Shock and Awe

I've been working my way through Naomi Klein's "The Shock Doctrine" the last couple weeks. I've been reading about 20 pages every few days, She's saying a lot of weighty stuff so taking time to let it digest is always good.

To this point she's just been documenting Western involvement (Primarily the CIA and other U.S. backed corporations) in developing nations around the world. Nations that at one point were nationalizing their resources and socializing their profits. This isn't good for multi-national corporations that make a killing off of foreign resources. So the rich and powerful had to do something. I won't go into detail, other than to say many of the things that were done were beyond atrocious.

As I'm reading this book it's hard not let anger and frustration build. The same things, the killing, war, and torture, backed by supposedly democratic foundations are still happening. Only now with more precision and devastation than before. We haven't learned from our history at all. I don't mean the people backing and carrying out these evil things, those people, those companies and institutions don't care, they see money and rational thought disappears. It's like this radical form of capitalism is driving people to insanity.

What's most disturbing is that people in the countries who are benefiting from this exploitation the most are letting it happen. It's not as though we don't know what's happening, all you have to do is dig a little and the most gruesome truth is there. It's not pretty to look at but it is willing to be seen. It's up to the people living in Western democracies to stop their governments interaction in terror. The people living in the countries under attack, whether it be military, ideological, social, or economic attack are usually too shocked or fearful to resist what's happening to them. And many times if they do, they disappear.

I know it's easy not to care when you have everything you need, but the time will come when many of today's middle class won't have what they need anymore, then they'll be forced to do something. Unfortunately they won't react until it's too late. I think we really have a responsibility to denounce our apathy and be more active and hold government's and corporations accountable. We're the only people who even have a shot at doing that.

My perpetual listening to Good Riddance's "Operation Phoenix" probably has something to do with me reading this book. There's a song on that record called "Winning the Hearts and Minds." At the beginning of the song there's a quote by Noam Chomsky that sum's up what I'm talking about pretty well.

"We're dealing with real human beings who are suffering and dying and being tortured and starving because of policies that we are involved in. And what the media are doing is ensuring that we do not act on our responsibilities and that the interests of power are served not the needs of the American people, who would be horrified if they realized the blood that's dripping from their hands because of the way they're allowing themselves to be diluted and manipulated by the system"