Torture and Economics

I've been away from here for a while, mostly for reasons I can't even put down because they are so pathetic. I did have one good reason. I have feverishly been trying to finish Naomi Klein's book, The Shock Doctrine. Since moving into this house, I have been seriously struggling with lack of bookshelf space so have forced myself to use the library. Problem is, it means you have to finish the book within a set time period, no allowance given especially when 500 other people are waiting to read it.

It was tough, mainly because I had to keep putting it down to keep from becoming totally depressed, frustrated, or hey, just to have a good cry over the state of the world. I am not sure I can do justice to the premise of this book so maybe this will help. It's a clip by the director of that amazing film The Children of Men. He apparently had this short film made at Klein's request:




I am not a big fan of conspiracy theories, like the one that claims the Bush administration actually caused 9/11 to happen. After reading this book, however, I have to wonder if people like Rumsfeld and Cheney did not take advantage of the "shock" of 9/11 to push through agendas they had been stewing over for some time. Klein also had me thinking a great deal about the aftermath of the Solidarity movement in Poland and why the form of democratic socialism they were proposing never had a chance in the face of IMF and World Bank policies. (Having a deep personal interest in that history, I have always been disappointed in its outcome). I think we Americans have been schooled to believe that any form of socialized anything equates to pinko Commie doctrine and that democracy and capitalism must always go hand in hand. Klein's book makes me think that, if anything, democracy and this sort of "disaster" capitalism are antithetical to each other since time and time again, when the shock therapy was completed, you end up with the same result: a select few groups and corporations getting even more wealthy, and the rest of society become poorer and more disenfranchised. Is that what we mean by "democracy"?

I suppose what troubled me even more about the book was that the manipulation of historical events by this disaster capitalism strategy is going on right under our noses and we aren't even aware of it. It is being couched most recently in terms of the need for safety, security and protection from terrorism. Before, it was presented as the fight against communism or the need to rebuild democratic societies. Klein is pretty even-handed in showing how the media can be easily duped as well, be it The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, or The Washington Post, to buy off on "disaster" economic policy.

How do we become more activist in questioning our political leaders about their motivations when they intervene in global affairs? I don't know. From my perspective, the political process in this country is really sick and desperately needs a cure. After reading the book and returning it to the library, I ordered it from Amazon. The lack of bookshelf space won't be a problem. I intend to lend it out to everyone I know. Maybe that's the way you change things? One book at a time.