I just started Naomi Klein's "The Shock Doctrine" this morning.

[GliderGuider]

Jesus, what a book.

It is required reading for anyone who understands the implications of the current convergence of peak oil, ecological collapse, climate chaos and economic instability. That convergence is going to result in large-scale, widespread disruptions to our social and economic fabric.

Klein's book describes exactly what we have to look forward to as a result on the political front as doctrinaire free-marketeers take advantage of the resulting disasters to push forward their agenda of privatization, wealth accumulation, the acquisition of absolute power and the establishment of what amounts to a neo-feudal system. As happened after 9/11, the tsunami, NOLA, the coups in Chile and Argentina and the invasion of Iraq, effective opposition will be shocked into paralysis and supporters of radical restructuring will have a clear field.

If the coming turmoil is as deep and widespread as many of us fear, it will present the greatest opportunity in history for the "Chicago School". If things go as far as I expect they will in 50 or 75 years this may become moot, but in the meantime it's something to be very concerned about. As times get tougher people will clamor for strong-handed governments and those governments will inevitably be drawn from the authoritarian ranks of those who are most aware of the Shock Doctrine. They may then deliberately exacerbate the crisis they were selected to guard against, because increasing the crisis furthers their ultimate goals.

This approach is already visible in the obstructionist political appointments made by the Bush regime in virtually every area having to do with the environment. It's as though they actually wanted to make the problems worse, isn't it? Why would they do that? Naomi Klein presents a frighteningly plausible reason.

Get the book.

[bananas]

1. There used to be another term for that

can't recall it off-hand.