Majic.iE

by Peter Harper

The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism by Naomi Klein

Free market capitalism is a deliberate creation to maintain and further the reach of those in power. This is the powerful argument put forward by one of the foremost investigative and pioneering journalists of our time, Naomi Klein.

Ms. Klein is also author of ‘No Logo’, a book which exposes the agenda followed by clothing manufacturers and their activities in the developing world.

The Shock Doctrine explores how capitalism and free market ideas has been forced on countries of the developing world following natural disasters. Ms. Klein uses examples of South America where entire generations of student economists were flown to the US and indoctrinated with economic ideas and methods fashionable there.

Perhaps the most explosive example of how disasters are being used to further right-wing free market economic models is the overhaul of the education system in New Orleans following hurricane Katrina. Of the few hundred public schools in the city, all but four were privatised, regardless of concerns over access to education and equality.

Many more examples are given in this persuasive and powerful commentary on the dominant economic theory of our time and its uses and abuses.
 

Links:

http://www.naomiklein.org/shock-doctrine

A video presentation of the author introducing the book and explaining its contents and arguments.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4231109320246838401

The Shock Doctrine is available to buy at

http://www.amazon.co.uk/