Consumerism And Neoliberalism Analysis

In their papers on higher education in America, academics Mark Edmundson and William Deresiewicz write on the alleged crisis gripping the university system of the United States. Utilizing the terms ‘consumerism’ and ‘neoliberalism’ pejoratively, they muse on how each system has adversely affected higher education institutions throughout America. While both terms used are quite similar in nature, Deresiewicz is more pointed and explicit in his characterization of neoliberalism as opposed to Edmundson’s vague, winded description of consumerism. However, after an in-depth reading of Edmundson’s paper, one can deduce that he possesses the same disdain for free markets that Deresiewicz openly flaunts. Before one explores both professors’ writings, …show more content…
While it may seem cold, impersonal and -- to the faint-of-heart -- offensive, this way of thought has been applied since the birth of a market based system of economic thought and was certainly catalyzed in the age of globalization, in which the fruits of this way of thought were harvested throughout the world. Once again, a perfect example of this is China’s economic liberalization. Even if it only implemented a ‘neoliberal’ system in part, that partial implementation has lifted hundreds of millions out of poverty and afforded millions of children a good …show more content…
(Edmundson 12) There is an interesting spin one can place on his argument to make him seem contradictory, which is explored in the subsequent paragraph. Deresiewicz is more specific, arguing for a radical change in the way Americans understand higher education by saying that it ought to be a right to all citizens, invoking the presidential candidate and democratic socialist congressman Bernie Sanders in his push for a tax on Wall St. transactions to pay for such a venture. (Deresiewicz