Fourteenth International Conference on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences

Abstract

Rather than creating the economic prosperity we were promised, the neoliberal economics model brought us a free trade empire that has given way to forced displacement, environmental degradation, stagnated wages, threats to national sovereignty, and public health crises. Now, in 2018, many people are questioning whether economic integration is what’s best for their countries. This is increasingly evident in Europe as they deal with Brexit, and the rise in the number of parliamentary seats held by fascist parties in Germany, Italy, and France. Additionally, United States presidential candidates in 2016 rejected the neoliberal approach for economic integration. This phase of uncertainty for organization of the global economy gives us space to pause and ask ourselves what lessons we have learned from neoliberal economics and what rules we want to organize our economies around. Will the rules we create in this space put us on a race to the top for environmental standards, workers’ rights, and public health? Or will the rules put us years further down the race to the bottom leaving workers, the environment, national sovereignty, and food security behind in search of profit? We have the opportunity to re-imagine an economy that works for people and the planet. Let’s not give that up.