Culture critic Naomi Klein's latest work argues that the "free" market has a "secret history" in which natural disasters, terrorist attacks and other horrific events serve to "soften" populations so that they will accept the "economic shock therapy" treatment of unrestrained Capitalism advocated by the late economist Milton Friedman and his followers. Klein's cover story for the latest issue of Harper's (not online yet) summarizes her latest book on "disaster capitalism." She's also produced a short film (see YouTube clip below) with Alfonso Cuaron ("Children of Men") to accompany the book.I think Klein exaggerates the impact of Friedman's ideas on global economic policy, but her work is useful in debunking the popular myth that market forces are "natural."
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