The the Hello and welcome to Behind the News. My name is Doug Henwood. Two segments

today. In moments the political philosopher Jessica White will explore the

curiously parallel relationship between neoliberalism and human rights

discourse. And then two editors of a collection about and inspired by

Alexander Kolontai explore the great Bolshevik feminist analysis of how macro revolution

cannot succeed without a transformation of the

micro politics of sexual and personal relations. First, neoliberalism and

human rights, which some might think are political practices in opposition to each

other.

As Jessica White shows in her new book, The Morals of the Market, just out from Versa,

they have curious affinities.

Human Rights discourse, for all its high-mindedness, perversely assisted the neoliberal

project of separating the economic and

political, a point that became very clear in Pinochet's Chile.

Jessica White is an associate professor of philosophy at the University of New South Wales.

In the opening question, I mentioned Manchester liberalism.

Manchester was an important center of 19th century British manufacturing,

and around it sprung up an economic doctrine, centering on free trade and unrestricted markets aka lase fair

French for lead due meaning leave markets alone and let capitalists do what they want to

economists in this school thought the approach would bring about prosperity and peace.

Not coincidentally, the capitalists of Manchester supported free trade because they thought it would lead to lower prices,

which would allow them to pay lower wages.

...