Are we at a tipping point? Could the growing wave of protests around the world signal the beginning of the end of neoliberalism and the emergence of a fundamentally different political and economic system?<\/p>\n
For more than 40 years, neoliberalism has dominated political and economic policy. It has promised prosperity, opportunity and freedom. But inequality has increased, housing has become unaffordable, public services have deteriorated, and economic insecurity has grown.<\/p>\n
Now people are demanding change.<\/p>\n
Across Europe and beyond, protests are challenging the political and economic status quo. Young people, particularly Generation Z, are at the forefront. Their demands vary, but the underlying frustration is remarkably similar: the existing system is failing to meet their needs.<\/p>\n
In this video, I ask whether these protests could represent a tipping point, when accumulated dissatisfaction finally produces fundamental political change.<\/p>\n
I consider the research of Harvard professor Erica Chenoweth into how relatively small movements can achieve extraordinary results.<\/p>\n
Then, I explore why changing governments may not be enough when the economic assumptions underpinning their policies remain unchanged.<\/p>\n
But there is another question. If neoliberalism is approaching its end, what replaces it?<\/p>\n
Rejecting the existing system is not enough. We need a credible alternative.<\/p>\n
I argue that this must involve an economics of hope and a politics of care, putting people, democracy and collective well-being before the demands of markets.<\/p>\n
So, are we witnessing a historic turning point, or merely the beginning of a much longer struggle for change? Time will tell.<\/p>\n