Naomi Klein Discusses "Disaster Capitalism" On Real Time With Bill Maher (VIDEO)

Naomi Klein, author of the book "The Shock Doctrine," was a guest on Bill Maher's HBO Show, "Real Time." Klein's book posits that certain people often like when there is a disaster because it allows them to rationalize making radical and unpopular changes that normally the citizenry would not go for. She discusses her theory of "disaster capitalism" within the context of the current economic crisis.

[WATCH]

Comments

[vinainor]

I've followed Naomi Klein for a while. I think she is one of the most relevant intellectuals in today's world. You can see various interviews with her at www.democracynow.org (just do a search of Naomi Klein), including a great debate between Klein and Alan Greenspan where Klein clearly won the debate.

[copernikus]

Does anyone else think Naomi is gorgeous as well as brilliant?

[mule66]

Yes between her and Rachel Maddow and Naomi Wolff I've been in heaven.

[Becks67]

Welcome to Politics 101! The only time any real change is done is when a disaster occurs, but what Ms. Klein does not seem to consider is that both parties want disasters which would allow them to implement their own self serving reforms.

This one-sided position is just laughable.

[DZDDMB]

One sided position against whom?

[nwpolobserver]

Her theory cuts both ways, though. FDR essentially used the depression to nationalize the banks and create the New Deal. Obama could do the same by nationalizing some of our other ailing institutions, like health care, and completely overhauling our tax system.

[Swerinjer]

Wrong. Her theory specifically deals with the passing of *unpopular* policies that would never pass during normal times. FDR passed very popular and well-received policies.

[JonRaymond]

Video doesn't work!

[blueskybigstar]

To the person who said that people would try to blame this on capitalism: You may try to call what has been going on in the form of Reaganomics to be capitalism, but I call it the gaming of the system of people and their friends who have taken more money and power than they can justify in any fair playing field. The thing you call capitalism is weighing so much of the economic system into your favor that the whole system goes out of whack. Remember Marie Antoinette. What I call good capitalism is when the play ground is adjusted for the fair enjoyment of the most people. Capitalism must be regulated against disparities and the natural tendency towards greed.

[mayimbamusic]

Naomi Klein does not blame the crisis on "Capitalism." She blames it on the Milton Friedman school of thought dismissed by American governments until Reagan came it. There is a deep concept behind this crisis which is adequately described in Naomi's incredible book, "Disaster Capitalism."

[omop]

Bill M. would do us a country favor if he were to get Paul O'Neill Bush's first Secretary of the Treasury for sit down interview like asap.

Read on China's Xinhau website that China's President and GWB had a long telephone confab. and there were subtel hints that China would help the "US' financial meltdown" if they could have Taiwan back. If true there would be no need to help out the billionair bankers on Wall Street.

Its to think about.

[exactor]

The NEW MANTRA: I can't take care of myself, let my government take care of me. Obama will ask, what his government can do for you, not ask what you can do for your government, but force you to respond. To what, is the question? I smell a dictatorship sitting in the wings, the government in Washington D.C. is now officially broken, and no one sees its demise. "Change," "My Friends," is surely coming, its either your country, or Obama's, and as of now, you all know zilch, nada, nothing, zero about what he promises, you never ask, but the rah, rah, and the media, and the pictures, make it all so heavenly. Why, it's like a new age sunrise, it's "hark the angels sing, by Georgie Woods."

[ultrabop]

That's a new twist on the theme of dictatorship. Wow. Take off your white hood and show your face.

[blueskybigstar]

Huh?

[JoeBlough]

This is the newest, dumbist post ever.

[kadene]

That's how much the people need and want change after this hellhole of the past 8 years, the seeds of fear sown by this administration that have made this nation one of the most paranoid, hysterical and xenophobic on earth. No wonder Sarah Palin only went outside our borders for the first time in her life, only last year.

[mayimbamusic]

Incredible!! This is just what the authors of the crisis have been feeding you and you swallow it - STILL - even after the fruits of deregulation are upon us.

[exactor]

Where in the Declaration of Independence, does it say the United States of America should be so Dependent on China, Russia, Europe, Canada, and too many other countries to mention, to support, lend and bailout America's financial mess, and thereby ostensibly financing the United States of America in the process. "We the People...," are now owned by Aliens, you know, those outside interests, you dislike so much, and put down.
The only time Americans are American anymore is when they sit on Sunday at the Great Cathedral of their television sets and watch NFL football.

[ultrabop]

Now I understand what "freedom" means to the George W. Bush Crime Family. It's a mixture of hedonism, torture, gay-bashing, women hating, killing, invading, and of course, stealing money from the poor to give to the friends of the president.

[LesserFool2]

This is hardly a new concept. Long long ago, at least one of the founding fathers (if not an earlier philosopher) observed that crisis was the rallying cry of a tyrant. It captures the essence of how some human beings operate. Some use market failures. Others use terrorism or war. But the general concept is the same. Major disturbances have been, can be and will probably be exploitable by those with the know-how to pull it off.

[waitforme]

Is the panicky hysterical nature of this sudden demand for $700,000 from one man seeming a bit like the hurry-hurry atmosphere we experienced just before the Iraq war?

Or just before implementing the Patriot Act?

[johnpherson]

$700,000,000,000.

[waitforme]

PART 1 OF ADDENDUM
....That is, scaring Representatives so much they'll do anything, fast.

Bob Scheer (Truthdig.com) today said this is not so much socialism for the very very rich but a kind of fascistic approach to -- everything. The owners at the top are making decisions for the rest of us and those decisions have nothing to do with anybody's welfare but their own. They will not only survive but stay and become rich-er. At the expense of the populace who, individually, by family, will be paying $9000/year. They are authoritarian, domineering and grabbing. Grabbing at everything while there is still a chance.

This crisis didn't just appear suddenly, as it appears to have done. Bob Scheer predicted it in his articles in the L.A. Times many many months ago. Others have done so as well. They were all talked down and ridiculed.

SEE PART 2 BELOW: Foreclosures

[Micetro]

Agreed waitforme; just for the record, you didn't have nearly enough zeroes in your post... The real tab will be (at a minimum): $700,000,000,000. And unless the Democrats actually show some balls (for once), it will be spent at the whim of one man...

[JiminNC]

One man who is a bushco tool.

[ultrabop]

The chains are firmly attached to the junk. No exposure allowed.

[ultrabop]

He's a man of action. This is his element. He's a war time president. The buck stops in his pocket.

[JiminNC]

You mean in his Cayman account?

[waitforme]

PART 2 of Addendum
Someone who's house is at the mercy of scammers, bettors on housing going up, pyramid schemers, and who is forced to move from their lovely, loved home, has no bail-out. Millions of people are in that position, some on the street now, the famous Main St.

Yet, Paulson, with the gall to put on an angry, insulted face, demands that STOPPING FORECLOSURES IS NOT PART OF THE DEAL -- JUST GIVE ME THE MONEY, NO OVERSIGHT, NO PUNISHMENT, NO NEW RULES (=THE SAME OLD RULES, CALLED REGULATIONS, WHICH WERE JETTISONED BY GRABBY, SELFISH SOBs SOME TIME AGO). THAT IS WHAT PAULSON AND HIS PALS WANT -- WITH AN ANGRY, DEMANDING, THREATENING FACE! (I recognize that face; my authoritarian, abusive father put on that face. Nothing, not one thing, would convince him to change his mind; no new information, no plea that this would not be good for the rest of us. Nothing. The angry face, the loud, demanding voice. No empathy. Republican, both of them. And we did what he wanted. And I bet the Congresses will also comply without doing what they should be doing: Make the incompetent banks pay; lower the multi-million salaries for CEOs; make them conform to oversight by Congress; MAKE THEM STOP ALL FORECLOSURES WHICH THEY HAVE CONTROL OVER; IMPOSE SENSIBLE RULES ON THEM WHICH WILL FORCE THEM TO ACT AS IF THEY UNDERSTAND THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE IN THE WORLD WITH NEEDS, NOT JUST THEM. )

[UltraClassic]

Oh right, there's a couple of scholars of economics for you.

[Mason]

Haven't we now reached the point where, by any reasonable definition one might propose; Bush, Cheney, and all of their supporters, including McCain, Palin, Bernanke and Paulson are guilty of conspiracy to commit treason against the people of the United States of America?

This is so obvious to me and I know that I'm not alone. When it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, we know what it is. Let's stop mincing words. These people are guilty of treason.

End of discussion.

[joebaggadonuts]

From a letter from Elsberg:

...With four weeks to go before Election Day, Robert is now facing two self-funded challengers who are attacking his support for impeachment. His local newspaper has ridiculed his support for impeachment and criticized his efforts on behalf of this vital cause.

Robert now needs the support of everyday Americans " like you - to keep him in Congress.

Please click here, https://www.wexlerforcongress.com/contribute.asp and help me support Robert Wexler's re-election.

There are too few Members of Congress willing to speak truth to power and we cannot afford to lose the voice of Congressman Robert Wexler in the House of Representatives. ...

[ultrabop]

This whole scenario is the national emergency that W has been looking for, created by him and his cabal of traitors. Next he'll declare war on Iran with his new dictatorial powers, and there you have it, Marshall Law.

[realityczech4u]

It's "martial" law, not "Marshall Law" genius. You'd be well served to look up words and terms to see what they mean, rather than just parroting sounds that you've heard. At least you're scared, though you're not really sure what you're scared of.

[ultrabop]

Oh that's right it was the Marshall Plan. That's when we used to do good things like Nuke Japanese cities. Sorry.

Martial Law refers to the suspension of the constitution, I believe. OOps! It's already happened. I'm actually scared to death of fascism. Did I spell it right?

[ultrabop]

Think I'm scared of the suspension of our constitution by the sitting president. Oops. it's already happened!

[one4obama]

How nice of you to be so critical. And I suppose you are perfect.

Give people a break. I am sure he meant martial and well all knew what he meant.

Back off and contribute some worthwhile conversation.

[one4obama]

I agree with your first sentence. But I don't think W expected the backlash that this is creating against the GOP. He thought it would be his lasting legacy that he would have saved the stock market, the economy and would leave office with a high approval rating and roses being strewn on the path leading to Crawford Texas.

Now all he is going to get is approval ratings that will be in the very low double digits (yes lower than they are now) and rotten tomatoes strewn on his path to Crawford, Texas.

[kadene]

Klein has nailed it. The timing of this meltdown and bailout couldn't be better for the Repubs. How will Obama's tax policies work after this bailout, and for how much longer can we continue to fund this trillion dollar war?

[knowledgeReignsSupreme]

What are you talking about? This economic meltdown and epic bailout undermines the entire Republican economic philosophy.

[Greup]

I wonder if thats true, or if they just raised the stakes so that no other option is doable anymore. Perhaps thats what they are aiming at.