T.Elise@bookwyrm.social reviewed The Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein
None
5 stars
Truly one of the best books I’ve read.
Paperback, 763 pages
German language
Published 2012 by Fischer-Taschenbuch-Verlag.
Die Schock-Strategie
Der Aufstieg des Katastrophen-Kapitalismus Fischer-Taschenbücher, #17407
by Naomi Klein
Die Schock-Strategie: Der Aufstieg des Katastrophen-Kapitalismus ist ein im September 2007 in deutscher Übersetzung aus dem Englischen erschienenes kapitalismuskritisches Buch der kanadischen Journalistin Naomi Klein. Die Autorin führt anhand von zeitgeschichtlichen Beispielen aus, wie Schocks wirtschaftlicher oder militärischer Art und Naturkatastrophen dazu genutzt werden können, über politischen Einfluss Privatisierungen nach dem Modell der Chicagoer Schule und insbesondere Milton Friedmans in nationalen Volkswirtschaften gegen den politisch artikulierten Willen der Mehrheit der Bevölkerung durchzusetzen.
(Quelle: Wikipedia)
Ben Waber reviewed The Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein
An Investigation into Neoliberalism's Role in Extracting Profit from War Zones
4 stars
Klein reviews the role of the Chicago School and other neoliberal acolytes in driving the privatization of public goods and functions for profit, particularly around wars. While this book might not give the most accurate/complete accounting of particular events (the role of Milton Friedman in Chile stands out as fairly embellished), its breadth helps demonstrate that for every success neoliberal backers can claim in specific countries/policies, there are numerous other examples where those exact same policies not only failed, but demonstrably harmed societies. Reading this in 2025 was depressing, as the ethical lapses of the GW Bush administration that Klein dissects (rightly) seem downright quaint compared to the current administration's bald faced corruption. Highly recommend
Klein reviews the role of the Chicago School and other neoliberal acolytes in driving the privatization of public goods and functions for profit, particularly around wars. While this book might not give the most accurate/complete accounting of particular events (the role of Milton Friedman in Chile stands out as fairly embellished), its breadth helps demonstrate that for every success neoliberal backers can claim in specific countries/policies, there are numerous other examples where those exact same policies not only failed, but demonstrably harmed societies. Reading this in 2025 was depressing, as the ethical lapses of the GW Bush administration that Klein dissects (rightly) seem downright quaint compared to the current administration's bald faced corruption. Highly recommend
Subjects
- Financial crises
- Capitalism
- Free enterprise
- Corporate power
- Disasters
- Economic history