Stello's Choice

Naomi Klein's October 2007 Harper's article titled "Disaster Capitalism: The new economy of catastrophe" (subscription required) is an adaptation of her book The Shock Doctrine: an amazingly concise portrait of the profitable neo-liberal asphyxiation being applied to areas under duress: be it charging for the disposal of sewage in the streets during wartime outside of the Green Zone or racketeering among the annihilated lower-income boroughs of New Orleans. This steady crumbling into perdition mirrors Jonathan Kozol's Harper's article "The Big Enchilada" which forecasts an inevitable privatization of America's school system at the expense of low-income families who would not be able to afford high cost 'voucher' schools. Both of these articles focus on the perpetually shrinking number of citizens who benefit from the exclusive accumulation of opportunity following from privatization.

One gets the feeling that this flagrant privatization may be hitched to the runaway undercarriage of our six-year surge in nationalistic attitudes. One could reasonably conclude that such liquid nationalism would propagate acquiescence to the state, increasing funding for social programs and bolstering confidence in the state's efficacy.

But that's being reasonable.

Our reactionary policies, paradoxically, rely on the dogmatic and terrifyingly blind adherence to the principles of free-market capitalism manifested in reduced or non-existent regulations. So while we declare our unconditional support of the United States government, we decry any attempt to empower the state to regulate unethical business practices. Instead, we cheer when private companies jump on bloated no-bid contracts and rake in millions.

Every aspect of public life that is privatized is no longer held to account by our democratic process. If your future school's paved road to profit does develop any potholes, just get Ken Silverstein to find you a good lobbyist.

Shock Doctrine: