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

[minty68]

What's another trillion in debt when we have already accummulated that much paying for the war in Iraq? I don't think most people truly understand how serious this is.

[Mason]

The national debt was $9.7 trillion before we started the bailouts. Our government already contributed $600 billion before Paulson suggested another $700 billion. Add those two amounts to our national debt and it increases to $11 trillion. This proposed statute permits Paulson to increase the debt another $300 billion up to $11.3 trillion.

And then, of course, there's the escalating war in Afghanistan that is spreading into Pakistan and, as far as Iraq is concerned, General Petraeous admitted just a week ago that victory is not possible.

I do not see how it's possible to bail out capitalism on Wall Street and continue to bust the bank by fighting wars all over the Middle East. If those wars were destroying our economy before the Wall Street collapse, adding this financial burden on the taxpayer's back can only result in the destruction of our once-proud nation.

Heckuva job, Georgie.

[Greup]

And as always those figures are estimates before the project starts. Before its finished the costs will probably be much much higher. They always are.

[JoeBlough]

Maybe this is our punishment for voting Republican for eight years. We get what we deserve.

[freebeer]

Klein is smart and her book is filled with references, quotes and facts to support her thesis.

She is generally apolitical, and refuses to be a shill or mouthpiece for either of the two corporate parties. Reagan, Clinton and Bush all get skewered in her book.
That makes her a treasure to us truth seekers, but a bit of a nightmare for those who would try to use her for their own gain.

The main theme in her book is the Friedman influence on the Chicago School of Economics which has led us to disaster Capitalism.

Klein is unafraid to say things that her "fans" may not approve of. Like when she spoke honestly about Obama and his close ties to the Chicago School and its disciples.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/jun/14/barackobama.uselections2008

[LaurieLee]

What is it with those University of Chicago folks?

[ultrabop]

Crime happens. The criminals need to be prosecuted in a democracy. Or in any society. Even tribal societies take care of their criminals.

[Kassandra]

You should all go watch this one that doesn't cut off and hear Sullivan debate her with the same tired argument that it's the "American People's Fault". Listen to what Klein sez about when the REAL disaster will come......­......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCHBLt-w9wE

[LITU]

Sullivan is so full of it! He believes in self governance. Woo-woo! Well, that's great for HIM. Please carry on Andrew. But for the bulk of our citizens, just like the bulk of citizens around the world, there is an inherent trust and reliance on their government to NOT lead them astray.

Sullivan mistrusts leadership, except in the vein of Ron Paul, and that is why he's an anarchist and why he believes all governments are bad, as demonstrated by his argument that a PERFECT government would do this or do that. In the real world there is no such thing, Andrew.

Welcome to planet earth.

[Henk]

Ahh, yes the people. The people who have zero education in Finance are to blame. The Banks and brokerage firms who have a zillion PhD's working for them are in no way to be held accountable. No one saw it coming my ass.

[TXfemmom]

She is so right. This is exactly what Grover Norquist wants and Bush has supplied it to him. Take the government into a situation where they will only spend money on the very rich and the military and the rest are so hungry and poor that they are, essentially, slaves to the haves.

[cariintexas]

Andrew Sullivan was great and spot on. Anyone who would vote to put Mc cain and Palin in office with everything, it seems falling down around us, seriously needs to sit down and do some serious thinking. They have to protect Palin as if she were in the " witness protection program"

[LITU]

I'm not completely convinced that Andrew Sullivan has seen the light of day. Five years ago he was singing a completely different tune with vociferous attacks on the peaceniks, while demonstrating his utter lack of logic or understanding of the war machine he so vehemently defended. I just wish Maher would stop having him as a guest.

I trust my instincts, and when the hackles go up, I look for an escape route.

[twinkledawnn]

I agree. Stop having him on as a guest Maher. He dominates the conversation and drowns out intelligent analysis (Klein this time). I am always tempted to skip the show when he is a guest but usually just end up fast-forwarding his segments.

[wordvarc]

It's w's fat cat cronies that are being bailed out at the expense of taxpayers.

[wordvarc]

w's blitzkreig dump on taxpayers.

[morbie5]

Naomi Klein is right about the national debt but the rest of her theory is nuts.

[LITU]

Written like a true denier. Why are c o n s so illiterate?

[Jinxykb]

Shock Doctrine is a phenomenal book!! Audibles has an audio version which is great for those who prefer to listen. I highly recommend it!

[LITU]

Amazon.com has several reviews of Ms. Klein's book, eminently from economists in support of the Chicago School of Economics ideology, who denounce her posit as being light on economic theory and heavy on supposition.

In actual fact, the models that she used to illustrate her point were the foundation for the situation we find ourselves in today. The Reaganites­/Friedmani­tes figured out a way to divert wealth without the need to fire a single b u l l e t based upon a rationalization of those models.

Phase two will be the argument that we need to eliminate all social programs because they cost too much. Ms. Klein's theory was right on the money (pun intended).

[LITU]

Sorry 'bout the double posting. The Mo d s have me paranoid because I fail to notice certain keywords that trigger rfemoval. My bad (and so are they).

[hiprogloho]

You mean to say that economic theory really matters when it comes to crooked moneychangers? Economic theory is a smokescreen they use to justify their criminality. Isn't the bail out a social welfare program for the rich? Is a financial elite mugging of the public trust based on economy theory...o­r criminal intent? Wall Street doesn't deserve a tax subsidized bail out. It needs a big prison cell.

[LITU]

No, what I said was that she was denounced by the very people who support corporate bailout.

The nihilists inside this administration believe in the survival of the fittest. That being the case, the weakest of the financiers should be allowed to fail.

Free market capitalism has always been predicated on trust. The fact that a fundamental human drive is to acquire for oneself, i.e. greed, disavows that premise.

[pfc1369]

It is precisley a welfare program for the rich.

Don't let anyone try to tell you otherwise with their mumbo-jumbo citing the 18th Century's Adam Smith, who they have never read to begin with. I have.

[mabinog]

There is nothing new in what she has written about. At the base is simple amoral opportunism, nothing more and then you stack on the political backing of a party that ideological is as amoral and opportunistic. Thus you have politicaly organized amoral opportunism and that is nothing new to this country either. This same ideology produced heinous child labor practices, tainted food and medicines, lack of worker safety and giving substantial free hand to con-artists, and scammers.

The free market thinkers have this uptopian blind spot that somehow the market will weed out the unethical and criminals. They are dreaming. Innocent people will die or be maimed, some of the bad actors will sued or otherwise be run out of business and some other sc-um bag will step up to fill his/her place.

[joebaggadonuts]

Nihilism. Mabiinog's antidote to Democracy.

[LITU]

Amazon.com has several reviews of Ms. Klein's book, eminently from economists in support of the Chicago School of Economics ideology, who denounce her posit as being light on economic theory and heavy on supposition.

In actual fact, the models that she used to illustrate her point were the foundation for the situation we find ourselves in today. The Reaganites­/Friedmani­tes figured out a way to divert wealth without the need to fire a single bullet based upon a rationalization of those models.

Phase two will be the argument that we need to eliminate all social programs because they cost too much. Ms. Klein's theory was right on the money (pun intended).

[theophagousmonkey]

Great hypothesis. What's missing is that they pulled the same thing with 9/11, using a horrendous disaster to sow panic and push through long-simmering agendas of empire-building and wealth shifting from us to their friends. What's missing is that these people and their predecessors have spent the last several decades resenting the taxes they've been paying. Remember Leona Helmsly? "Only the little people pay taxes." Bushies, and now McCainers, reckon that, as a class, bound by ideology, they're owed back all the money they've been taxed since FDR. Reparations. They reckon they're owed also for all the public lands Teddy Roosevelt nationalized, and all the money they had to pay for worker safety, and all the judgments they've had to pay due to jury verdicts when they've killed an employee or made a consumer sick. It's a hell of a tab we owe these people and they've spent the last eight years pandering to the worst fears and worst instincts of the least able to understand, in order to keep the money flowing back to where it belongs.

[ultrabop]

Yes. They have the leverage to pull anything, however stupid, because of the power of propaganda via huge deposits of capital. H$#%#r used it in World War II, on the power of the money that Prescott Bush loaned the German industrialists to make weapons.

King Bush III is using that same money, the part that he hadn't squandered already on baseball teams and failed oil companies, helped by gifts from the Saudis, to finance his own disasters and recovery Bonanzas. Ironic that the 9/11 hijackers were almost all from Saudi Arabia and the leader of al-qaeda's name is Bin Laden.

Now it is the height of Hypocrisy to claim socialist benefits for his rich buddies, while de-nouncing socialism for everybody else, the one's who actually need it, such as the people of New Orleans still siting in their rat infested holes and tainted trailers.

[enoughalready]

Naomi is so right. History proves her out.

Obama and the Dems need to stand up for Main Street on this bail out to make sure those at the top are not made wealthy and those at the bottom falter and pay the debt. Trickle down economics has never worked and it's about time the American people stand up and say ENOUGH!.

[martinchill]

stand up TO wall street, not for wall street.

[taniacaa]

Naomi is so right...If we take on this debt our goose is cooked and we will never be able to implement jobs, healthcare, homeland security. Then, to top it off Wall Street is fine again.

[ultrabop]

Wall street is run like a shell game. It's run like Enron.

[falgiano]

America, our ship is sinking and we are giving our freedoms away as quickly as our money. We need to pull up from this death spiral. A vote for John McCain is like boarding the Titanic while it's already sinking.