The Rt Hon. The Baroness Thatcher, LG, OM, PC

Wikipedia page on "neo-liberal" quoted, date 04:27 pm, Sun 10th Aug 2008 (the page has since been doctored)

"Pinochet's Chile

An often-cited early implementation of neoliberal policies followed in the Chilean president Augusto Pinochet's coup d'état. Pinochet's coup took place in the context of an economic crisis under the democratically elected government of Socialist Salvador Allende. After Allende won, Richard Nixon told CIA director Richard Helms it would be necessary to "make the [Chilean] economy scream". After Pinochet seized power, the so-called Chicago Boys, members of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile who had strong ties to Chicago School economists, began closely advising him in the implementation of a number of neoliberal reforms.

Thatcher's Britain

Margaret Thatcher was Britain's Conservative Prime Minister between 1979 and 1990. Thatcher was elected to the Prime Minister's office while the British economy stagnated. She, along with fellow Conservative Keith Joseph, sought to resolve these problems through the dismantling of Britain's elaborate government economic controls, taking a tough stance against Britain's unions following the so-called Winter of Discontent of 1978–1979, and by the prioritization of inflation control.

Reagan's America

The Administration of Ronald Reagan governed from 1981 to 1989, and made a range of decisions that served to liberalize the American economy. In 1981, he fired over 11,345 striking air traffic control workers and banned them from future civil service, resulting in the de-certification of the Air Traffic Controllers union later that year. These firings heralded a period of long decline for American unions, which served as a strong political counterweight to business and other interests that traditionally support liberalization. He is also credited with policies that cut taxes for the wealthy (which was said to help the economy via trickle-down effects). He is also often credited with having deregulated much of the American economy, though the 'deregulation' movement preceded his Administration, and continued after it.

These policies are often described as Reaganomics, and are often associated with supply-side economics (the notion that policies should appeal to producers, in order to lower prices, and therefore make products more affordable, rather than consumers, in order to cultivate economic prosperity).

The Reagan administration presided over the greatest rise in economic inequality in twentieth century American history. He oversaw an enormous increase in US Debt, but his supporters credit him with overseeing a recovery from the Stagflation crisis of the 1970s and America's victory in the Cold War."

PEOPLE HAD HOPE!

But instead..

Bush sneaks through host of laws to undermine Obama - 11:25 am, Sun 14th Dec 2008

The Guardian reports that "lame-duck Republican team is rushing through radical measures, from coal waste dumping to power stations in national parks, that will take months to overturn".

Many of the new rules, that do not require Congressional review in the last days and weeks of the Bush administration, are seen as benefitting the big business interests that backed Bush throughout his presidency.

The Guardian reports that these "midnight regulations" will:

• Make it easier for coal companies to dump waste from strip-mining into valleys and streams.
• Ease the building of coal-fired power stations nearer to national parks.
• Allow people to carry loaded and concealed weapons in national parks.
• Open up millions of acres to mining for oil shale.
• Allow healthcare workers to opt out of giving treatment for religious or moral reasons, thus weakening abortion rights.
• Hurt road safety by allowing truck drivers to stay at the wheel for 11 consecutive hours.

Good luck Mr Obama.. :|

[update]This situation is of no surprise though given the interests involved. Smells the same as any Conservative approach.

Why not hear about the Carlyle Group? Group members include George Bush (Sr.), James Baker III and ex British Conservative Prime Minister John Major

They, literally, make a killing. [/update]