The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism

Naomi Klein argues that free-market economists use large-scale crises to push through unpopular neoliberal policies while citizens are in states of collective shock. She parallels psychological experiments in sensory deprivation with the economic "shock therapy" promoted by Milton Friedman and the Chicago School. The narrative tracks how governments exploit natural disasters, wars, and coups—from Pinochet’s Chile and the Tiananmen Square massacre to the Hurricane Katrina aftermath—to dismantle public services and privatize state assets. This framework explains how private corporations profit from the chaos of reconstruction and social upheaval.

This book serves researchers and activists investigating the intersection of corporate interests and foreign policy. Readers use it to identify patterns in how legislation is passed during states of emergency. It provides a historical lens for understanding the transition from regulated economies to deregulated global markets. By finishing this volume, the reader gains a specific vocabulary for analyzing high-stakes political maneuvers and learns to recognize the strategic use of public disorientation in the pursuit of radical economic restructuring.