The Secret Bureaucracy of Neoliberalism: Why More Paperwork Means Less Freedom

Neoliberalism promised to dismantle old bureaucratic structures in favor of flexibility, decentralization, and market-driven innovation. Yet, paradoxically, bureaucracy has not disappeared—it has intensified and mutated into a new form Mark Fisher calls 'market Stalinism.' Far from liberating workers, this regime of administrative overload and surveillance saps creativity and autonomy.

Imagine a workplace where employees receive multiple memos about trivial tasks, such as placing cover sheets on reports, or where expressing individuality through 'flair' is mandated but strictly controlled. These absurdities highlight how bureaucratic anti-production consumes time and energy, diverting attention from meaningful work to endless compliance.

Moreover, surveillance has decentralized. Workers now audit themselves, internalizing managerial control and becoming their own overseers. This permanent monitoring creates psychological burdens, fostering anxiety and demoralization. The culture of audits and performance metrics extends into education, healthcare, and public services, where targets often overshadow genuine quality.

This blog draws on Fisher’s analysis and contemporary workplace studies to reveal the hidden costs of neoliberal bureaucracy and the challenges it poses to freedom and resistance.

For more on these dynamics, consult Mark Fisher’s works and summaries on brieflane.com and Wikipedia. 1 3