Dallas Corbin English 103

“Shock Doctrine” is a story written by author Naomi Klein in 2007. This book introduces the phrase “Disaster Capitalism”, a tactic utilized by capitalist go-getter's in times of crises. She illustrates this tactic by introducing three different cataclysmic events (Hurricane Katrina, Tsunami in Sri Lanka, and invasion of Iraq). Each tragic event presented not only devastation but displaced millions of individuals. However, some didn’t see just devastation, they saw opportunity. Opportunity to “reconstruct” places hit hard by tragedy that could be fixed as “Machiavellian” as possible. In other words, “Strike while the iron is hot” and while no one is looking. This is known as disaster capitalism. Calculating capitalists would cease opportunities such as the tragic tsunami that occurred in Sri Lanka in 2004. Investors, developers and international lenders used the tsunami’s destruction to subsequently “rebuild” the coastline. This prevented swarms of the fishing population to rebuild near the water. Large resorts were built instead.

In some ways, the fast food industry can be compared to the idea of Disaster Capitalism. In the book, Fast Food Nation, written by Eric Schlosser in 2001, corporations got their big break from WWII. At the time the US entered the war, the US government spent millions of dollars building bases and roads in Southern California. With new roads and affordable vehicles, Southern Californians were given a new sense of “freedom and control”. Thus, fast food restaurants were able to emerge and capitalize on a lucrative situation. WWII accelerated the success of not only the fast food industry but motor vehicle sales thrived as well.