Though it’s been out for a few years, the documentary on Naomi Klein’s The Schock Doctrine remains a powerful and illuminating summary of her ideas. I thought I’d post it again.
Klein has faced some criticism by those you might consider to be her natural allies on the progressive left. Perhaps it’s because she is an attractive woman, or maybe it’s because she’s a celebrity reporter rather than an academic. Whatever the case, I think the criticism is unwarranted.
Her central thesis remains sound and useful. Shock and crises do not cause neo-liberal “eruptions”, but they do provide excellent opportunities for neo-liberal academics and politicians to push through drastic policies on a stunned and exhausted populace. As such, disaster capitalism becomes a vital window that exposes neo-liberalism in its rawest and most vicious form.
