Shock Doctrine

Naomi Klein’s concept of Shock Doctrine is the different situations humans encounter which cause us to be in “shock.” It may also cause us to become more vulnerable and gullible. When tragedies strike, human nature causes us to become more vulnerable and easier for us to follow those who claim they come in good faith and to help. For example, like portrayed in the video, when terrorist attacked the United States, most Americans felt reassured and sensed a form of comfort when the president at the time, George W. Bush vowed revenge. We feel secure because this leader “vowed to protect us” (excerpt from Naomi Klein’s Shock Doctrine Video). When the government tried to impose the free market movement, it caused chaos because of the negative effects. In order to regain order, the government used shock as their new method. The government also feels that when natural disasters take place, it is the perfect time to push towards new methods because society is too in “shock” to notice. They use this method to be able to go through with what they want before society can recover from the shock.