A "must see" doc for LatAMer DUers

[Mika]

Good book chock with details.

Good doc overview.

Part 1 of 8. Link for subsequent parts provided on Youtube sidebar.

The Shock Doctrine
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8m_I0lMB_I

The Shock Doctrine is the latest documentary from acclaimed director Michael Winterbottom, co-directed by Mat Whitecross. Based on Naomi Klein's bestselling book, The Shock Doctrine argues that America's 'free market' policies have come to dominate the world through the exploitation of disaster-shocked people and countries.

Both the film and the book argue that governments all over the world exploit natural disasters, economic crises and wars to push through radical free market policies. Klein calls this 'disaster capitalism' and in her view, disaster capitalism is as effective as psychiatric shock therapy at wiping our collective memory.

The film concludes that the result is often catastrophic for ordinary people and hugely beneficial to big corporations. The documentary also adds to Klein's thesis - which was written before the recent market turmoil - and includes an analysis of how the financial world got into its current troubled state.

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[Peace Patriot]

1. 9/11 was a good example of this...

"The Shock Doctrine argues that America's 'free market' policies have come to dominate the world through the exploitation of disaster-shocked people and countries."

9/11 was used to shred the Constitution, hijack the US military for a corporate resource war, completely deregulate banks and industry, outsource multi-millions of jobs and our manufacturing capability--the backbone of the middle class--and steal from federal coffers hand over fist, with non-productive private contracts of every kind. Then the Financial 9/11 of September 2008 finished us off. We no longer have any control over where our money goes or what our government does. Trillions of our tax dollars poured into the pockets of the richest people on earth, on top of the trillions already poor into the pockets of war profiteers for a heinously unjust and genocidal war that slaughtered hundreds of thousands of innocent people to steal their oil.

Whether the Bushwhacks were the perps of 9/11 or not--and I'm inclined to believe that they were--9/11 was the perfect "disaster" for looting and plundering the USA, as has been done to so many other countries by the global corporate predators who rule over us.

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Just a note: The other day I read a review of the film based on Klein's book, by a reviewer who seemed to have very good creds (I was careful to check them), who was extremely disappointed in the movie and said it did no justice to the brilliant book. Sorry, I did not save the url. After reading that review, I would urge people to read the book, and not rely on the movie to fully understand Naomi's Klein's work.

[Mika]

2. Agreed. I saw that review also.

As indicated in my OP, the doc is a brief overview of the book.

The book is vital reading to expand one's understand of the global impact of disaster capitalism and how it is accomplished.. using the shock of disaster to undertake the on-the-shelf plans of the Corporate Masters. Shock can come from many occurrences - war, natural disaster, economic disruption - leaving the public's focus on primary concerns, personal short term survival, while the CMs install their economic plans to pillage the public sector.

Ms Klein believes that the current US job/economic meltdown is the shock before the doctrine. Pre-planned.


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