Capitalist Realism: Is There No Alternative? May 2026

: Even dissent is often neutralized by being transformed into consumer trends, such as "alternative" music or films that perform anti-capitalism for the audience while maintaining their status as commodities. Key Symptoms of Capitalist Realism

Fisher defines capitalist realism as the widespread sense that it is now impossible to even imagine a coherent alternative to capitalism. He highlights the famous slogan, often attributed to Fredric Jameson or Slavoj Žižek, that "it is easier to imagine the end of the world than the end of capitalism". Capitalist Realism: Is There no Alternative?

: Fisher argues that neoliberal ideology individualizes mental health struggles, treating depression and anxiety as private chemical imbalances rather than systemic responses to precarious living conditions. He calls for the "re-politicization" of mental health. : Even dissent is often neutralized by being

Fisher identifies several areas where the "realism" of capitalism creates profound societal and psychological crises: Capitalist Realism: Is There no Alternative?

: Despite promises of efficiency, neoliberalism has led to an explosion of bureaucracy, such as "mission statements" and constant self-auditing, which Fisher links to the concept of "reflexive impotence"—the feeling that even if things are bad, nothing can be done to change them.