Naomi Klein's book on the Shock Doctrine

Michael Lawrence — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 17:18:00 GMT

A few months ago a dear friend bought me Naomi Klein’s The Shock Doctrine. I think he knew that parts of this book would resonate with me, and they do. What the U.S. government and the CIA have done to promote “freedom” is despicable.

The problem is that Klein is not doing a very good job of distinguishing and is painting the crusades of Milton Friedman as the epitome of capitalism. I can hardly stand to read more than a few pages at a time because of the gross economic distortions. Surely what Klein describes is horrific, but it is not a free market. (This is where, oddly, Klein and Friedman have something in common, i.e. they both think of these atrocities as capitalism.)

But I want to finish this book. I think there is value in it. Anyone have some advice on how I might hold my nose to get through it?

Originally posted at http://fragmentedobsessions.wordpress.com

Fragmented Obsessions : shock doctrine

Naomi Klein's book on the Shock Doctrine