Pessimism of the intellect, optimism of the will

I do not think so. The social welfare state came about, in part, because of the strength of public opinion, most spectacularly demonstrated when Winston Churchill was sent packing from Number 10 following World War Two. This, critically, also relied upon the rise of a strong labour movement dedicated toward moral progress and social change. It is surely no accident that the reassertion of "the vile maxim" has been accompanied by a major assault on organised labour.

I do not believe that neoliberalism demonstrates that we have experienced moral decay. The attitudes of the population have remained largely socially democratic, with strong shades of socialism and libertarianism, throughout the neoliberal era. Intellectual commentary and scholarly work has missed an important point here.

The neoliberal assault has occurred during a period of moral advance. That being the case, how have the two coexisted?

The key point is that neoliberalism has been accompanied by a major offensive against democracy. The objective, to a not inconsiderable degree successfully achieved, has been to shift accountability of government away from people and toward markets. This process lies at the core of the European debt crisis. When power is taken away from people and increasingly shifted toward corporations and markets it is possible for moral progress to coexist with moral decay.

The point here is this.

There are grounds for pessimism. However, if we can apply our moral sense and reconstruct our societies, up to and including systems of global order, to accord with moral principles it would be reasonable to be optimistic about our future prospects.

But this shall require overcoming a sense of despair and fatalism. It pays to be optimistic and to act upon that optimism. So though we might have grounds for pessimism it is surely rational for us, following Pascal, to become optimistic and to channel that optimism into dissidence and activism. The rewards could be huge, not just materially but also spiritually. The alternative is too ugly to even think about.

Another world is possible, if we rid ourselves of the masters of mankind.