My daughter was doing her social studies homework last night where they're studying the industrial revolution right now, just finishing with basic Hobbes and Locke and now moving on to the definition of laissez faire capitalism and communism and economic structures.
She asked me for a definition of laissez faire and I said, "Naoimi Klein's Disaster Capitalism."
I'm not so much interested in what her teacher says about that as much as what her reaction would have been to the next question, which was to use it in a sentence.
I said, "Lassez Faire disaster capitalism proves Milton Friedman is a tool."
Seriously, I naturally resist doomsday scenarios, but on this one I'm stumped.
How do you refute her narrative? And if you cannot, what does that mean for the rest of out lives, and the lives of our children and theirs after them?
Wingers keep referring these times being like 1938. Maybe they're more right than they realize.
They've been at this our whole lifetime Ara. But as Klein points out, the shock wears off and the policies are monumentally unpopular.
What Klein has done is something so many have been trying to do -- sum up what they're trying to do in a succinct narrative that's easily digestible. The buzz words"shock doctrine" is something the two-world culture that conservatives have so long exploited is exactly the kind of counter-push (putsch?) necessary.
They finally went too far, too brazen in their sociopathic methods, too transparent.
85% of the world and 65% of Americans are dead set against this, and believe it or not, once Bush is gone those numbers will solidify and turn the tide. Linking Pinochet with Bush through Milton Friedman the way Klein has is an unstoppable narrative.
Have faith brother. Freedom of speech is so ingrained in our culture I can't see, at least in the lifetime of our kids, that going away. You and I have seen information flow multiply exponentially as you know. That's what will (eventually) keep the fascists at bay. Their brand of control only works when dissent is completely quashed.
Naomi told us at the end what fights this -- information. You're a part of the battle. Every KOSsack is. Hearts and minds, my friend. That, and making your children and your children's children aware of the beast.
I had Liz (my kid) watch your video this morning before I took her to school.
She'll occasionally read my blog, but when I said I had a YouTube for her to watch, she was more than interested. That is their media of choice.
She "got it." She's 15. There's a lot of hope for the future. You and I knew that the Reaganista's and their supply-side nonsense was just plain wrong. We and so many like us figured that out and have fought the conservatives with all their money and control of the media to a draw.
That was before Air America and Jon Stewart and Keith Olberman and blogs . . . and . . . YouTube.
My daughter was doing her social studies homework last night where they're studying the industrial revolution right now, just finishing with basic Hobbes and Locke and now moving on to the definition of laissez faire capitalism and communism and economic structures.
She asked me for a definition of laissez faire and I said, "Naoimi Klein's Disaster Capitalism."
I'm not so much interested in what her teacher says about that as much as what her reaction would have been to the next question, which was to use it in a sentence.
I said, "Lassez Faire disaster capitalism proves Milton Friedman is a tool."
I suspect a call from the teacher later today.
You communist. I'm reporting you to the DSS.
Seriously, I naturally resist doomsday scenarios, but on this one I'm stumped.
How do you refute her narrative? And if you cannot, what does that mean for the rest of out lives, and the lives of our children and theirs after them?
Wingers keep referring these times being like 1938. Maybe they're more right than they realize.
And if so, is it too late to save this country?
They've been at this our whole lifetime Ara. But as Klein points out, the shock wears off and the policies are monumentally unpopular.
What Klein has done is something so many have been trying to do -- sum up what they're trying to do in a succinct narrative that's easily digestible. The buzz words"shock doctrine" is something the two-world culture that conservatives have so long exploited is exactly the kind of counter-push (putsch?) necessary.
They finally went too far, too brazen in their sociopathic methods, too transparent.
85% of the world and 65% of Americans are dead set against this, and believe it or not, once Bush is gone those numbers will solidify and turn the tide. Linking Pinochet with Bush through Milton Friedman the way Klein has is an unstoppable narrative.
Have faith brother. Freedom of speech is so ingrained in our culture I can't see, at least in the lifetime of our kids, that going away. You and I have seen information flow multiply exponentially as you know. That's what will (eventually) keep the fascists at bay. Their brand of control only works when dissent is completely quashed.
Naomi told us at the end what fights this -- information. You're a part of the battle. Every KOSsack is. Hearts and minds, my friend. That, and making your children and your children's children aware of the beast.
I had Liz (my kid) watch your video this morning before I took her to school.
She'll occasionally read my blog, but when I said I had a YouTube for her to watch, she was more than interested. That is their media of choice.
She "got it." She's 15. There's a lot of hope for the future. You and I knew that the Reaganista's and their supply-side nonsense was just plain wrong. We and so many like us figured that out and have fought the conservatives with all their money and control of the media to a draw.
That was before Air America and Jon Stewart and Keith Olberman and blogs . . . and . . . YouTube.
"You can't stop the signal."
Thanks. I needed that.
Yeah. well, Soylent Green is People too. There could be casualties before this is all over.
;-)
(That reference the kids don't get.)
Then they definitely won't get the one about the Tree of Liberty.
"Get your hands off of me you damned dirty ape!"
That one they might get.