- Discuss
“The Rise of People’s Reconstruction”.
How does Klein see resistance to the Shock Doctrine? Analyze this response and discuss your
sense of its success or failure.
No
Fear
The
impact of Milton Friedman’s shock doctrine can easily be seen everywhere it has
been implemented. The increasingly wealthy upper class and the increasingly
poor lower class are the most visible signs. The shock doctrine key players
were incredibly successful, but this success came at a high price. That price
is the prevalent loss of faith in free-market capitalism and a yearning for
justice.
For
many years, Friedman and his followers managed to hold onto a respectable
reputation. It took several economic invasions and a towering amount of disparity-creating
legislation for this to change. They eventually lost the respect that they so
desperately clung onto, as their evil intentions were revealed. Key players
from the scandals were faced with charges and jail time, and the neocon movement
lacked leadership after Friedman’s death.
Friedman’s
central claim which he based his shock theories on is that “capitalism and
freedom are part of the same indivisible project” (Klein; p.565). The
possibility that people could demand the combination for more control over the
markets and stronger democracy would therefore be the largest threat to his
legacy. That is exactly what has begun to happen in exploited countries around
the world. The fear that was instilled with disaster and war took time to wear
off, but now people have begun to revolt. The most evident changes can be seen
in Latin America because they have had the most time to recover. Nation leaders
in South America have teamed together to abolish Friedman’s strategies from the
continent. To do this they have been working to nationalize natural resources
and gain economic independence from the International Monetary Fund, the World
Bank, and the World Trade Organization; tools of Friedman and his Chicago boys.
Not only is recovering from previous shocks taking place, but the world has
also learned from situations and is becoming shock resistant.
Shock
resistance can be seen in the recovery of many recent disasters. One of such
was the 2004 tsunami of Southeast Asia. Although many coastal areas did not
resist the invasion of foreign investment, some did. The exploitation plans
partially failed; as some villages in Thailand reclaimed their property from
the developers. Also, they did not settle for handouts, but demanded that their
aid come in the form of tools so that they could reconstruct their own village.
This undermined the very essence of the shock doctrine strategy. These villages
set a powerful example for others. Leaders in New Orleans used them as a model
after hurricane Katrina, helping some of the lower class regain what was
rightfully theirs. As time rolls forward, the world can only become more aware
and distrusting of the shock methods.
Klein
ends The Shock Doctrine on an
optimistic note. With increasing awareness and resistance, an end can be put to
the neoconservative shock doctrine theories. The process of its demise has already
begun. The entire globe has been severely altered by the shock doctrine, but it
has not gone unnoticed. People worldwide
have stopped believing in the free-market and are resisting shock. These people are helping elect better leaders
and create better political and economic systems in their countries. There is
more attention being put on nationalization, social services, and lessening the
disparity between the classes. Most importantly, many people have realized that
free enterprise does not coincide well with freedom, democracy, and equality.
