shock doctrine
GRITtv: The F Word: Solving the Irish Crisis
The financial crisis in Ireland is leading to a political crisis on the heels of a bailout and more “austerity measures.” The coalition that currently rules is falling apart, the Green Party detaching from the prime minister's Fianna Fail party, and elections loom. But just as in colonial days, the “Irish problem” is really a problem from outside. Ireland wouldn't need "help" if it hadn't been robbed by multinationals. Distributed by Tubemogul.
Email this pageGRITtv: Making the Invisible People Visible
Naomi Klein noted as well, "We don't have the ability to make the economically disposed-of people visible." Indeed, all over the country people are struggling just to survive in the current economic climate. Invisible People is a project aimed at doing just what Klein asked--making those people visible again. In this clip, they bring us the story of Jean and her kids.
GRITtv: Greg Grandin: Corporations, Cartels, and History
September 11 is not only an infamous date in the U.S.--in Chile, it marks the anniversary of the coup that overthrew Salvador Allende. This year, 33 miners will spend that anniversary trapped underground, and Greg Grandin notes that Chile is seeing what amounts to the "Shock doctrine with a human face" under its current regime--deregulation leading to safety issues like that in the mine. Meanwhile, Mexico continues to see ever-escalating violence from drug cartels, and the U.S. State Department is now calling it an "insurgency." Grandin joins Laura in studio to talk Mexico, Chile, Brazil's upcoming elections, and more in Latin America.
GRITtv: Militarizing Haiti: The Shock Doctrine at Work?
With Haiti's government "all but invisible" and its repressive police forces "devastated," popular organizations were starting to fill the void. But the Western powers rushing in want to rebuild Haiti on a foundation of sweatshops, agro-exports and tourism. So wrote Arun Gupta in the latest issue of the Indypendent, on the way neoliberal "reforms" are being pushed Haiti's way. Gupta joins guest host Esther Armah in the studio, along with Reverend Osagyefo Sekou, who just returned from Haiti, to talk about the rebuilding effort underway and how people in the U.S. can help make sure Haiti is rebuilt for the Haitian people.
GRITtv: Looking Past Disaster: Possibilities for Haiti
The Heritage Foundation didn't wait very long after the earthquake in Haiti to issue its recommendations for Shock Doctrine-style "reforms," and the IMF has already offered a conditional loan to help rebuild. Haiti has seen enough of this type of policy already, and is in need of a different type of thinking: one not imposed from without, but developed from within the country and its communities. To discuss what would really help the people of Haiti, we ask architect Rodney Leon, working on the Belle Reve sustainable housing development in Haiti and a member of The Haitian Roundtable group, Michele Wucker, executive director of the World Policy Institute and Bill Fletcher Jr., executive editor of Black Commentator. If you've already given money but want to know what else you can do, we suggest joining the growing calls for forgiving Haiti's foreign debts. Some nations have already said they will do so, but more pressure can only help. The ONE campaign, the Hunger Site, and Jubilee USA have action you can take, and you can also contact your congressperson.
GRITtv: The F Word: Things to Remember While Helping Haiti
Things to remember while helping Haiti. That's the benign-sounding headline on a Heritage Foundation paper regarding the disaster in Haiti. Released just hours after the 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit, the pro-corporate analysts at Heritage suggested that the US response should think beyond the immediate ... to "address long-held concerns over the fragile political environment that exists in the region." But as Naomi Klein discovered, in an early draft, the pro-corporate ideologues at Heritage were more outspoken. The early version, yanked, read: "In addition to providing immediate humanitarian assistance, the U.S. response to the tragic earthquake in Haiti earthquake offers opportunities to re-shape Haiti's long-dysfunctional government and economy as well as to improve the public image of the United States in the region." Reshape it how? Well, those who remember how Heritage responded to Hurricane Katrina will probably get it about right; In a WebMemo titled "President's Bold Action on Davis-Bacon Will Aid the Relief Effort," in 2005 Heritage applauded Bush for suspending provisions of the Davis-Bacon Act applying "to federally funded construction projects in the Gulf Coast areas hit by Hurricane Katrina" … What are the chances, do you think, that the US Treasury will be as generous with Haiti as it was with Wall Street? -- Laura Flanders
Democracy Now!: Fri., Dec, 11, 2009
From Copenhagen, an overview of the week’s developments: We hear response on the latest proposals from climate negotiators from India, China and the Association of Small Island States, and analysis from Kate Horner of Friends of the Earth. Hundreds of activists from across the globe are gathering every day in downtown Copenhagen for the people’s climate summit, the Klimaforum. We take a rare tour inside several of the key convergent spaces where protest organizers are preparing for the demonstrations. Ivonne Yanez explains Ecuador's unique campaign to have the international community compensate the country in exchange for keeping the oil in the ground. "Democracy Now!" is a daily independent newshour. Thursday night Naomi Klein addressed a packed hall for a panel on ecological debt and climate justice
GRITtv: The Secret Global Empire(s): Russ Baker & John Perkins
U.S. history has seen many presidents elected on a wave of progressive promises, only to see them compromise again and again once in office, caving to the very interests, military and corporate, that they railed against so effectively. Barack Obama is only the latest to get elected on a promise to end a war and take care of working people, only to preside over an administration stacked with Wall Street types and wind up continuing a war he wanted to wind down. John Perkins is the author of "Confessions of an Economic Hit Man." Russ Baker wrote "Family of Secrets: The Bush Dynasty, the Powerful Forces That Put It in the White House, and What Their Influence Means for America." They argue the only weapon we have is public opinion and public pressure -- and we need to bring it to bear not just on the government, but on the corporations.
