Barack Obama may again be borrowing a page from the well worn tome of disaster capitalism.
Naomi Kline, in her seminal book Shock Doctrine, proffered that in times of crisis, when the attention of its citizens is narrowly focused on a crushing event of national scope, a state will often use that event to push through a series of policies it may not otherwise be able to. While nobody really cares at the moment, momentous changes are made wilfully, and with no small kind of malice towards democracy. The most infamous example would be Iraq of course, where a small set of evil American ideologues launched a shocked American public into endless awe on the pretext of 9/11. By the time democracy awoke, the irreversible deed had been done - and done in a fashion a true democracy would never have otherwise accepted.…
Article comments
26 - roger nowosielski
I always knew you're too big for small shit.
27 - Bennett
Well written and thought provoking piece (I read it a few hours ago), and the comments are civil as well.
I would argue with the baseball analogy however, in that being told by the coach to "swing for the fence" and getting a triple or a double (let alone a grand slam), would be far better than striking out. It gets the team closer to its objective.
If 3/5ths of the Obama agenda succeeds, aren't we closer to winning the game? Does this economic recovery and the advancement of education, a greater competitiveness in global industry, and the development of new technologies that impact the world's use of its resources, does it really rest on the shoulders of this one administration?
A reverse of the direction, a changing of the attitude, an awakening from on-credit overspending, and a commitment to inspire an entire generation to reach for higher levels of success through application of effort. These are all worthy goals to shoot for, and after the last 28 years of our government's slow march to mediocrity's drum, I'd say it's high time to give something new a try.
I'm willing to give it a few years. After all, "worse" could be only by a very small percentage given the losses of the last 8 years, and "better" could be light years from where we find ourselves today.
Bennett
28 - Aetius Romulous
Hey Bennet - thanks for the comment.
I just think this economic mess is a lot worse than it appears to be - to anybody. Worse could and will be...er, worse I guess. To me, its a question of time, and I wonder if it may not have been better to turn all guns on the intractable problem of world finance liquidity first. There really are only a few short weeks left to get that done.
At any other time I would agree, man. But not now.
29 - Clavos
I wonder if it may not have been better to turn all guns on the intractable problem of world finance liquidity first.
This is crucial, and to me, the great flaw in the "stimulus" plan. In his headlong rush to implement every pent up Democratic plan for income redistribution and socializing risk before the honeymoon's over, the Stimulator has watered down the plan's effectiveness insofar as the the finance liquidity mess is concerned.
And it's the base. Until that's resolved, nothing else will work.
30 - Aetius Romulous
I understand that each new administration has an agenda and promises to keep. I understand the significance of the election, and the ground shift it caused. I fully expected the Obama vision to be implemented. It never occured to me that he might feel he had to slip it in under the door.
That's what I don't get right now. It's just silly and pointless to ram it all through at once, and especially right now. Pointless "Shock Doctrine"? Or do they know something we don't?
I dunno. Yet.
31 - roger nowosielski
What, exactly, is he slipping "under the door"?
32 - Aetius Romulous
It's a euphamism for brininging the whole game at once. A bad euphamism in hindsight I suppose.