The Shock Doctrine Buchzusammenfassung - das Wichtigste aus The Shock Doctrine

Zusammenfassung von The Shock Doctrine

Name: The Shock Doctrine
Rating: 4.1 (64 reviews)
Author: Naomi Klein

Naomi Klein

Disaster capitalism's rise and what it means for you

4.1 (64 Bewertungen)

15 Min.

Themen

Socialism & Capitalist Critique US Politics

Inhaltsübersicht

The Shock Doctrine
in 9 Kernaussagen verstehen

Audio & Text in der Blinkist App

Kernaussage 1 von 9

What’s in it for me? Understand how crises are used to brainwash economists.

Have you ever wondered why the media today seems so focused on natural disasters, conflicts and economic crises?

No doubt one of the reasons is that disaster headlines sell newspapers, but as you’ll see in The Shock Doctrine, the media aren’t the only ones benefiting from calamities. Crises like these are exploited by a rich minority for their own advantage.

In these blinks, you’ll discover

what economic interventions and electro shock therapy have in common;
how free-market economics turned Chile into one the world’s most unequal countries; and
how the Iraqi government was essentially robbed of 95 percent of its revenues.

In their interrogations, the CIA used psychological shock treatments designed to “recreate” the individual.

Throughout the history of psychology, scientists and academics have wondered how to best treat those suffering from psychological afflictions. By the mid-twentieth century, most treatment methods were focused on repairing psychological damage.

But Dr. Ewen Cameron decided to take a different approach: recreating the psychologically damaged individual through the process of shock therapy. With CIA funding to support his work, Cameron’s performed extensive experiments with electro shock treatment, where electric current is passed through a patient to induce seizures.

He noticed that his subjects followed a particular pattern: patients would first revert from a normal state to child-like behavior, until eventually completely regressing to permanent confusion and listlessness.

Cameron believed that at this point the individuals were “blank slates” on which new, healthy identities could be written.

The problem was that it didn't work. While Cameron was able to wear down their identities, he could not recreate them.

So, rather than changing his approach to get the desired results, Cameron opted to intensify his treatments. He began by using methods which were similar to torture: month-long sensory deprivation and isolation, intentional confusion, massive electric shocks and mega-doses of psychedelic drugs.

Meanwhile, the CIA recognized that Cameron's extreme shock therapy could also be used to other ends – for pacification and information extraction.

The extreme isolation (through sensory deprivation) and confusion (through intentionally distorting time by, for example, changing their meal schedules) inflicted upon Cameron’s subjects made it impossible for them to make any sense of their experiences. The direct result of this was a heightened impressionability and cooperation, of which CIA interrogators later made great use to extract information.

And by coupling this isolation with sensory overload – for example, with strobe lights or extremely loud music – they could further increase the cooperation of patients and, later, prisoners.

These observations were collected in a document called the Kubark Manual, which would serve as the protocol for what would later be termed “advanced interrogation techniques” – or, as some would call it, torture.

Free-market economists developed “economic shock therapy” to force through painful economic reforms in times of crisis.

The idea that a new order can rise from the ashes of a crumbled civilization is by no means new. What is new, however, is the practice of intentionally wrecking the economies of unwilling societies in order to completely restructure them.

Taking their inspiration from shock therapy, one powerful group of economists – led by Milton Friedman and his colleagues at the Chicago School of Economics – established and used economic shock therapy to enact painful reforms.

In practice, the reforms of economic shock therapy are often coupled with authoritarian state brutality.

It’s often simply not enough to economically shock an unwilling constituency into submission during the process of market reform. In order to squash the inevitable public rage towards the unemployment and insecurity that come with austerity and market liberalization, governments must take more drastic measures – like repressing democratic rights in order to push through unpopular economic reforms.

For example, the implementation of an interim government following the 2003 Iraq invasion was a well-executed repression of democratic rights.

Economic shock treatment tends to benefit the super wealthy and multinational corporations at everyone else’s expense.

With all major economic policy changes there are winners and losers. During the process of economic restructuring, the biggest losers by far are most of the citizens of countries which undergo economic shock therapy.

The immediate removal of price controls, the opening of national markets to privatization and the removal of trade restrictions have drastic effects for the average person. As an example, consider Pinochet’s Chile, which saw its unemployment rate hit 20 percent during the implementation of their first economic reforms – a national record. That figure jumped to 30 percent in 1982 following another round of economic reforms, with the economy on the whole shrinking by 15 percent.

Economic shock therapy requires the annihilation and silence of political and ideological dissidents.

Although economic shock treatment does not take aim at political dissidents, the general unpopularity of its reforms means that governments are motivated to crush any material or ideological opposition.

The removal of political dissidents prevents the obstruction of economic reform. During periods of unpopular reform, especially in those countries with a strong history of national protectionism and worker solidarity, reform regimes face many obstacles and threats.

In the 1970s, economic shock therapy resulted in poverty stricken, downtrodden and terrified populations.

To ensure that the public was sufficiently softened for the purposes of instituting reform, trade liberalization in the 1970s in countries such as Argentina was characterized by the twin terrors of economic shock therapy and immense brutality.

As you know, economic shock therapy was supposed to shock citizens out of their old way of thinking and get them to accept free-market reform.

In the 1980s, Western nations learned that denying aid to struggling countries forced those countries to open their markets.

Although the International Monetary Fund and other Western financial institutions claim to ensure the world’s financial stability, their actions regarding Asia and Eastern Europe in the 1980s tell a more sinister tale.

That is, instead of helping struggling nations, the Western financial institutions stood by while their economies collapsed.

By privatizing the military and reconstruction effort in Iraq, the United States made large corporations extremely wealthy.

The close relationship between big business and government is nothing new. However, the reconstruction of Iraq was an unprecedented opportunity for businesses who wanted access to government dollars.

Indeed, the Bush administration wanted to run government using the hollow shell model for corporate organization. In this model, there's a central organization that writes some of the checks and carries out “core competencies” while everything else is outsourced.

Final Summary

The key message in this book:

Policy decisions and revolution are not nearly as straightforward as they may seem. Whether they are the juntas in South America, the radical privatization in Southeast Asia, or the the restructuring of Iraq, major changes to government and economic policy are shaped not only by the demands of the people, but also the demands of corporations looking to find a way into new markets.

Du möchtest die gesamte Zusammenfassung von The Shock Doctrine sehen?

Kernaussagen in The Shock Doctrine

Mehr Wissen in weniger Zeit

Sachbücher auf den Punkt gebracht

Kernaussagen aus Sachbüchern in ca. 15 Minuten pro Titel lesen & anhören mit den „Blinks”

Zeitsparende Empfehlungen

Titel, die dein Leben bereichern, passend zu deinen Interessen und Zielen

Podcasts in Kurzform ^Neu

Kernaussagen wichtiger Podcasts im Kurzformat mit den neuen „Shortcasts”

Worum geht es in The Shock Doctrine?

The Shock Doctrine (2008) offers insights into the dark world of disaster capitalism, in which crises serve as an instrument to undo the trade regulations and national protections which prevent international megacorporations from totally exploiting poorer countries. Rooted in the findings of the CIA-sponsored "MKUltra" psychological torture experiments, economic shock treatment has left behind a legacy of blood and destruction since it first began to be taken seriously in the 1970s.

Wer The Shock Doctrine lesen sollte

Anyone interested in economics
Anyone interested in foreign policy
Anyone interested in history

Über den Autor

Naomi Klein is a bestselling author and political activist who has received the Warwick Prize for Writing and the National Business Book Award. In addition to writing the critically acclaimed nonfiction works The Shock Doctrine and No Logo, she also contributed to a number of film productions, such as The Take and The Corporation.

Kategorien mit The Shock Doctrine

Economics Politics

Ähnlich wie The Shock Doctrine

Primed to Perform

Neel Doshi and Lindsay McGregor

How to Build the Highest Performing Cultures Through the Science of Total Motivation

The Untold Story of the Men Who Risked All for the Greatest Rescue Mission of World War II

How running saved my life

18 min

4.1

Designing Your Work Life

Bill Burnett

How to Thrive and Change and Find Happiness at Work

Belief In An Age Of Skepticism

The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right

Happiness for People Who Can’t Stand Positive Thinking

18 min

4.4

Shakespeare in a Divided America

James Shapiro

What His Plays Tell Us About Our Past and Future

Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee

Five Steps to the Sex, Salary and Success You Want

19 min

4.3

The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks

Rebecca Skloot

How one woman's cells changed scientific thinking forever.

25 min

4.3

Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984)

George Orwell

A Dystopian Classic on the Dangers of Totalitarianism

22 min

4.8

Strategic Project Management Made Simple

Terry Dean Schmidt

Solution Tools for Leaders and Teams

Escape Conformity, Ignite Creativity, and Become Extraordinary

16 min

4.5

A Court of Thorns and Roses

Sarah J. Maas

A Fantasy and Romance Novel Filled With Dangerous Faeries

23 min

4.5

The Architecture of Happiness

Alain de Botton

Explore the hidden links between buildings and our well being

16 min

3.9

The Warmth of Other Suns

Isabel Wilkerson

The Epic Story of America's Great Migration

26 min

4.4

Reframing Organizations

Lee G. Bolman and Terrence E. Deal

Artistry, Choice, and Leadership

The One Skill that Drives Success

Face Not-Good-Enough to Replace Your Doubts, Achieve Your Goals, and Unlock Your Success

Beyond the Human Predicament

How AI is learning to write, paint and think

A Journey of self-discovery

15 min

4.2

Building a Second Brain

Tiago Forte

A Proven Method to Organize Your Digital Life and Unlock Your Creative Potential

The Revolutionary Approach to Raising Your Kids by Keeping Your Cool

An Internet Millionaire’s Secret Formula to Sell Almost Anything Online, Build a Business You Love and Live the Life of Your Dreams

How to Hit Your Business, Personal, and Financial Targets with Absolute Certainty

Uncover Persuasion and the Principles Behind Oratorical Skill

A Meditator's Guidebook

The landmark book in the history of the womens rights movement

And 39 Other Keys To Creativity

13 min

4.0

Being Boss

Kathleen Shannon and Emily Thompson

Take Control of Your Work and Live Life on Your Own Terms

Achieve the Impossible With the Apollo Mindset

21 min

4.3

The Freaks Shall Inherit the Earth

Chris Brogan

Entrepreneurship For Weirdos, Misfits and World Dominators

13 min

3.7

Winning Now, Winning Later

David M. Cote

How Companies Can Succeed in the Short Term While Investing for the Long Term

How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action

22 min

4.5

Phishing for Phools

George A. Akerlof and Robert J. Shiller

The Economics of Manipulation and Deception

The Truth About Justice in an Age of Lies

The Joys of Being an Amateur, the Power of Falling in Love, and Why You Need a Hobby

Unlock the Secrets of Existence and Transform Your Perspective

14 min

3.6

Pour Your Heart Into It

Howard Schultz and Dori Jones Yang

How Starbucks Built a Company One Cup at a Time

My Journey Into Seven Dangerous Minds

What to Do When Your Get-Up-and-Go Has Got Up and Gone

Your Seven Triggers to Persuasion and Captivation

Transform Your Health From the Inside Out – and Never Say Diet Again

How Understanding Your Brain Can Improve Your Work and Your Life

18 min

4.5

The Locust Effect

Gary A. Haugen and Victor Boutros

Why the End of Poverty Requires the End of Violence

The Official Unrepentant, Ass-Kicking, No-Kidding, Change-Your-Life Sidekick to Unfu*k Yourself

Negotiating an Agreement Without Giving In

18 min

4.3

❤️ für Blinkist️️️

Ines S.

Ich bin begeistert. Ich liebe Bücher aber durch zwei kleine Kinder komme ich einfach nicht zum Lesen. Und ja, viele Bücher haben viel bla bla und die Quintessenz ist eigentlich ein Bruchteil.

Genau dafür ist Blinkist total genial! Es wird auf das Wesentliche reduziert, die Blinks sind gut verständlich, gut zusammengefasst und auch hörbar! Das ist super. 80 Euro für ein ganzes Jahr klingt viel, aber dafür unbegrenzt Zugriff auf 3000 Bücher. Und dieses Wissen und die Zeitersparnis ist unbezahlbar.

Ekaterina S.

Extrem empfehlenswert. Statt sinnlos im Facebook zu scrollen höre ich jetzt täglich zwischen 3-4 "Bücher". Bei manchen wird schnelle klar, dass der Kauf unnötig ist, da schon das wichtigste zusammen gefasst wurde..bei anderen macht es Lust doch das Buch selbständig zu lesen. Wirklich toll

Nils S.

Einer der besten, bequemsten und sinnvollsten Apps die auf ein Handy gehören. Jeden morgen 15-20 Minuten für die eigene Weiterbildung/Entwicklung oder Wissen.

Julia P.

Viele tolle Bücher, auf deren Kernaussagen reduziert- präzise und ansprechend zusammengefasst. Endlich habe ich das Gefühl, Zeit für Bücher zu finden, für die ich sonst keine Zeit habe.