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What's really going on

Customer Rating:

Read and weep - Klein exposes the real power behind the world throne and the shoddy, extraordinary greed of the few who are happy to make money from the world's poor. Oh actually - BY making the rest of the world poor. The compelling story of how Milton Friedman's Chicago Boys realised that catastrophe gave them a vital window of opportunity in which to snatch and grab, in countries worldwide, starting with some "experiments" in Latin America. It's no news to economists, but it is to the rest of us - governments in "transition", such as Poland under Solidarity, were forced to seek help from the World Bank and IMF, only to be told that essential loans came with unbearable hardship and economic ruin for their citizens. Forced privatisations of state companies, all price controls lifted, so that essentials like bread and milk became unaffordable, and massive layoffs/unemployment. But the deal was always: accept our terms, or forget about securing loans - which these countries (like S.Africa, like Russia) needed to deal with the inherited debts of previous dictatorships. A rock and a hard place indeed. And guess who was controlling the IMF? And making all the money from buying up ex-state companies, only to sell them on for huge profit, or close them down so there'd be no competition for the American companies coming in? And that's before Klein even gets to discussing Iraq. Essential reading. Especially in the Big Brother age, when politicians would like us all to be looking the other way.

Fragile democracy

Customer Rating:

This book has shocked me thoroughly. In Denmark, we currently have a liberal government slowly dismantling our welfare system, which some would say is about high time since we have the highest taxes in the world. But reading the Shock Doctrine I have become a staunch believer in a social democratic society. I will happily pay my high taxes if I can trust my government is spending them right. The alternative is not an option for me. A happy society is one where all people have true opportunities, where very few are poor, and where those who are not able to fend for themselves are helped to lead a decent life by the society. What is so ironic about Naomi Klein's revelations is the fact that the US shout out to anyone who cares to listen that they are defending democracy and want to spread it to the Middle East and elesewhere. Yeah sure. What hypocracy! The Shock Doctrine reminds us that the US have been behind the dismantling of some 12 democracies around the world for pure economic and geopolitical self-interest. My estimate is that most of those countries would today have been well functioning, prosperous democracies instead of poor developing nations traumatized by former cruel dictatorships installed by the US. I don't know about you Americans, but I'm sure ready for CHANGE :O)

The definition of Journalism: This is what our newspapers should have reported.

Customer Rating:

When I purchased this book, there were reviews here on Amazon that slated it. I question the motive for these reviews, as no one can read this book and doubt her understanding of capitalism, and her inexhaustible research defies any claim of a "rant". This book shows the readers what the powers that be distracted the public from. I would recommend everyone reads this book, as this book deserves to be read, not just from the calibre of the writing, the construction of its message, and the depth of the research's scouring; but from the sheer magnitude of the crimes, and that comprehending the means enables this virus's vaccination. A standard of journalism worthy of Chomsky.

A Must-read	Customer Rating:
This is a wonderfully readable, depressing, and very persuasive account. It's not a rant. Highly recommended.

Everyone should read this book

Customer Rating:

I had not expected Klein's book to be this good. We learn a lot here about how the Chicago School of Economics (as pioneered by Milton Friedman) has been responsible for some of the most atrocious political crimes of the last 4 decades. Crimes that were committed not only against the body politic of developing nations but also the bodies of human beings tortured under dictatorships. Everyone who doubts that America has blood on its hands for its interference in world affairs (e.g. Chile, Iran, Russia, Argentina) needs to open their eyes. Democracy and Free Markets do not go hand-in-hand as Bush and the Neo-Cons would have you believe, but quite the opposite: wherever Chicago economists have sought to imopose their brand of capitalism it has been enforced with blood.