The Shock Doctrine The Rise of Disaster Capitalism

Too much "evidence" to be discounted...I couldn't put it down until I got tired of hearing the same story repeated over and over and over and over. I guess that's the point...we never learn. Doesn't make for a good read, though. It's like a textbook, or like a book of recipes. Fascinating, but not something to pour over in a few sittings. I wonder how many reviewers read the whole damned...more

Too much "evidence" to be discounted...I couldn't put it down until I got tired of hearing the same story repeated over and over and over and over. I guess that's the point...we never learn. Doesn't make for a good read, though. It's like a textbook, or like a book of recipes. Fascinating, but not something to pour over in a few sittings. I wonder how many reviewers read the whole damned thing before joining the throngs who drool over everything Naomi Klein does. Nonetheless, I find the book compelling and I notice myself getting that much angrier with the rest of the world.   hide

Not exactly a light and fluffy read but this is a great piece of political non-fiction. Although some sections repeat history that I've already read about (Chilean coup), there is lots of recent information about the tsunami, Hurricane Katrina and the War in Iraq, and the subsequent privatization of services, that I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in politics. Tons of facts here that...more

Not exactly a light and fluffy read but this is a great piece of political non-fiction. Although some sections repeat history that I've already read about (Chilean coup), there is lots of recent information about the tsunami, Hurricane Katrina and the War in Iraq, and the subsequent privatization of services, that I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in politics. Tons of facts here that have to be known, like the aftermath of the tsunami and the resorts built on the shores of Indonesia after the waves hit. This isn't exactly a book you'll plow through, but it's pretty awesome. It's another excellent book by Naomi Klein.   hide

It shows how the Chicago school of economy under Friedman created an ideology that governed the IMF and World banks into favoring dictatorships that either created disaster or benefited from it (Louisana) in order to serve global corporations controlled by a few rich people to the detriment of many ordinary people.It shockingly shows how McGill University's Dr Cameron invented modern torture...more

It shows how the Chicago school of economy under Friedman created an ideology that governed the IMF and World banks into favoring dictatorships that either created disaster or benefited from it (Louisana) in order to serve global corporations controlled by a few rich people to the detriment of many ordinary people.It shockingly shows how McGill University's Dr Cameron invented modern torture techniques using electrochoc of the brain and how the USA spread its use in the world, especially in Latin America (Argentina, Chile, to name a few).Freedom is not synonymous with free-for-all markets.Perhaps (personal comment) as John Locke, the philosopher, was the inspirator of the American constitution, we need a new philosophy, a new set of guidelines to govern the present globalization.   hide

"A shocking and disturbing expose of the last 40 years exportation of neo-liberal "chicago school" economic doctrine around the world by the US and IMF from South America to Asia, South Africa to Iraq - and the effect of the "laissez faire", market forces economics upon emerging markets and ordinary people - with the restriction of democratic process and imposing of long terms contracts to...more

"A shocking and disturbing expose of the last 40 years exportation of neo-liberal "chicago school" economic doctrine around the world by the US and IMF from South America to Asia, South Africa to Iraq - and the effect of the "laissez faire", market forces economics upon emerging markets and ordinary people - with the restriction of democratic process and imposing of long terms contracts to overseas companies - against the wishes of the local electorate. How much of this could be a blueprint for the required "economic adjustment" now required with focus on slash and burn of public services to be replaced by "efficient" for-profit organisations? "   hide

Key books to read from 2007: Naomi Wolf's "The End of America", Naomi Klein's "Shock Doctrine", Al Gore's "Assault on Reason". many neoliberals are simply afraid of this book. some--the weak-minded, i suspect--simply insult klein and spew other ad hominem attacks. others pick on her "spin", which is a simple rejection of the thesis of disaster/conflict capitalism. others just trot out the tired...more

Key books to read from 2007: Naomi Wolf's "The End of America", Naomi Klein's "Shock Doctrine", Al Gore's "Assault on Reason". many neoliberals are simply afraid of this book. some--the weak-minded, i suspect--simply insult klein and spew other ad hominem attacks. others pick on her "spin", which is a simple rejection of the thesis of disaster/conflict capitalism. others just trot out the tired old bullshit of trickle-down economics voodoo. i've yet to read any serious critique of her accusations of economic genocide since 9.11.1973 that justify the deaths of millions for the profit of global economic pillagers. if these critiques exist, please forward them to me. essentially, neoliberals are uncomfortable when confronted with the human misery side of their global final solution [like fukuyama's end of history]. tens of thousands of people murdered and disappeared. tens of millions left destitute and today 3 billion people live on less than $2/day. since neoliberals can live tolerating this, they sicken me. essentially, neoliberals live in a state of mental denial, much like holocaust or global warming deniers, people with a personal self-interested stake in rejecting the data of their ideology: http://dgivista.org/2007/01/thing-about-deniers-holocaust-and.html klein, however, doesn't play up the class war elements of the whole issue, but that's what we're dealing with really. ultimately this book angered me, but in a constructive way. i knew lots of the data in it, but appreciated her frame of it in her thesis, which is not beyond debate [like The Corporation's thesis is intriguing but open for constructive criticism] but is nevertheless empowering. the last chapter was great but i wish it were 5 times longer with more of a road map of how to disappear neoliberalism and its anti-social proponents. i guess that's for us to figure out. time to roll up our sleeves. if you liked this, you'll love dr. seuss's The Lorax. especially because it is less than 5% the length. :) http://apps.facebook.com/ireadit/view/bookDetail.php?isbn=0394823370&prod=BOK-10373279-2&title=The+Lorax&refuid=535728464&src=myreads&auri= and once you read this one from klein, read the new one from the other naomi and get working on stopping the soft fascism creeping into the united states, canada and other places that should know better. http://apps.facebook.com/ireadit/view/bookDetail.php?isbn=1933392797&prod=BOK-15239256-1&title=The+End+of+America+Letter+of+Warning+to+a+Young+Patriot&refuid=535728464&src=search&auri= push back folks. the bastards are on the run...with our money.   hide

The Shock Doctrine is one of the most important, and most terrifying, books you will ever read. It is the comprehensively researched and compellingly argued history of the dark side of modern global free-market capitalism. Klein shows how the free-market fundamentalist prescriptions of influential economist Milton Friedman (deregulation of industry, privatization of public assets, elimination of...more

The Shock Doctrine is one of the most important, and most terrifying, books you will ever read. It is the comprehensively researched and compellingly argued history of the dark side of modern global free-market capitalism. Klein shows how the free-market fundamentalist prescriptions of influential economist Milton Friedman (deregulation of industry, privatization of public assets, elimination of government spending on social services) have inspired a group of corporatist ideologues to rise to the highest reaches of power in both the American government (Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld) and the international institutions that rule the global economy (IMF, World Bank, WTO). Essential to this view is that lasting economic reform can be most effectively implemented only in response to a national catastrophe. Klein shows how nation after nation has been devastated by neoliberal economic “reforms” imposed on peoples who have been “shocked and awed” into submission by overwhelming catastrophe, whether in the form of “natural” disasters resulting from global climate change (tsunamis, hurricanes), American-sponsored “regime changes.” or war. She shows how dissent has been controlled in each case by the most brutal forms of repression, murder, and torture. Klein takes us around the globe from Chili, to Russia, to South Africa, to SE Asia, to New Orleans, to Israel, to Iraq, and many other places detailing the consequences of the rise of disaster capitalism. She goes on to document how a globally unrestricted and unending War on Terror is simply the logical extension and natural environment of the disaster capitalism complex. The global economy as a whole is now increasingly dependent on industries that profit on the prospect of biological and environmental catastrophe and unending war (whether in terms of prevention, implementation, or reconstruction); industries in which the rulers of the world are deeply invested.   hide

This should be required reading for anyone who wants to have a serious discussion about political science, economic policy, and modern global history. The discourse about this book has only served to strengthen Naomi Klein's observations and theses. I have read a number of attacks from the right side of the political spectrum about this book (I'm looking at you, Economist), and not one of...more

This should be required reading for anyone who wants to have a serious discussion about political science, economic policy, and modern global history. The discourse about this book has only served to strengthen Naomi Klein's observations and theses. I have read a number of attacks from the right side of the political spectrum about this book (I'm looking at you, Economist), and not one of them has assailed any of the factual examples Klein provides to support her thesis of disaster capitalism. They are using conventional wisdom and preconceived biases against Klein due to her previous work and known leftist political views in order to cast off the book as an anti-free market screed. In actuality, she leaves her own political views out of this book for the most part (you can still feel classic Naomi Klein here and there though), and she just presents fact after fact. Many of the criticisms I have read of this book are from people who admit to having not even read it, so there is no way they can possibly understand the points she makes. But for those who have read and criticized it as a left-wing polemic, they are either not paying attention while reading, or they are simply choosing ignorance over understanding. I say this because I have seen no critic even bring up this vital thesis contained in the book: corporatism, disguised as "free-market" capitalism, has proven time and time again to be at odds with democracy. Disaster capitalism has been necessary to push through radical right wing policy because people don't like these policies and they always vote against them. I could go on forever about this book...but I suggest you read it with a highly analytical eye. Her research assistant has been putting up the source documents cited in the book on the website which is a wonderful resource for those of us who want to do further research: www.theshockdoctrine.com   hide

This book has not been researched well. Many of the quotes are out of context, and just plain wrong. Consider for example, her discussion on Friedman’s legacy. The positive press Friedman received following his death is described by Klein as ‘a fairy-tale version of history, scrubbed clean of all the violence and coercion so intimately entwined with this crusade’. She...more

This book has not been researched well. Many of the quotes are out of context, and just plain wrong. Consider for example, her discussion on Friedman’s legacy. The positive press Friedman received following his death is described by Klein as ‘a fairy-tale version of history, scrubbed clean of all the violence and coercion so intimately entwined with this crusade’. She instead describes how Friedman spent the pre-Thatcher/Regan years in the ‘intellectual wilderness’ where ‘few listened’ to him. The evidence? She writes that ‘Friedman was dismissively described by Time in 1969 as “a pixie or a pest”, and revered as a prophet by only a select few’. This quote by Time magazine is the only piece of evidence she cites to suggest that Friedman was not taken seriously before the 1980s. But when you actually look at the article referred to, it doesn’t say that at all. In fact, it’s the opposite. The Time article reads: "Friedman, a 57-year-old economics professor at the University of Chicago, is still regarded by critics as a pixie or a pest, but he has reached the scholar's pinnacle: leadership of a whole school of economic thought. It is called the "Chicago school," and its growing band of followers argues that money supply is by far the most important and fastest-acting of the economic regulators at the Government's disposal. Friedman has succeeded in persuading many leading economists to adopt his monetary theories, at least in part." So she attributes the attack on Friedman to TIME's own opinion, but the magazine was clearly just referring to critics, while praising Friedman's success as persuading 'leading economists'! "Maybe if right wingers didn't embody an agenda that put a target and dollar sign on everything and everyone they wouldn't need to be opposed" Silly generalizations like this make the book qualify for drivel. Naomi Klein's book treats 'right wingers' like some kind of obscure alien race designed to destroy humanity. Unfortunately, they're just normal people who have viewpoints that she doesn't agree with. Some are good people, some are not. Deal with it.   hide

Klein takes case studies that many of us who are involved in politics in general, and global struggles in particular, are aware of and goes into detail that connects them to the Chicago School, (Friedman fundamentalist neo-con Economics). I highly recommend it. It is not a difficult read either, Klein's journalistic style is very accessible. I particularly appreciated the chapter on South...more

Klein takes case studies that many of us who are involved in politics in general, and global struggles in particular, are aware of and goes into detail that connects them to the Chicago School, (Friedman fundamentalist neo-con Economics). I highly recommend it. It is not a difficult read either, Klein's journalistic style is very accessible. I particularly appreciated the chapter on South Africa. I have a much better understanding now of what went down to incapacitate the 'revolutionary' post apartheid government and how the doctrine and its means/logic continues to wreak havoc in much of the world, and not just in the developing world. Tehcnocrats and their logic of impotent efficiency is catching on as cynical reason becomes a dominant force across the political spectrum and around the world... Canada is no exception. Political Organizer, Montreal, Canada.Klein takes case studies that many of us who are involved in politics in general, and global struggles in particular, are aware of and goes into detail that connects them to the Chicago School, (Friedman fundamentalist neo-con Economics). I highly recommend it. It is not a difficult read either, Klein's journalistic style is very accessible. I particularly appreciated the chapter on South Africa. I have a much better understanding now of what went down to incapacitate the 'revolutionary' post apartheid government and how the doctrine and its means/logic continues to wreak havoc in much of the world, and not just in the developing world. As soon as t is suggested to separate out the economic from the political you know you're dealing with technocrats. Tehcnocrats, unfortunately, are all the rage; their logic of impotent efficiency is catching on as cynical reason becomes a dominant force across the political spectrum and around the world... Canada is no exception. Montreal, Canada.   hide