Walking In Wuhan

This one took me awhile. A well-researched new release from Naomi Klein, The Shock Doctrine tackles the history and current applications of the idea of disaster profiteering. The book begins with renowned economist Milton Friedman at the University of Chicago in the middle of the century. Friedman believed in pure Lassiez Faire economics and championed the idea that if an economy or country could be "shocked" either by war or drastic economic changes and privatization, it could be made profitable. It should be noted that the idea of "Shock Therapy" is the same theory used when a military uses torture.



Klein takes readers on a well-reported journey through incidences of Disaster Capitalism at work. Brazil, Chile and Argentina in the 1970s; China in the 1980s; the recent war in Iraq, the 2004 Tsunami in Sri Lanka, and the privatization of the federal government before and after Hurricane Katrina. The author's words ooze anger at the injustices done in the name of capitalism, but she uses hard fact and thorough reporting to back up her outrage.

The half of the book showcases Klein's knowledge of the situation in Iraq and how Halliburton, Blackwater, Lockheed and others blurred the line between the government and private sector -- and how it ultimately contributed to problems post-Katrina. This is a bit of a slow read, but a vital one for anybody interested in America's place in the world today.