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The Shock Doctrine

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SOCIAL CHANGE

Neoliberalism specifically refers to economic changes that also bring about changes in public policy, economic policy, the distribution of income and wealth, the weakening or elimination of labor, increased impoverishment, increased mass powerlessness, and even sometimes war and torture (class notes). For Klein neoliberalism is the rule of the market and corporations over the state therefore, meaning over the people.

In her novel, The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism she gathers together decades of economic catastrophes made by the United States, the IMF and the World bank. In this novel Klein is pushing to expose capitalism’s true nature,“ a policy the breeds poverty and crime” (Georgi Arbatov). Klein’s basic thesis and main point is that neoliberalism is dominating the world by using public disorientation such as wars, terrorist attacks and natural disasters to push through reforms that are not accepted.

The introduction of the book Klein talks about the disaster in New Orleans, Hurricane Katrina, one of the many examples she uses to support her thesis, and how the Louisiana State Legislature in Baton Rouge were using this tragedy as an opportunity to change New Orleans. They spoke about building condos now that public housing was finally gone. One congressman said, “ We finally cleaned up public housing in New Orleans. We couldn’t do it, but God did”(page 4). Klein recalls what some of the victims commented on when they heard what the Legislature was planning after this occurrence and how when these victims saw this as tragedy, they saw it as an opportunity, coming about with “The Shock Doctrine”, which is when governments use these disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina, to pass reforms that change the nations economy.

In this novel Klein looks at Milton Friedman approach to laissez-faire in regards

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