opposite — Theodor W. Adorno, Minima Moralia: Reflections from…, 169

Broader Connections

• Individuality is a product of market political economy, not its opposite #responds-to (0.72) — Theodor W. Adorno, Minima Moralia, 169