The Shock Doctrine
Last updated: Wednesday - May 28, 2008
Naomi Klein, in her book "The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism," analyzes how conservative and neo-conservative ideologues have used "crisis" as a wedge to splinter opposition and institute their favored policies—a theme explored in depth 12 years earlier by my colleague David Berliner in "The Manufactured Crisis: Myths, Fraud, And The Attack On America's Public Schools." Klein quotes Milton Friedman in which the strategy of using crises for political advantage was unapologetically put forward: "Only a crisis—actual or perceived—produces real change. When that crisis occurs, the actions that are taken depend on the ideas that are lying around. That, I believe, is our basic function: to develop alternatives to existing policies, to keep them alive and available until the politically impossible becomes politically inevitable." (Source: Page ix in Friedman, Milton. (2002). Capitalism and Freedom: Fortieth Anniversary Edition. Chicago: University Of Chicago Press.) The truly disturbing phrase in this quotation, of course, is "actual or perceived." And if the crisis need not be "actual," then the possibility exists that the perception of a crisis can be created. One can only conclude from mountains of evidence that Friedman's followers have in the past repeatedly acted on this corollary of the "Shock Doctrine."

And Friedman's strategy was not just idle musing either. After Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans and millions of lives and billions of dollars of infrastructure lay in ruins, Friedman wrote in a New York Times op-ed piece, ""Most New Orleans schools are in ruins as are the homes of the children who have attended them. The children are now scattered all over the country. This is a tragedy. It is also an opportunity." The opportunity as Friedman saw it was to issue vouchers to New Orleans families to be redeemed at private schools, which presumably would pop up quickly and beautifully like mushrooms after spring rains.

Comment from A G Rud (Purdue University):

"...depend on the ideas that are lying around."

The intellectual laziness and cynicism in this wording is astounding.

Comment from Mark Fetler:

I suspect that unapologetic opportunism has long been a strategy for getting laws passed. Taking advantage of crises is a prime example. However, it seems to me that \"crisis management\" is not only an oxymoron, it is a label often used to describe poor leadership. As someone observed, for they that sow the wind shall reap the whirlwind. Be careful what you wish for.


~~~~~~~~ http://www.infoagepub.com/glass-4.html ~~~~~~~~

---

Send a Message to the Author

Your Name:	Your Email:
Comments:

---

RSS