"People in wealthy countries became more antiauthoritarian, more critical of traditional rules and roles, and more dedicated to individual expression and choice."
It seems like she considers it and speaks directly to it. Is it that she doesn't ultimately blame capitalism? She says that the decline of the family is closely tied with the neoliberal focus on the individual.
Can't it be both? Late Stage Capitalism & Neoliberalism are responsible for the dissolution of traditional family values and other meaningful relationships?
How can 'meaningful relationships' be tacked on to that statement. Do they not exist anymore? Get a better argument. Further more, 'traditional family values' is not a well defined term and overly political. It claims that I NEED and should fit neatly into some kind of mold. Humans are individuals, a truth that traditionalist fail to internalize.
One can have a traditional loving partner, a traditional family, a traditional social circle and still be lonely.
One could feel isolated from their peer group because of happenstance and life choices leading to different economic outcomes.
One could feel isolated from their gender; no only because it is a social construct, but because the ones that represent you act like morons all the time.
One could feel isolated from a sibling because they are ill and can't afford healthcare.
One could feel isolated from themselves because they are have chronic pain or mental illness.
Blaming societal ills on one or two issues only divides further and obscures the macrocosm. If you want your 2.5 kids and a picket fence, godspeed, but don't step on others trying to find what makes them happy.
Some authors such as Houellebecq count feminism as part of the atomising dynamic of neoliberalism. His idea is that sexuality becomes a parallel but no less commoditized market that works both bin tandem with and apart from the economic one. In this case the free choice of partners means that most people compete to get the attention of the partners with the best possible sexual capital, while many fail to have any partner at all if below a certain threshold of such capital.
Anyone who wants to can find plenty of criticism of capitalism and neoliberalism on HN. There's a search box at the bottom of every page—just put in those terms. Alternatively, just look in this thread.
We've banned this account for repeatedly posting unsubstantive comments and, indeed, trollin'. If you don't want to be banned, you're welcome to email hn@ycombinator.com and give us reason to believe that you'll follow the rules in the future.
