1. Globalization and Culture
War I
Week 7
October 1, 2014

2. Naomi Klein: The Shock Doctrine
● What does the concept “shock doctrine”
describe?
● How does Klein’s theory about the expansion of
neoliberal policies differ from the usual free
market story?
● How is “disaster complex” related to “military
industrial complex,” and how is it different?
● What is the “homeland security bubble?”
● What other “industrial complexes” do we learn
about?

3. Shock Doctrine
What does the concept “shock doctrine”
describe?

4. Shock Doctrine
What does the concept “shock doctrine”
describe?
Milton Friedman: Periods of traumatic crisis
are ideal time to make massive neoliberal
policy changes.
Changes are along three lines: privatization,
deregulation, defunding of social programs.

5. Shock Doctrine
How does Klein’s theory about the expansion of
neoliberal policies differ from the usual free
market story?

6. Shock Doctrine
How does Klein’s theory about the expansion of
neoliberal policies differ from the usual free
market story?
Classic liberal economic theory: free markets
systems are superior and will naturally
spread
Neoliberal addendum: Democracy and free
market go hand-in-hand

7. Disaster Capitalism Complex
Military Industrial Complex

8. Disaster Capitalism Complex
Military Industrial Complex
Eisenhower: warned about danger when
profit motives are introduced to war

9. Disaster Capitalism Complex
Military Industrial Complex
Eisenhower: warned about danger when
profit motives are introduced to war
How is disaster complex related, and how is it
different?

10. Disaster Capitalism Complex
Military Industrial Complex
Eisenhower: warned about danger when
profit motives are introduced to war
How is disaster complex related, and how is it
different?
privatization of disaster causes and
responses; outsourcing of “core” government
activities

11. “And that is the post-September 11 difference:
before, wars and disasters provided
opportunities for a narrow sector of the
economy - the makers of fighter jets, for
instance, or the construction companies that
rebuilt bombed-out bridges. The primary
economic role of wars and disaster responses
are so fully privatized that they are themselves
the new market; there is no need to wait until
after the war for the boom - the medium is the
message.” (Klein, p. 13)

12. Homeland Security Bubble
How does Ch. 14 illustrate Klein’s argument?
e.g., Who were the major players, what is the role of
venture capitalists, what were the effects of September
11th, what gets privatized?

13. Homeland Security Bubble
How does Ch. 14 illustrate Klein’s argument?
e.g., Who were the major players, what is the role of
venture capitalists, what were the effects of September
11th, what gets privatized?
How does this illustrate Harvey’s argument that
neoliberal policy should be understood as
redistribution, rather than wealth creation?

14. Industrial Complex, Inc.?
What other “industrial complexes” do we learn
about in Ch. 14?

15. Industrial Complex, Inc.?
What other “industrial complexes” do we learn
about in Ch. 14?
Rumsfeld: medical industrial complex
Bush II: private prisons in Texas

16. Syria and the Disaster Complex?
Report by the Public Accountability Initiative, as
reported by Democracy Now, October 18, 2013