{Such a pity, really. – ML}

Thanks for the reference. I was surprised to read of Klein’s bizarre assertions, and it is important to not let them go unanswered and uncorrected because of the impact public opinion has on trade development . Your reaction was scathing but appropriate. She has sensationalized and radicalized, and now must be marginalized.

By the way, doesn’t it seem when someone attempts to analyze globalization outside of economics, they risk misunderstanding the realistic practicalities of it all (example the journalist Klein, the law professor Chua)?

If Ms. Klein disagrees with Milton Friedman and the Chicago School, she should debate his theories on their merits. Instead, *The Shock Doctrine *attempts to discredit Friedman and the Chicago School based on their supposed connection to the human rights abuses of Augusto Pinochet and the military juntas of Argentina, Brasil and Uruguay.

According to Ms. Klein, Friedman’s economic theories can be enacted only in the context of extreme shock that overcomes natural opposition to it.
Rather than a reasoned analysis of economic theories, Ms. Klein marshals invective, innuendo, guilt by association and simple misrepresentation of the evidence to libel Friedman and his theories. Perhaps most bizarrely, Ms. Klein suggests that the mere description of attempts to reform and transform failing economies as “shock therapy” somehow equates to electroshock therapy of the 1950s.

For Ms. Klein Mr. Friedman’s willingness to provide economic advice to Pinochet forever tarnished free market economics without the need to provide any evidence or arguments as to its failure as an economic theory. Apparently, no economist can advise any but the most pristine pure democracies.

Not surprisingly, Ms. Klein hates privatization. She assumes that government should conduct all operations with its own employees. The very concept of outsourcing any government function to a private company that might make (gasp) a profit from such operations fills her with existential angst.

Why should government pick up the garbage with government employees rather than contracting with a private firm if the firm can do the work more efficiently and cheaper? Ms. Klein never seems to acknowledge that as a question much less attempt to answer it. Instead, she attacks any government contracting with private companies without regard to questions of efficiency or cost.

*The Shock Doctrine *provides a great deal of heat but very little light either as to the real theories of Milton Friedman and the Chicago School or reasons for opposing those theories.

Cheers,

Abu el Banat

“Naomi” is tantalizingly close to “Noemie,” which happens to be Joe Klein’s trannie street name.

Remarkable, ain’t it?