The Shock Doctrine - The Rise of Disaster Capitalism

**The bestselling author of No Logo shows how the global free market has exploited crises and shock for three decades, from Chile to Iraq In her groundbreaking reporting over the past few years, Naomi Klein introduced the term disaster capitalism. Whether covering Baghdad after the U.S. occupation, Sri Lanka in the wake of the tsunami, or New Orleans post-Katrina, she witnessed something remarkably similar. People still reeling from catastrophe were being hit again, this time with economic shock treatment, losing their land and homes to rapid-fire corporate makeovers. The Shock Doctrine retells the story of the most dominant ideology of our time, Milton Friedman s free market economic revolution. In contrast to the popular myth of this movement s peaceful global victory, Klein shows how it has exploited moments of shock and extreme violence in order to implement its economic policies in so many parts of the world from Latin America and Eastern Europe to South Africa, Russia, and Iraq. At the core of disaster capitalism is the use of cataclysmic events to advance radical privatization combined with the privatization of the disaster response itself. Klein argues that by capitalizing on crises, created by nature or war, the disaster capitalism complex now exists as a booming new economy, and is the violent culmination of a radical economic project that has been incubating for fifty years. **Amazon.com Review Naomi Klein's The Shock Doctrine advances a truly unnerving argument: historically, while people were reeling from natural disasters, wars and economic upheavals, savvy politicians and industry leaders nefariously implemented policies that would never have passed during less muddled times. As Klein demonstrates, this reprehensible game of bait-and-switch isn't just some relic from the bad old days. It's alive and well in contemporary society, and coming soon to a disaster area near you. "At the most chaotic juncture in Iraq'' civil war, a new law is unveiled that will allow Shell and BP to claim the country's vast oil reserves... Immediately following September 11, the Bush Administration quietly outsources the running of the 'War on Terror' to Halliburton and Blackwater... After a tsunami wipes out the coasts of Southeast Asia, the pristine beaches are auctioned off to tourist resorts... New Orleans residents, scattered from Hurricane Katrina, discover that their public housing, hospitals and schools will never be re-opened." Klein not only kicks butt, she names names, notably economist Milton Friedman and his radical Chicago School of the 1950s and 60s which she notes "produced many of the leading neo-conservative and neo-liberal thinkers whose influence is still profound in Washington today." Stand up and take a bow, Donald Rumsfeld. There's little doubt Klein's book--which arrived to enormous attention and fanfare thanks to her previous missive, the best-selling No Logo , will stir the ire of the right and corporate America. It's also true that Klein's assertions are coherent, comprehensively researched and footnoted, and she makes a very credible case. Even if the world isn't going to hell in a hand-basket just yet, it's nice to know a sharp customer like Klein is bearing witness to the backroom machinations of government and industry in times of turmoil. -- Kim Hughes**** EDITORIAL REVIEW: **The bestselling author of *No Logo* shows how the global free market has exploited crises and shock for three decades, from Chile to Iraq** In her groundbreaking reporting over the past few years, Naomi Klein introduced the term disaster capitalism. Whether covering Baghdad after the U.S. occupation, Sri Lanka in the wake of the tsunami, or New Orleans post-Katrina, she witnessed something remarkably similar. People still reeling from catastrophe were being hit again, this time with economic shock treatment, losing their land and homes to rapid-fire corporate makeovers. *The Shock Doctrine* retells the story of the most dominant ideology of our time, Milton Friedman s free market economic revolution. In contrast to the popular myth of this movement s peaceful global victory, Klein shows how it has exploited moments of shock and extreme violence in order to implement its economic policies in so many parts of the world from Latin America and Eastern Europe to South Africa, Russia, and Iraq. At the core of disaster capitalism is the use of cataclysmic events to advance radical privatization combined with the privatization of the disaster response itself. Klein argues that by capitalizing on crises, created by nature or war, the disaster capitalism complex now exists as a booming new economy, and is the violent culmination of a radical economic project that has been incubating for fifty years. Social Science,Government & Business,21st century,Globalization,Middle East,Political Science,International,Middle East - General,Modern - 21st Century,Financial crises,Finance,Business,Economic Conditions,Economic History,Current Events,Economics,Capitalism,Disaster Relief Services,Business & Economics,History,Modern,Disasters & Disaster Relief,General,Nonfiction,Politics,Free Enterprise Content: Introduction : Blank is beautiful, three decades of erasing and remaking the world -- Two doctor shocks, research and development: Torture lab, Ewen Cameron, the CIA and the maniacal quest to erase and remake the human mind Other Doctor Shock, Milton Friedman and the search for a laissez-faire laboratory -- First test, birth pangs: States of shock, the bloody birth of the counterrevolution Cleaning the slate, terror does its work "Entirely unrelated", how an ideology was cleansed of its crimes -- Surviving democracy, bombs made of laws: Saved by a war, Thatcherism and its useful enemies New Doctor Shock, economic warfare replaces dictatorship Crisis works, the packaging of shock therapy -- Lost in transition, while we wept, while we trembled, while we danced: Slamming the door on history, a crisis in Poland, a massacre in China Democracy born in chains, South Africa's constricted freedom Bonfire of a young democracy, Russia chooses "the Pinochet option" Capitalist Id, Russia and the new era of the boor market Let it burn, the looting of Asia and "the fall of a second Berlin Wall" -- Shocking times, the rise of the disaster capitalism complex: Shock therapy in the U.S.A., the Homeland Security bubble Corporatist state, removing the revolving door, putting in an archway -- Iraq, full circle, overshock: Erasing Iraq, in search of a "model" for the Middle East Ideological blowback, a very capitalist disaster Full circle, from blank slate to scorched earth -- Movable green zone, buffer zones and blast walls: Blanking the beach, "the second tsunami" Disaster apartheid, a world of green zones and red zones Losing the peace incentive, Israel as warning -- Conclusion : Shock wears off, the rise of people's reconstruction. Introduction : Blank Is Beautiful : Three Decades Of Erasing And Remaking The World -- The Torture Lab : Ewen Cameron, The Cia And The Maniacal Quest To Erase And Remake The Human Mind -- The Other Doctor Shock : Milton Friedman And The Search For A Laissez-faire Laboratory -- States Of Shock : The Bloody Birth Of The Counterrevolution -- Cleaning The Slate : Terror Does Its Work -- Entirely Unrelated : How An Ideology Was Cleansed Of Its Crimes -- Saved By A War : Thatcherism And Its Useful Enemies -- The New Doctor Shock : Economic Warfare Replaces Dictatorship -- Crisis Works : The Packaging Of Shock Therapy -- Slamming The Door On History : A Crisis In Poland, A Massacre In China -- Democracy Born In Chains : South Africa's Constricted Freedom -- Bonfire Of A Young Democracy : Russia Chooses The Pinochet Option -- The Capitalist Id : Russia And The New Era Of The Boor Market -- Let It Burn : The Looting Of Asia And The Fall Of A Second Berlin Wall -- Shock Therapy In The U.s.a. : The Homeland Security Bubble -- A Corporatist State : Removing The Revolving Door, Putting In An Archway -- Erasing Iraq : In Search Of A Model For The Middle East -- Ideological Blowback : A Very Capitalist Disaster -- Full Circle : From Blank Slate To Scorched Earth -- Blanking The Beach : The Second Tsunami -- Disaster Apartheid : A World Of Green Zones And Red Zones -- Losing The Peace Incentive : Israel As Warning -- Conclusion : Shock Wears Off : The Rise Of People's Reconstruction. Naomi Klein. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. [This book] explores the myth that the global free market triumphed democratically ... [It] traces the intellectual origins of disaster capitalism back to the University of Chicago's economics department under Milton Friedman, whose influence is still felt around the world. [The book] draws ... connections among economic policy, "shock and awe" warfare and the covert CIA-funded experiments in electroshock and sensory deprivation that shaped the torture manuals used today in Guantanamo Bay. [The author] shows how the deliberate use of the shock doctrine produced world-changing events, from Pinochet's coup in Chile in 1973 to the Tiananmen Square Massacre in 1989 and the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.-Dust jacket. Read more... Abstract: [This book] explores the myth that the global free market triumphed democratically ... [It] traces the intellectual origins of disaster capitalism back to the University of Chicago's economics department under Milton Friedman, whose influence is still felt around the world. [The book] draws ... connections among economic policy, "shock and awe" warfare and the covert CIA-funded experiments in electroshock and sensory deprivation that shaped the torture manuals used today in Guantanamo Bay. [The author] shows how the deliberate use of the shock doctrine produced world-changing events, from Pinochet's coup in Chile in 1973 to the Tiananmen Square Massacre in 1989 and the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.-Dust jacket In her ground-breaking reporting from Iraq, Naomi Klein exposed how the trauma of invasion was being exploited to remake the country in the interest of foreign corporations. She called it "disaster capitalism." Covering Sri Lanka in the wake of the tsunami, and New Orleans post-Katrina, she witnessed something remarkably similar. People still reeling from catastrophe were being hit again, this time with economic "shock treatment" losing their land and homes to rapid-fire corporate makeovers. The Shock Doctrine retells the story of the most dominant ideology of our time, Milton Friedman's free market economic revolution. In contrast to the popular myth of this movement's peaceful global victory, Klein shows how it has exploited moments of shock and extreme violence in order to implement its economic policies in so many parts of the world from Latin America and Eastern Europe to South Africa, Russia, and Iraq. At the core of disaster capitalism is the use of cataclysmic events to advance radical privatization combined with the privatization of the disaster response itself. By capitalizing on crises, created by nature or war, Klein argues that the disaster capitalism complex now exists as a booming new economy, and is the violent culmination of a radical economic project that has been incubating for fifty years. **The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism** is a 2007 book by the Canadian author and social activist Naomi Klein. In the book, Klein argues that neoliberal free market policies (as advocated by the economist Milton Friedman) have risen to prominence in some developed countries because of a deliberate strategy of "shock therapy". This centers on the exploitation of national crises (disasters or upheavals) to establish controversial and questionable policies, while citizens are too distracted (emotionally and physically) to engage and develop an adequate response, and resist effectively. The book advances the idea that some man-made events, such as the Iraq War, were undertaken with the intention of pushing through such unpopular policies in their wake. Some reviewers criticized the book for making what they viewed as simplifications of political phenomena, while others lauded it as a compelling and important work. The book served as the main source of a 2009 documentary feature film with the same title directed by Michael Winterbottom. (Source: [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shock_Doctrine)) Journalist Klein introduced the term "disaster capitalism." Whether covering Baghdad after the U.S. occupation, Sri Lanka after the tsunami, or New Orleans post-Katrina, she witnessed remarkably similar events: people still reeling were hit again, this time with economic "shock treatment," losing their land and homes to corporate makeovers. This book retells the story of Milton Friedman's free-market economic revolution. In contrast to the myth of this movement's peaceful global victory, Klein shows how it has exploited moments of shock and extreme violence in order to implement its economic policies. At its core is the use of cataclysmic events to advance radical privatization combined with the privatization of the disaster response itself. Klein argues that by capitalizing on crises, created by nature or war, the disaster capitalism complex now exists as a booming new economy, the violent culmination of a radical economic project that has been incubating for fifty years.--From publisher description An introduction to the concept of "disaster capitalism" offers an exposGe of how the global "free market" has exploited crises, violence, and shock over the past three decades to promote radical privatization that benefits large corporations and powerful interest groups.