The possibility of being as free with the camera as we are with the pen is a fantastic prospect for the creative life of the 21st century.
Carlos FuentesRead
In a world torn by every kind of fundamentalism - religious, ethnic, nationalist and tribal - we must grant first place to economic fundamentalism, with its religious conviction that the market, left to its own devices, is capable of resolving all our problems. This faith has its own ayatollahs. Its church is neo-liberalism; its creed is profit; its prayers are for monopolies.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote critiques the dominance of economic fundamentalism in society, which assumes that free markets can solve all issues.
Carlos Fuentes argues that in a world rife with various forms of fundamentalism, the most pervasive is economic fundamentalism, which believes wholeheartedly in the power of the free market to resolve societal problems. By likening this belief to a religion, he highlights how the ideologies behind neoliberalism prioritize profit and monopolies above all else, positioning these economic doctrines as the new orthodoxy that shapes modern life.
Themes
Economic FundamentalismNeoliberalismMarketProfitProblems
In practice
Example use cases
During a debate on economic policies, one could quote Fuentes to emphasize the dangers of prioritizing market solutions over social justice.
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You have an absolute freedom in Mexican writing today in which you don't necessarily have to deal with the Mexican identity. You know why? Because we have an identity... We know who we are. We know what it means to be a Mexican.
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