Skip to main content

World Economic Forum ideas 'myopic', are driven by a fraudulent economic system

Klaus Schwab 
By Bhabani Shankar Nayak*
The pandemic has shaken up the neoliberalism as an economic project of capitalism. The economic architecture of neoliberalism based on austerity, liberalisation, privatisation, and globalisation has failed to provide basic dignity of life in terms of basic health, education, home and food security.
The rise of unemployment, hunger and homeless are the direct products of neoliberal economic policies followed by the states and governments around the world. The neoliberal capitalist reincarnations have failed to provide dignity even to the growing number of dead bodies in the disposable bags as a result of the Covid-19.
The master of neoliberal prophesies and their prophets like Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum, argues for reevaluating the global economic system based on neoliberal ideology of free market fundamentalism, which led to the emergence of global corporate monopolies at the cost of eroded workers’ rights and economic securities of people.
Such criminal confessions from the shibboleths of neoliberal architecture of capitalist classes are part of the strategy to revive the legitimacy of a criminal economic and political system that took away dignity from human life and destroyed the planet in search of profit.
It has destabilised countries and pushed regions into war and conflicts in the name of spreading free market democracy; the other name of neo-colonialism, which manufactures inequalities in a global scale.
Schwab argues for sustainable development and green business for economic recovery for launching the ‘fourth industrial revolution’ with the help of technology and digitalisation and ensure our collective commitment to capitalism.
He further argues that social progress is the results of capitalist entrepreneurship, efficient allocation of resources by the market forces and risk-taking abilities of the capitalists. These arguments are not only factually incorrect but also based on myopia driven by an ideology of fraudulent economic system called capitalism. There is not an iota of truth in it.
The contradictory ideas of Schwab are not based on his ignorance or lack of knowledge. It is based on a long tradition of capitalist propaganda and its diversionary strategies. Deception is a crime but innate to capitalism as an economic, political, social and cultural system.
Capitalism produces social miseries, economic alienation and political marginalisation, which destroys all forms of social progress based on science and technology by forming alliance with reactionary religious and authoritarian forces.
Democratic deficit is part of the neoliberal free market economy that destroys the abilities of states and governments to pursue social and economic welfare of its citizens. His concerns for climate change and green economy is dubious as capitalism grows by destroying environment and exploiting people.
Therefore, human dignity, freedom, democracy and sustainable development is not concomitant with capitalism as an ideology of exploitation. The new kind of capitalism with human and green face is another propaganda to hide the inhuman character of capitalism in all its forms. The pragmatic steps of capitalism are in the dead end. Capitalism can never be resilient, cohesive and sustainable.
The World Economic Forum has designed set of “Stakeholder Capitalism Metrics” during its 2020 annual meeting in Davos. The core of these values is based on environmental and social governance. Governance indicates transparency, accountability and rule of law. The rule of law is designed by the ruling classes and make it compatible with the requirements of the capitalist classes.
Neoliberal economic policies and its austerity projects are dead but its political infrastructure is very much alive and thriving
Accountability and transparency are twin dangers to capitalism. Therefore, capitalism does not engage with any system that is accountable and transparent. But unfortunately, the entire model of neoliberal governance is designed to protect the shareholders of capitalism.
It is neither accountable to labour and environment that produces profit for capitalism. Sustainable values are an anathema to capitalism. It destroys everything that is sustainable.
The profit under capitalism is not based on creative destruction. It is based on absolute annihilation of all creative abilities if labour and nature. It requires repetitive labour, which works in compliance based regulatory regime. The dead capital is free but labour with life in bondages. It treats labour and nature as commodities.
The neoliberal economic policies and its austerity projects are dead but neoliberal political infrastructure is very much alive and thriving. The authoritarian and right-wing political regimes are growing and giving breathing space to capitalism at the cost of lives and environment.
Therefore, any form of economic reimagination of economic alternative needs to reimagine the political system. The alternative political economy in the post pandemic world needs to focus on the conditions of production, distribution and exchange relationships. The market can be based on the direct relationship between producers and consumers with the help of information technology. 
The fourth industrial revolution and its economic system need to follow the models of workers cooperatives based on human needs and desires concomitant with environmental sustainability. These principles are fundamental to the ‘Great Rest’ the post pandemic economy, politics and society.
The shared progress, peace, prosperity, human health and dignity and environmental sustainability depends on human abilities to overthrow capitalism and its rotten system. The survival of planet, people and prosperity depends on forward march humanity towards the ideals of equality, liberty, justice, fraternity in a world free from all forms of exploitation.
---
*Coventry University, UK

Comments

Unknown said…
Great article,minus a number of repeated grammar and typo issues that are distracting (ie wrong use of definite articles in front of uncountable nouns; typos, including "Great Rest" at the very end). That aside...

It dawned on me today that it's no coincidence, the way the WEF tested the "Great Reset" messaging in 2016, and then recently doubled down on it despite the expected overwhelmingly negative response it received. They're purposely tying an immensely unpopular and understandably scary Big Brother-esque message to socialism, as a way of indirectly countering growing calls for social reform rooted in the rising popularity of democratic socialist ideas. This nuanced propaganda technique represents a refined continuation of the usual deceptive neoliberal ideological rhetoric. These elites are extremely astute!

TRENDING

Stronger India–Russia partnership highlights a missed energy breakthrough

By N.S. Venkataraman*  The recent visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to India was widely publicized across several countries and has attracted significant global attention. The warmth with which Mr. Putin was received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was particularly noted, prompting policy planners worldwide to examine the implications of this cordial relationship for the global economy and political climate. India–Russia relations have stood on a strong foundation for decades and have consistently withstood geopolitical shifts. This is in marked contrast to India’s ties with the United States, which have experienced fluctuations under different U.S. administrations.

Grueling summer ahead: Cuttack’s alarming health trends and what they mean for Odisha

By Sudhansu R Das  The preparation to face the summer should begin early in Odisha. People in the state endure long, grueling summer months starting from mid-February and extending until the end of October. This prolonged heat adversely affects productivity, causes deaths and diseases, and impacts agriculture, tourism and the unorganized sector. The social, economic and cultural life of the state remains severely disrupted during the peak heat months.

From natural farming to fair prices: Young entrepreneurs show a new path

By Bharat Dogra   There have been frequent debates on agro-business companies not showing adequate concern for the livelihoods of small farmers. Farmers’ unions have often protested—generally with good reason—that while they do not receive fair returns despite high risks and hard work, corporate interests that merely process the crops produced by farmers earn disproportionately high profits. Hence, there is a growing demand for alternative models of agro-business development that demonstrate genuine commitment to protecting farmer livelihoods.

The Vande Mataram debate and the politics of manufactured controversy

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  The recent Vande Mataram debate in Parliament was never meant to foster genuine dialogue. Each political party spoke past the other, addressing its own constituency, ensuring that clips went viral rather than contributing to meaningful deliberation. The objective was clear: to construct a Hindutva narrative ahead of the Bengal elections. Predictably, the Lok Sabha will likely expunge the opposition’s “controversial” remarks while retaining blatant inaccuracies voiced by ministers and ruling-party members. The BJP has mastered the art of inserting distortions into parliamentary records to provide them with a veneer of historical legitimacy.

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor*  This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.

The cost of being Indian: How inequality and market logic redefine rights

By Vikas Gupta   We, the people of India, are engaged in a daily tryst—read: struggle—for basic human rights. For the seemingly well-to-do, the wish list includes constant water supply, clean air, safe roads, punctual public transportation, and crime-free neighbourhoods. For those further down the ladder, the struggle is starker: food that fills the stomach, water that doesn’t sicken, medicines that don’t kill, houses that don’t flood, habitats at safe distances from polluted streams or garbage piles, and exploitation-free environments in the public institutions they are compelled to navigate.

Why India must urgently strengthen its policies for an ageing population

By Bharat Dogra   A quiet but far-reaching demographic transformation is reshaping much of the world. As life expectancy rises and birth rates fall, societies are witnessing a rapid increase in the proportion of older people. This shift has profound implications for public policy, and the need to strengthen frameworks for healthy and secure ageing has never been more urgent. India is among the countries where these pressures will intensify most sharply in the coming decades.

Thota Sitaramaiah: An internal pillar of an underground organisation

By Harsh Thakor*  Thota Sitaramaiah was regarded within his circles as an example of the many individuals whose work in various underground movements remained largely unknown to the wider public. While some leaders become visible through organisational roles or media attention, many others contribute quietly, without public recognition. Sitaramaiah was considered one such figure. He passed away on December 8, 2025, at the age of 65.

Proposals for Babri Masjid, Ram Temple spark fears of polarisation before West Bengal polls

By A Representative   A political debate has emerged in West Bengal following recent announcements about plans for new religious structures in Murshidabad district, including a proposed mosque to be named Babri Masjid and a separate announcement by a BJP leader regarding the construction of a Ram temple in another location within Behrampur.