by Mohawk Valley Freedom School/Press Releases

Based on Canadian author Naomi Klein’s 2007 book of the same name, The Shock Doctrine argues that libertarian free-market policies (as advocated by the economist Milton Friedman) have risen to prominence in some developed countries because of a deliberate strategy by some political leaders. Klein argues that leaders exploit, and have in the past exploited, crises (from war to the environment) to push through controversial exploitative policies while citizens are too emotionally and physically distracted by disasters or upheavals to mount an effective resistance. She has coined this strategy “disaster capitalism”.

Following the book, the documentary (which had considerable parts filmed at Hamilton College in Clinton) implies that some man-made crises, such as the Iraq War, may have been created with the intention of pushing through these unpopular policies in their wake. Both the book and documentary follow the same series of analyses beginning with the 1973 overthrow of the Chilean democracy by General Augusto Pinochet, backed by the CIA to thwart the nationalization of industries under Salvador Allende, a leftist, and promote a freer-market form of capitalism instead.

From there, the film examines the roll of disaster capitalism in government suppression of resistance around the world, the Falkland Islands War and free-market reforms in Bolivia, Eastern Europe and East Asia.

Please join us for a free showing at the Mohawk Valley Freedom School on Thursday evening, October 1st at 7:00 PM.

The Mohawk Valley Freedom School is a school dedicated to social justice and social change. It is run by and for the community and is rooted in popular education.

The Mohawk Valley Freedom School is held every Thursday at the Cornerstone Community Church at 500 Plant Street in Utica. Classes are from 7:00-8:30pm. Please contact 732-2382 or mvfreedomschool@gmail.com.

This class is free and open to the public and to people of all ages and backgrounds.