Looking for Reasonableness within Twenty-First-Century Neoliberalism: Toward Avoiding the Spread of Fascist Values

The goal of this study is to propose potential reasonableness for capitalism in its early twenty-first-century form. By this version of capitalism, we refer to a neoliberal system that incorporates fascist characteristics. Implementing regulatory measures could signify a shift toward a more reasonable manifestation of capitalism under such circumstances. This article identifies free-market and individualistic values as enabling myths that fail to promote prosperity. Consequently, it advocates for an increased ceremonialism within institutions as a means to sustain neoliberalism. This ceremonialism is intrinsically tied to fascist values disseminated through fake news and conspiracy theories propagated via social media platforms. Regulating social media emerges as a feasible approach to fostering reasonableness in the twenty-first century by mitigating the spread of fascist values through these platforms. Nevertheless, regulating social media alone does not eradicate fascist values from contemporary neoliberalism, as these values are perpetuated through a variety of other channels.