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"Shock Doctrine" The New Book By Naomi Klein watch!

youtube.com — It has been working for governments for ages. Isn't it time we gave them a dose of thier own medicine. If they like shock and its results so much lets give in to them. In the form of ELECTRIC CHAIRS!!!

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  • yellowcakewalk, on 06/23/2008, -13/+105It's not a new book, but it is an excellent book. Read Naomi Klein's "Shock Doctrine".
    • VicHislop, on 06/25/2008, -1/+4It is new to paperback!

      Agreed. Definitely a great read. (As always from Klein.)
    • ALink2ThePast, on 06/25/2008, -2/+2I read part of this for my history class,
      Personally, I hated it and thought it was way over the top but I'm guessing the Digg community would disagree.
    • QuantumBios, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2Also, read "War Is A Racket" by Smedley Butler USMC. Wiki him also, follow up.
    • rcook18, on 07/30/2008, -0/+1Milton Friedman should be tried for war crimes posthumously.
  • Bushlied, on 06/23/2008, -11/+67Good read. I suggest,
    The End of America
    The Revolution Manifesto by Ron Paul.
    The Grand Chessboard
    The Plot to Steal the White House.
    All good books for those very rare breeds that actually read.
    • ThatDustyGuy, on 06/23/2008, -36/+2If Democrats Had Any Brains, They'd Be Republicans by Ann Coulter is also a good read.
      • apothekari, on 06/24/2008, -2/+22I dunno about a good read but I have a copy that has about five pages left in it that I use to pick up ***** or anything else gross that I physically don't want to touch {I mean touch any less than the pages of her piffle}
        Which reminds me time to steal another armload of them from any local bookstore dumb enough to still stock her.
        If Democrats Had Any Brains, They'd Be Republicans by Ann Coulter- best ***** available and it's free!
        • Joet1980, on 06/25/2008, -2/+9I ***** lold
        • flogistan, on 06/25/2008, -0/+8I had to look up piffle. I thought it meant that lump in her throat for a minute.
      • infinitus64, on 06/25/2008, -0/+5i have a blog you should read by one of my favorite authors here is the url http://*****.blogspot.com/
      • flashback99, on 06/25/2008, -2/+2Wait, Republicans can read? (and write?) Nah, I don't believe you.
      • pgoetz, on 06/25/2008, -0/+6Seriously, Ann Coulter is an idiot who just makes ***** up. Not every conservative thinker is a brainless bimbo, but Ann Coulter certainly is; and by recommending her book, you reveal yourself to be one, too.
    • SuckMyDigg, on 06/25/2008, -0/+5Another good book is God Wants You Dead.
    • pintomp3, on 06/25/2008, -0/+3i would add to that list:

      Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich
      Nobodies by John Bowe
    • DownloadThis, on 06/25/2008, -0/+4Neil Gaiman is pretty awesome too.
    • Xondar, on 06/25/2008, -0/+9Also the Blowback trilogy by Chalmers Johnson: Blowback, The Sorrows of Empire, and Nemesis: The Last Days of the American Republic.

      I read The End of America, Nemesis: The Last Days of the American Republic, and Shock Doctrine in one week, and I was pretty depressed afterwards.
    • facereplacer, on 06/25/2008, -0/+10"Everybody Poops" is as poignant now as it ever was.
      • sodade, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2Damn you for making me clean tea off my screen.
        • KarthVader, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1I laughed so hard, milk came out my nose.
    • anselm83, on 06/25/2008, -1/+2Pretty ironic that you'd put a staunch Libertarian on your reading list since Naomi Klein absolutely devastates Libertarian economic theory...
      • nkleffman, on 06/25/2008, -1/+3she does no such thing. she points out the problems with our current 'capitalist free market' - which is anything but but free.

        How can you call it a free market when you have private central banks completely controlling and planning the most important part of the market - the money!
        • anselm83, on 06/25/2008, -1/+1Klein systematically attacks true laissez-faire economics (showing it to be inimical to real democracy), which is the bedrock of libertarian economics. Ron Paul may attack a lot of the Neo-con *****, but at root he's still in their theoretical backyard. You either didn't read Shock Doctrine or have some serious ideological blinders on.
        • digitalhair, on 06/25/2008, -1/+1it's not a contest..I think we can all get behind Klein's patriotic call for the restoration of accountability...
  • FrankHope, on 06/23/2008, -5/+83Naomi Klein mentions Richard Armitage. Google Richard Armitage. You won't believe the stuff this guy is involved in. From outing Valerie Plame, to Abu Ghraib, to Iran Contra. Wherever there is some highly illegal activity involving the US government, this guy is there.
    http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Richard ...
    How was someone like that ever second-in-command at the State Department, serving from 2001 to 2005? He's CIA all the way. A very shady character even by Neocon standards.
    • DalamarArgent, on 06/25/2008, -2/+1Odd, that entire comment read like multiple references to video games and anime.
      • revisrev, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2Yea, I read it, and it's like Snake talking to the Colonel.

        Colonel: Naomi mentioned Richard Armitage. You won't believe the stuff this guy is involved in, from Abu Ghraib to Iran Contra... Wherever there is some highly illegal activity involving the US government, this guy is there.

        Snake: How was someone like that ever second-in-command at the State Department?

        Colonel: He's CIA all the way... a very shady character, even by Neocon Standards.
    • sporg, on 06/25/2008, -0/+5Its CIA all the way down.
  • onyxcoltrane, on 06/23/2008, -9/+54This is a great book, Highly recommended.
  • DavidYeah, on 06/23/2008, -10/+44This book should be read by every high school student in America. I'd place this one up there right next to Animal Farm, The Jungle, and 1984.
    • solid12345, on 06/25/2008, -8/+2You sure are misunderstood, Ms. Klein is the leader pig in Animal Farm promising revolution when she is out to just mold society in the totalitarian system SHE thinks is right.
      • DavidYeah, on 06/25/2008, -0/+6I somehow doubt you read the book. Where the hell did she promise revolution in any of her writings, and I've read two of her three major publications.

        It's amazing that you look at the use of government to physically attack other countries that aren't as pro-capitalist as America would like them to be, and say that it's Klein that is the totalitarianist.

        the point of the book is a criticsm of the use of physical force to "shock" left-leaning economies into being too disoriented to react. Meaning people are so focuand on just surviving day to day that they don't notice the social safety net being cut right out from underneath them. Then rushing in pro free market, anti-democratic politicians in that will cut away social safety nets of all manner and let "the market" decide the fate of everyone.

        This "shock and awe" strategy has taken flourishing economies and crushed them to the point where they couldn't reform.
  • sylvok, on 06/23/2008, -21/+2Learn to sync sound
  • iPirate, on 06/23/2008, -21/+9New? This book came out last year.
    • MarkEarhart, on 06/24/2008, -2/+29All books are new to a society that never reads.
  • digitalhair, on 06/23/2008, -2/+30...reading this book is critical to understanding the "errors" "mistakes" and "failures" of this government committed by the "errorists" in charge of it for the past 8+ years...
    • cambob76, on 06/25/2008, -0/+6very clever... errorists. Like, "oops, we're doing such a horrible job, but you'll forgive us because mistakes happen. Country is going down the toilet, but we mean well... No need to fire anyone or have anyone take responsiblility because we all mistakes and besides we can't recall what happened... stop playing the blame game." sigh...
      • relic180, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2I don't really know how you read it, but I read it as a play on words. That it's an "error" on our part that they took power, and that they're "terrorists". And you have "errorists".
        Maybe?
        • digitalhair, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1they pass off deliberate acts of disregard for ethics, morality, laws, accountability, justice, and human life as "accidents" beyond their control when they are the primary financial benefactors of conditions brought forth by such "errors" or "failures," thus making them the very "errorists" that their self-perpetuated War on Terror never seems to be able to find way over in the mountains at the Pakistani/Afghan border.

          Wait... I could be wrong about that... look how much progress they have made:
          http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGhGHxw0mSo
  • Petrarch1603, on 06/23/2008, -29/+7The only thing that's shocking is the Cuaron video. Isn't ironic that Naomi accuses neo-cons of shocking people into accepting capitalism with a video that is itself shock propaganda
    • Xondar, on 06/25/2008, -1/+7Judging by your comment, I can tell you have no idea at all what she means by "shock." Why don't you educate yourself before you spout off nonsense.
  • FrankHope, on 06/24/2008, -5/+29There is a short video about The Shock Doctrine:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kieyjfZDUIc
  • jlemaire, on 06/24/2008, -7/+10Nothing new about it, nevertheless it explains alot in our current situation.
  • lolwell, on 06/25/2008, -4/+16Not new, but awesome read it.
  • Stryder81, on 06/25/2008, -6/+18She will be speaking at the Revolution March.

    RevolutionMarch.Com
    • Vhaeos, on 06/25/2008, -0/+5I don't see her listed on the RevolutionMarch.Com. She is ideologically opposed to Ron Paul on many things.. not sure she'd be the best candidate for a speaker slot at the March.
    • wevegotthejazz, on 06/25/2008, -1/+2I think you're referring to Naomi Wolf
  • MendotaLee, on 06/25/2008, -1/+15I can't stand these ***** crooks...
  • cl2yp71c, on 06/25/2008, -9/+18omg...I just recently read it.

    It's a must-read for anyone who wants to understand how this '*****" as well as many others operate.
    Capitalism has gone to far.
  • pintomp3, on 06/25/2008, -5/+17it's a long read, especially when you are trying to absorb the wealth of information she presents. she really did a lot of research for this book. the analysis and historical examples she cites of the havoc the chicago school boys have wrecked on the world are thorough and spot on. it will burst many of the perceptions that people have of our past foreign policies and the free market ideology that milton friedman extolled.
  • DocOrpheus, on 06/25/2008, -3/+13Intense, intelligent, a shocking book in the truest sense. Definitely a must read.
  • Cameljock, on 06/25/2008, -6/+14Greed sux.
    • solid12345, on 06/25/2008, -6/+2Then quit your job, it is greedy to work a job and make more money than the bare essentials of food, water, and a bed.
      • relic180, on 06/25/2008, -0/+5You're confusing greed with drive.
        Working to buy a nice house, nice car, good food, comfortable cloths, and a big bed, is not the same as destroying countless lives so that you can grab billions upon billions for yourself.
  • Borramakot, on 06/25/2008, -14/+7Let me say up front, I haven't read the book, only excerpts from her articles, but she seems to rarely make an argument, all she seems to do is write articles as glue in order to put words with strong negative connotations next to the names of people she opposes. I am not saying she wrong on all counts, only that she seems to really say nothing.
    • pintomp3, on 06/25/2008, -1/+6try reading the book. the negative connotations make sense once you realize what some of these people have done.
    • Xondar, on 06/25/2008, -1/+6The book puts everything in historical perspective and she's obviously done her research and she cites everything.
    • wickensworth, on 06/25/2008, -0/+7Let me say up front, I haven't read Animal Farm, only seen animals, but the book seems to rarely make an argument, all it does is show a bunch of barnyard animals with strong negative connotations about farming. I'm not saying it's wrong, just that the book says nothing except stuff about farming
  • GorfTron, on 06/25/2008, -2/+5This is old but should be watched regularly.
  • fugazied, on 06/25/2008, -11/+5If Noam Chomsky is to Naomi Klein what a fine scotch is to budweiser light beer.
    • Owwmykneecap, on 06/25/2008, -1/+3As grammar is to your sentence?
    • relic180, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2If your comment is to purple, as things that bounce are to yesterday, then you must acquit.
  • FunnyBunnyBo, on 06/25/2008, -3/+4Not new to me, but probably new to many others.

    And certainly worth repeat mentionings.
  • Pirate45, on 06/25/2008, -18/+19She obviously doesn't have a clear understanding of what a true free market is. We don't have true lassiez faire capitalism in this country anymore and haven't had it for a long time. The problem that she is referring to is corporatism. Companies are using the force of government and are gaining monopolies, and stomping out competition through government regulation, and licensing. And then they use their influence in the government to have wars fought for money and resources. Why do you think many of these corporations become so powerful? If we had a true free market in this country we wouldn't be having this problem. Individuals and companies would be free to offer their products and services and compete without these special government privileges and monopolies. That would help to level the playing field for everybody. Government needs to stay out of business so that it's power cannot be harnessed by those corporations that wish to cut competition and increase their global influence. Government needs to protect people's rights and property. That's it! Everything else can be done by the individuals on a voluntary basis. Maybe then we'll all get along better.
    • SemDD, on 06/25/2008, -5/+6acually, she stresses much on the point of having a rule of law, or on the effects due to the lack thereof.
      Even the most hardline freemarket uber-master and evangelist, Greenspan repeats time and again on the necessity of law and its effectiveness. He just can't make a solid argment without it and he knows it. exposing continuously the loopholes and debugging the laws and regulations is the way to prevent such profit-mongers.
      Naomi has a very, very strong writing style, full of force and gravity and this is rare and deserves public broadcast.
      transparency and law CAN make the difference. or else comes the fog of the new war...
    • Xondar, on 06/25/2008, -5/+13*****. Read the book before you defend your idea of free market capitalism.

      In reality, there is absolutely no way to have an absolute and complete free market. Someone or something will always game the system.
    • digitalhair, on 06/25/2008, -3/+13save your breath defending capitalism. It's an ideal that's timelessly exploited by the aristocracy just as much as any other...

      I think Klein's book makes this point very clear without undermining the viability of free markets as an academic concept.

      She makes this distinction by using the phrase "disaster capitalism" to characterize the true intentions of aristocrats that sell the free market ideology to the Public as a deceptive ruse - one that is intended to subvert their lack of access to information into support for endless wars, propogating unlimited profits and further exploitation.
      • solid12345, on 06/25/2008, -4/+4I'll have plenty of breath defending capitalism, our capitalist system gave you this computer to chat on, it would never exist under a pure socialist system because the state wouldn't find much use to produce computers in their planned economy, they would only be good for subverting the worker's state by giving free access to information.
        • slabdigger, on 06/25/2008, -2/+10a combination of capitalism and socialism gave us this computer and this internet. Pure capitalism rapidly becomes gangstarism. It is only through government enforced laws that commerce does not devolve into violence.
        • relic180, on 06/25/2008, -0/+7The computers we have were designed and built by people. To assume people would never design and build computers outside of Capitalism is a disregard for logic. We have no idea what WOULD have happened under a different political system, and to assume we do is naive and likely just wrong.
        • digitalhair, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2@solid12345:

          I knew somebody would react this way because this is how they want you to react. It's a symptom of the fraud that has been perpetuated by the aristocracy in question.

          Klein's whole point is that we are NOT witnessing free market capitalism (in Iraq for example), we're just TOLD that we are so that any attempt someone makes at pointing out this reality can easily be subverted into a senseless point-counterpoint discussion about the value of Capitalism vs. Socialism vs. Communism blah blah blah blah blah.

          Instead, we should realize that we are, in fact, witnessing the same fascist fraud that sold the Germans in WWII complicit acceptance for a foreign policy of murderous imperialism in exchange for a promise of financial relief from economic despair, when, in fact, the economic crisis that perpetuated the hardship that motivated support for the Nazi imperialists was created by the same Nazi-financing profiteers that swooped in and used WAR under false pretenses to "save" the Germans from the market conditions they intentionally created = DISASTER CAPITALISM.

          hmmm... IRAQ... no bid contracts, rising oil prices even though we have our hand in Iraq's cookie jar, billions unaccounted for, endless conversion of our public tax dollars going into private investment for services our own military can provide (Blackwater), plundering of America's tax reserves by foreign contractors (think foreign Halliburton subsidiaries that skirt paying the taxes that fund them) under the guise of competition - the outrageous Federal Tax on our labor and wages that is flowing out of our pockets and into those of foreign economies under the guise of privatization, directly fueling the prosperity we see in historically impoverished foreign markets [that's what I think anyways]...

          All of this, while we watch OUR economy BUCKLE under the weight of our own egotistical trust in our ability to determine the outcome by carefully choosing which international corporation to buy goods from as our sense of civic duty compels us to combat this artificial recession with patriotic spending... all this malarky fueled by our own complacency about the real imperialism taking place, entertained by the promise of this "free market" charade.

          Capitalism would be perfect if people didn't tolerate en mass the brazen aristocratic disregard for the honor and necessity of its inherent system of checks and balances - checks and balances that regulate the equilibrium between prosperity and America's unique promise of individual liberty.

          By any other definition, markets cannot be "free".
        • m0neybags, on 06/25/2008, -0/+3The internet was actually made by the government (darpa), so I'm not sure you would have a computer without some sort of socialist force behind it.
      • Pirate45, on 06/25/2008, -3/+1It's simple then. Keep government off of business so that they can't harness it's power to force people to pay for their products and services and receive taxpayer money. Therefore they'll have to act like adults and compete in the free market with everyone else. If you don't like how they practice business then take action and don't give them your money. All of this "disaster capitalism" that Klein speaks of is not capitalism at all. What's so attractive to these corporations is government because of it's monopoly on force. In a true capitalist system government would be hands off and would not try to join together with other companies who wish to gain power and crush competition. But we don't have this at all. We have been moving in a socialist direction in this country for many many years. We've already seen what happens to countries that go deeper and deeper into socialism. Things don't get better and their not going to get better in this country as long as people keep listening to people like Naomi Klein. All of this reminds me of a story my father told me of when he spent a day in East Berlin before the wall fell. He walked into a camera shop to look around and there was no variety at all. There was only one state approved camera for sale and it was a sad piece of junk. This may be an extreme example but it just goes to show what happens if you take these socialist ideas too far.
        • digitalhair, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1"All of this "disaster capitalism" that Klein speaks of is not capitalism at all"

          ...it's a shame you haven't read the book, because you might have realized that Naomi Klein is the ***** CHAMPION of your thesis and that she's much better at articulating the argument.

          This kind of godawful acceptance for the strategic political practice of labeling people makes you a disaster capitalist's WET DREAM, but don't let my criticism stop you from solving the world's problems without trying to understand them first...
    • relic180, on 06/25/2008, -0/+8Corporatism is a natural evolutionary stage of Capitalism. Not a distinct economic model unto itself.
      • rcook18, on 07/30/2008, -0/+2Corporatism is a natural evolutionary stage of facism.
    • m0neybags, on 06/25/2008, -4/+5I don't think you understand capitalism better than Naomi Klein. Unregulated capitalism is what created the environment that you now refer to as corporatism (which is not an actual economic system). Perks from the government are just a feature that gives corporations more leverage, which is done in the spirit of capitalism!

      If we had a true free market, and the Ron Paul fantasy of a weak government and isolationist military, some party somewhere would still be invading Iraq in order to take it's oil. And the would-be free market of the US would be financing it and reaping the rewards. At which point the companies that did invest in war would become very powerful and stifle their competitors.

      Free markets are volatile and cyclical, the idea that market forces would get along peacefully is just dumb. Without regulation, a market is exploited; during which, a minority becomes powerful and other investors lose out. The losers speculate in another area, beat everyone else, and ruin this market. This happens every three years. It's not pretty, or healthy for the majority of the players.
  • DarkSideofMoon, on 06/25/2008, -1/+20I'm currently putting up some videos on YouTube where Naomi Klein's husband, Avi Lewis, speaks about some scary privatization stories, including the US military's current secret actions. Admittedly, it does talk about the locale where he speaks quite a bit (Alberta, home of the Tar Sands), but if you enjoyed watching this, I'm sure you'll enjoy watching this speech as well:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHBVbjbGNbA

    (PS, don't want to be a link-whore, but it's VERY interesting... and a bit scary...)
    • BoneheadFarker, on 06/25/2008, -0/+4Don't worry...this doesn't make you a link-whore. Link-whores post the same link in every comment they make, regardless of the topic. See shrimp1970 a few comments down. You're just posting a link to relevent information.
  • lozzobear, on 06/25/2008, -5/+24Klein is an excellent researcher, a brilliant writer, an heir to Chomsky and a true humanist. I particularly loved No Logo but recommend all her stuff.
    • quiznos, on 06/25/2008, -0/+3watched that for a class last semester
    • solid12345, on 06/25/2008, -6/+1I despise No Logo, as a graphic designer I think the book was an affront to my career, branding is not some sinister motive like she claims, it is a declaration by a company "this is who we are" and "you like our logo? come check us out"

      There is nothing evil about advertising, I bet the hypocrite Klein probably has a collection of Soviet and 3rd world Marxist propaganda posters in her home which is no different than advertising for companies, it is all visuals designed to get your attention.
      • unique172, on 06/25/2008, -0/+4You haven't read the book, have you? The entire point is that corporations are now selling their images in lieu of quality products, so when you say that logos mean "this is who we are," you aren't making a defense, you're supporting her argument. Forget the logo, make something worth buying and don't make it in a sweatshop.
      • sodade, on 06/25/2008, -0/+3Bill Hicks on marketing - just for you solid12345:
        http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDW_Hj2K0wo
  • Ahadiel, on 06/25/2008, -18/+5Please, awful book. For those with a brain:
    http://hnn.us/blogs/entries/43376.html
    http://ipezone.blogspot.com/2007/09/i-dream-of-nao ...
    http://www.nysun.com/arts/shock-jock/63867/
    • digitalhair, on 06/25/2008, -1/+1HAHAHAHA I love how this teacher blasts the ***** propoganda you've linked to in the second link:

      [Crof said...

      You write:
      "Needless to say, I would not hesitate to give any paper based on the idea that the Argentinian invasion of the Falklands was done in order to spur neoliberal reforms in Britain or one that suggested Tiananmen spurred China's turn to the market a failing mark."

      As a teacher of writing for 40 years, I suggest that you not say what is needless to say. If you must, then please say "I would at once fail" rather than express your idea in such a contorted form.

      As a reader of The Shock Doctrine, I suggest you re-read it, or rewrite your comments. You have misunderstood, deliberately or otherwise, Klein's argument about the way Thatcher exploited the Falklands crisis.

      Your approach to the book, however, is so common to its critics that I begin to suspect her facts and documentation are too strong to attack on their own merits.]
  • Providence, on 06/25/2008, -21/+8Buried for anti-free-market, pro-socialist agenda.
    • reugeneg, on 06/25/2008, -5/+7Wooo... the socialist boogie man got you scared? Too bad you are too dense to understand how corporate lobbying is destroying America. Free-market my ass!
    • blackmesa, on 06/25/2008, -3/+10Just because something is pro-socialist doesn't make it bad. There are plenty of successful, wealthy countries with high levels of socialisation. Germany, Switzerland, Northern European nations (Sweden, Netherlands, etc..). These places are often ranked as some of the nicest in which to live, with the best quality of life ratings.

      Likewise, free-market doesn't automatically equal good. Pure "free" markets would lead to many undesirable things; there are many pieces of legislation applied to the market that the majority of people would agree are good. Health and safety, anti-discrimination (against women, minorities, etc), consumer rights acts, ethical trading regulations, environmental controls, and so on. These all impede the freedom of private enterprise, but in doing so, they provide a better long-term environment for enterprise to exist in. Don't forget economic measures like interest rates which are effectively market manipulation tools to fight things like inflation and deal with unemployment.

      At any rate, you ***DON'T NEED TO BELIEVE WHAT I'VE JUST WRITTEN***. That was only an EXAMPLE of the basis for my point: You will still be wrong for discounting an argument solely for the conclusions it comes to. If you have a disagreement, you need to challenge the assumptions, premises, method and reasoning of the argument, not the conclusion by itself. Otherwise, you're no better than those wacky creationists or whatever.

      Apply an intellectual, rational methodology to your beliefs. Critical thinking is key here.

      Otherwise, it's just a shouting match amongst ignorant fools, and that's the last thing we need as a society.
    • smcavoy, on 06/25/2008, -2/+7where is the free market?
  • quiznos, on 06/25/2008, -0/+7If you like Naomi Klein check out Sut Jhally. They have worked together many times, and I just took a course taught by Jhally. Free streaming lectures at http://www.sutjhally.com
  • bazalt, on 06/25/2008, -1/+9Impeach the looters and war criminals.
    • solid12345, on 06/25/2008, -2/+1How dull, the only looters I have experienced are big government IRS looting my paycheck or the welfare-protected illegal immigrants and trailer trash rednecks raising my insurance by coming in to the ER and getting free medical treatment and not paying a cent.
  • gmoney1, on 06/25/2008, -9/+1if this was a picture book and it was with naomi campbell i would be interested.
  • timkl, on 06/25/2008, -15/+16Any political pundit who can't tell a libertarian from a neo-conservative should be READING books, not WRITING them.

    Milton Friedman, who Naomi Klein attributes this shock-economics idea, was actually against the Iraq-war. He also condemned the Pinochet-regime.

    Contrary to what Klein writes; Friedman was an advocate for gradual economic reforms.

    And yeah, if you believe that the Tiananmen-square incident was a riot against free market ideas, then this book is just for you. But then why don't you just read fiction?

    On the other hand, if you have some affinity for the truth i suggest you read Johan Nordbergs rebuttal of Klein:
    http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=9384
    • Tex2002ans, on 06/25/2008, -8/+9Great rebuttal, I wish I could digg this up multiple times.

      I bought "Shock Doctrine" by accident. I watched one of those videos that first came out, and I was at Barnes And Nobles looking for another book, which sadly was not there, but I saw this book instead. I bought it since I remembered seeing the video, and at the time it seemed like it would be good....... well it was a very bad decision.

      I read about 150 pages in, becoming sick as a dog after reading her lies, and clear twisting of history to try to promote her pro-big government, pro-socialist, anti-free market ideas. I put the book down and never touched it again, and I am very disappointed that some of my money actually went to her, and that I actually counted as a sale.
    • noodless, on 06/25/2008, -3/+7Really poor attempt to distance Milton from Chile. He even had a term for it, he called it the 'Miracle of Chile'.
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miracle_of_Chile

      Milton was responsible for inspiring the neoliberal 'free market' looting of the 80's and 90s through the IMF. While Friedman didnt carry out the reforms himself, they were using his ideas. It just gave the corporatists a methodology for what they wanted to do all along, loot people of their wealth.

      Also, dont link to cato and say neocons and libertarians arent related. That institute is the link, its founded by big business and has links to the neo cons. Whether you like ti or not, corporatists are implementing your free market ideas and they are leading to devastation and destruction of democratic rule.
    • timkl, on 06/25/2008, -1/+8Friedman had been in Chile in March 1975 to do public lectures, invited by a private organization. While he was there he had a 45 min. long meeting with Pinochet about the Chilean economy, afterwards he sent him a letter of advice on how to combat hyperinflation and liberalize the economy. It was the same kind of advice he gave to communist dictatorships like China and Yugoslavia, does that make him a communist?

      Friedman says: "I approve of none of these authoritarian regimes—neither the Communist regimes of Russia and Yugoslavia nor the military juntas of Chile and Brazil . . . I do not regard visiting any of them as an endorsement. . . . I do not regard giving advice on economic policy as immoral if the conditions seem to me to be such that economic improvement would contribute both to the well-being of the ordinary people and to the chance of movement toward a politically free society."

      Naomi Klein claims that the Chilean coup was a neoliberal coup, however that is wrong; the Chilean economy was basically corporatist at first, later when inflation ran amok it became more liberal. Although the Chilean regime was despicable, it turned out that on the economy they ended up being less despicable than i.e. the communist countries.

      Regarding IMF: Klein blames Friedman for the actions of the IMF during the Asian financial crisis. However Friedman was against IMF's involvement in Asia.

      "corporatists are implementing your free market ideas" No, corporatists are implementing corporatism.
    • rcook18, on 07/30/2008, -0/+1Milton Friedman is going to need some serious history rewritten on his behalf to avoid being grouped with Genghis Khan.
  • bmxxxxxxxx, on 06/25/2008, -4/+12The Rise of Disaster Capitalism indeed.

    NOT true capitalism.
    • Tex2002ans, on 06/25/2008, -0/+6Correct, the book talks about Corporatism, not Capitalism.
      • bmxxxxxxxx, on 06/25/2008, -2/+2I've been thinking about buying this book for so long. only 10.50 on amazon, I think It'll be a good summer read.
        • Tex2002ans, on 06/25/2008, -2/+3I'll sell you my copy if you want, I will not touch it ever again.
      • noodless, on 06/25/2008, -3/+2They go hand in hand unless you regulate against corporatism.
  • pox05, on 06/25/2008, -1/+6if you want the audio book:
    http://thepiratebay.org/tor/3905490/The_Shock_Doct ...
  • shrimp1970, on 06/25/2008, -7/+1Is this story fair or biased?
    You MUST skew this story NOW at
    http://www.skewz.com/link/link_details/7747
  • mijokijo, on 06/25/2008, -1/+3At first, I thought that the ideas that Milton Friedman had were similar to that of Mises and Ron Paul, so I decided to look up the whole Chile/Friedman thing on Wikipedia and found this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miracle_of_Chile . I also read Friedman's Wikipedia page. It seemed partly positive, partly negative, and I was left on the fence about his ideas. Then I read a couple of articles from mises.org and got a different idea.

    http://mises.org/journals/jls/16_4/16_4_3.pdf

    http://mises.org/story/2929

    Make your own judgment.
    • mijokijo, on 06/25/2008, -0/+6I found some other interesting stuff.

      Milton Friedman Debates Naomi Klein
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2kTy7glZ9s&feature ...

      Naomi Klein: Shockingly Ignorant Part 4 plus Keith Olbermann
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDN6PfmAwj4&feature ...

      This gives us a few different viewpoints to work with. Personally, I disagree with a lot of Naomi's ideas and with the commentator in the second video. To me, Naomi seems to dislike free market capitalism because she sees it as a way for corporations to take over our lives and liberties, using cases from Iraq as an example of this. I don't really care for the anti-capitalism point of view, but agree with the utter corruption involved with the entire Iraq war.

      Milton Friedman wasn't a completely free-market capitalist, though, so using him as an example is a bit misleading. Not only that, but in spite of whatever flaws I or others find with Friedman's ideas, varying levels of implementation of those ideas in different countries have seemingly had a positive effect (see the Miracle of Chile Wikipedia article or some of the commentary from the second video linked above).

      Anyway, that's all I have to say.
  • doctordbx, on 06/25/2008, -8/+18If you're into conspiracy theories you'll love this book. It's a lovely one sided, blind spotted, single perspective of an issue clearly bigger than Klein's abilities to grasp.
    Much like No Logo V2.0 where she was happy to criticise the guts out of corporations for using cheaper overseas labour, but completely ignored the benefits of these people having these jobs, versus no jobs at all.
    Yes, she'd rather see the 3rd world starve and remain in ignorance than for the people to have 'some' income and use this to feed themselves and put their children through education.
    There's little wonder China and India are becoming rising super powers, because the children of yesterday's exploited worker are now well educated and hungry to succeed.
    OK, you can digg me down now.
    • jackieokennedy, on 06/25/2008, -7/+7so these third world countries have no choice; either starve or be our slaves?

      thanks for your input.

      what about sharing ? did you share your food with your brother or did you fight with him ?
      • doctordbx, on 06/25/2008, -2/+8"so these third world countries have no choice; either starve or be our slaves?"

        Slaves? Right. Well, being a slave in China and India is a lot more life sustaining than being er... nothing.

        "thanks for your input."

        You're welcome. For the record, I have been to the 'sweatshops' in China, the Call Centres in India and the maquiladoras in Mexico. Where have you been?

        I have seen the conditions the workers and the non-workers live in. All Klein did was put pressure on the manufacturers to move facilities, put the already existing workers back into total poverty, and keep operating the way they do.

        The real answer is you can pay more for your sneakers, or stop consuming, but since you don't want to, then accept you're making a 'slave' out of someone. Which you're not, because they DO have a choice.

        "what about sharing ? did you share your food with your brother or did you fight with him ?"

        Did you just feed someone, or teach them to fish?

      • blast_flame, on 06/25/2008, -3/+4To be a slave one has to be forces whereas these people are entering those jobs completely volentarily because it's better than subsistance agriculture. I of course would want to give them cushy western style jobs but the world simply doesn't work that way, it's either sweatshops now with the possibility of improvement latter or subsistance agriculture.
    • Bloodboiler, on 06/25/2008, -2/+4More like children of yesterdays exploited workers are todays exploited workers full of led and other poisons. India may have plans to further such "high" education as ability to read, but in China it is slavery all the way.

      Wealth is NEVER shared willingly beyond the point of keeping abused people alive for profit. Only way people in 3rd world countries would benefit from their imported jobs is if corporations demanded sweatshops to pay proper wages and offer humane work conditions. Obviously they will never do that, unless their customers demand it.
      • doctordbx, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1"More like children of yesterdays exploited workers are todays exploited workers full of led and other poisons. India may have plans to further such "high" education as ability to read, but in China it is slavery all the way."

        Really? Do you know what the nationality of the highest placed students throughout the world is?
      • blast_flame, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2Of course they benifit, otherwise they would keep their subsistance agriculture lives. Simple economics It doesn't matter if improving people's lives is one of the companies goals, they still will.
      • solid12345, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1No foreign countries or companies ever demanded American workers in 1900 be paid good wages and given health benefits, no we took to the streets and FOUGHT for it ourselves.

        If these sweat shop workers want to be treated fair they need to unionize and bargain for it, it is not our companies job to be nice, they have to prove to them they aren't spineless and deserve a higher wage.
    • solid12345, on 06/25/2008, -6/+3The total arrogance by todays' international left is that somehow we should feel guilty for the suffering of low-paid workers in 3rd world nations.

      Guess what, Americans suffered too, we had our sweatshops and our 12 hour workdays in the past. But this is the cost of a transition into a modern economy. You can't shift overnight from an agrarian economy to an industrial or service without someone being railroaded.

      Likewise someone had to bleed to achieve our political freedoms, someone will suffer to achieve economic freedom.
      • villageatheist, on 06/25/2008, -0/+5What you call arrogance, others would call compassion. In an age of such abundant material wealth, there's no reason that companies can't provide decent wages and working conditions except for greed, on their part and on the part of the consumers. You're dead wrong when you say that someone has to suffer to raise themselves into prosperity. Working hard =/= suffering.
      • DavidYeah, on 06/25/2008, -1/+5"Guess what, Americans suffered too, we had our sweatshops and our 12 hour workdays in the past. But this is the cost of a transition into a modern economy. You can't shift overnight from an agrarian economy to an industrial or service without someone being railroaded."

        Wow.. you point out the "TOTAL arrogance of the left," but you also point out how we used to have 12 hour work days. Are you even aware that the establishment of a 40 hour work week, factory safety standards, the banning of child labor, unionizing for higher wages and benefits to be standardized in America; it us ALL the work of the left?

        Put yourself in the shoes of a early 20th century libertarian/conservative and you tell me how that view of the world would perceive any of those problems.

        The fact of the matter is you'd blame the individual workers and their perceived lack of responsibility. You'd be hating the leftists and the unions because why should you feel "guilty" because meat factories are unsafe, wages are low, work weeks are long, et cetera..

        In fact you see this point of view normally expressed here on digg. I'm waiting for the day someone advocates child labor, because "responsible" parents wouldn't send their kids to the factories anyway, so we should repeal those laws, right? It's the parents choice!

        Those that condone such suffering are the true haters of humanity and civilization. Your worldview is practically pre-Enlightenment, yet you call left wingers arrogant.
        • doctordbx, on 06/25/2008, -3/+0"Those that condone such suffering "

          Ask the question to the employees. Would they rather work for what they're getting now, or have nothing. Because if we paid them western wages, enforced western standards (yes enforced), and treated them like westerners (not their own culture) then the companies would just get the stuff made in the western world, totally robbing (yes robbing) them of the benefits (yes benefits) of an emerging economy.
        • DavidYeah, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2"Because if we paid them western wages, enforced western standards (yes enforced), and treated them like westerners (not their own culture) then the companies would just get the stuff made in the western world, totally robbing (yes robbing) them of the benefits (yes benefits) of an emerging economy."

          What bullying tactics. And I didn't even make any of those points, you're just strawmanning me.

          Why would I expect western culture to be forced in China? You totally pulled that out of your jolly arse.

          And I didn't ask for "western wages," but how about something approaching a living wage for China? They'd attract the best workers and make more higher quality products. Oh wait, only you're allowed to use market arguments. Sorry!

          Western standards.... well, I really can't understand why you simultaniously acknowledge bad working conditions and yet apologize for them. At least give a fair shake at telling me "Oh it isn't that bad, you *insert standard insult for liberals here*" and pretend you have some decency about you.

          You prove my point, however:

          Those that condone such suffering are the true haters of humanity and civilization. Your worldview is practically pre-Enlightenment, yet you call left wingers arrogant.
        • blast_flame, on 06/25/2008, -0/+3Things like the 8 hour work day were coming on their own without government. The government often justs jumps in front of parades and takes all the credit.
        • DavidYeah, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2blastflame: So wait, when a population demands something and then the government enforces it and "takes credit for it", I think that's called "democracy," fool.
    • rcook18, on 07/30/2008, -0/+1You might notice that the civil rights of US citizens have been trampled on -- warrantless spying, torture -- since 9/11. This is part of the shock treatment for you and me.
  • mmd643, on 06/25/2008, -5/+17If she were to attack the government ties to business I would have no problem with the book. However she attacks capitalism itself. Capitalism isn't the problem, the government involvement and manipulation of the market is the problem.

    If you are a socialist, you'd love it however.

    The stories however about the experiments conducted in attempting to wipe peoples minds clean however is quite interesting.
  • twil8170, on 06/25/2008, -5/+3Shock Doctrine is a genuinely worthwhile read, whether you agree with Klein's arguments or not. Her focus jumps around a little and at times the links are tenuous, but the depth is excellent and there's a huge amount of interesting info here on both historical and contemporary issues. For my part, I couldn't put it down.

    That said, I read it six months ago, why is this being dugg? Also, the video blows.
  • jackieokennedy, on 06/25/2008, -9/+6Very weak
    This is a superficial analysis of capitalism.

    good analysis, but in french, that breaks down all this so called alternative thinking
    http://www.alterinfo.net/Une-analyse-superficielle ...


  • pigfister, on 06/25/2008, -4/+3a book that should be on shelves of every school in the world. but......
  • Bloodboiler, on 06/25/2008, -5/+1Communism,
    Fascism,
    Capitalism,
    A bunny.

    Which one does not belong?

    Read the book, if you are unsure.
  • JungleCloud, on 06/25/2008, -2/+7Naomi Klein's "Disaster Capitalism" reads like it means well but it is limited hangout bunk.

    So-called "capitalism" and "free markets" have been a joke since Fascist robber barons took over America with their Orwellian private monopoly "Federal Reserve" Corp in 1913.

    It's called FASCISM where "Capitalism", "Free Markets" and "democracy" DO NOT EXIST except as propaganda slogans.

    Even satirist, comic George Carlin knew the score on this one:

    http://www.thisisby.us/index.php/content/george_ca ...

    Here's an overview of the real thing:

    http://www.thisisby.us/index.php/content/crash__th ...



    • solid12345, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2And this is coming from someone who probably believes the government should regulate and plan the economy and all factories & industry owned by the state? How is that any better than the "robber barons"?
  • aroedl, on 06/25/2008, -2/+6I'm already half way through the book and currently at page 359 of the german version. For me it is the book of the year. It is ubelievable detailed but very, very well written. I hessitated to recomend it to my american friends, because they'd never read a book with about 700 pages... I'm glad, that this is on digg!
  • solid12345, on 06/25/2008, -8/+4Yeah yeah, remind us once again Naomi how the world's strongest economy in the last 100 years is somehow a failure.

    America's economy may not be perfect but it is still 10x better than that junky system the USSR had where the only economic growth it saw was how much bigger and grander Lenin's birthday parade could get in Red Square.
    • DavidYeah, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2Clearly you have no idea what is being discussed by this book.
    • s2ao, on 06/25/2008, -0/+1Not to defend the USSR, but the whole "the way we do it is best" mantra is just silly.
      The way the USSR did things is certainly bad, but it was by no means completely useless. The went from a fuedal agrarian societly in 1917 to a global power with a huge civilian, military and industrial infrastructure.

      I am no advocate of centralized economies, but the americal pro-corporation anti-taxation model is not great either (remind me again, how many people don't have any health care in the US?).

      There is no such thing as the free market, regulation and taxation are neccessary -- the question is how much.
  • anordyke, on 06/25/2008, -2/+0Dugg for a great interview and for the potpourri of tags on the video:

    pot brownies olbermann naomi klein bush worst person world gitmo habeas corpus gay rove gonzales cheney iraq
  • nugx, on 06/25/2008, -0/+2Certainly not a new book.
  • uiiuiiu, on 06/25/2008, -0/+10Pirate45,
    -putting undemocratic, greed driven institutions in charge of society, without any democratic enforcement tool to reign them, is going to make utopian society described by libertarians? Take a look at the cause and consequence here, it's not that governments existance makes it easily exploited, but free market creates the need for a wealth subsidizing (large) government. For concrete example take a look at the defence industry in United States.

    timkl, "Milton Friedman, who Naomi Klein attributes this shock-economics idea, was actually against the Iraq-war. He also condemned the Pinochet-regime."

    -great job critisising a book which you haven't obviously read. It contains throughout, detailed and very well sourced account of the events in Chile & 'Chigago boys' involvement in the coup and of coarse how Friedman related to those events. You have also obviously misunderstood the relationship of Iraqwar and Friedman in Kleins argument. And just to point one obvious flaw in your logic, saying to be against the war in Iraq doesn't change _the fact_ that Friedman was the single most influential invidual in the developement of the idea of "shock economics".

    Just read the book and if you find something wrong in it's premis or it's 'findings', then come back and give your analysis / critisism.

    mmd643mmd643, "However she attacks capitalism itself."

    Actually she doesn't, read the book. Unless you think that pure free-market fundamentalism = only possible form of capitalism. Which it isn't.
  • soundofsettling, on 06/25/2008, -1/+3It is "new" as paperback, probably with updates... i pre-ordered it and it should be in my mailbox today, yay!
  • MikeFallopian, on 06/25/2008, -4/+4Equating Milton Friedman and neoclassical economics with electroshock torture is the worst kind of intellectual dishonesty.
    • rcook18, on 07/30/2008, -0/+1There is nothing intellectual about the use of torture by Milton Friedman's pupils.
  • jbird32275, on 06/25/2008, -0/+4Awesome book. Goes well with Confessions of an Economic Hit Man.

    If it ain't on audiobook I didn't read it! ; )
    • androothebear, on 06/30/2008, -0/+1why did soundtribe sector 9 name songs after these books???
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