Lots to think about....

I've been following some of the discussions on Naomi Klein's new book, The Shock Doctrine, and I'm finding it darkly interesting. I was struck, however, by this post by our friend Digby concerning the entire concept laid bare by Klein.

The underlying principle of The Shock Doctrine is "disaster capitalism" and Klein does a splendid job of documenting examples of how disasters have lead certain companies and individuals to great wealth and, disturbingly, how "shock doctrine" is used as a means to the ultimate end...personal, individual wealth. I don't want to get distracted by the fascinating and ultimately horrifying effects of disaster capitalism, instead, I want to "riff" on Digby's idea.

And it's a shocker...

Digby believes that the great entrepreneurs of disaster capitalism and, indeed the biggest corporate "shakers and movers" of our modern times are disciples of the late Ayn Rand, and, more specifically, disciples of her "magnum opus", Atlas Shrugged. (indeed....a few right wing blogs are dedicated to Ayn Rand's works, or, claim in their masthead that they were inspired by Atlas Shrugged.)

Take a look at this praise of Atlas Shrugged....and then I'll SHOCK you by telling you who the quote belongs to.

Shortly after “Atlas Shrugged” was published in 1957, Mr. XXXXXXX wrote a letter to The New York Times to counter a critic’s comment that “the book was written out of hate.” Mr. XXXXX wrote: “ ‘Atlas Shrugged’ is a celebration of life and happiness. Justice is unrelenting. Creative individuals and undeviating purpose and rationality achieve joy and fulfillment. Parasites who persistently avoid either purpose or reason perish as they should.”

Note the date: 1957

The passionate advocate of Atlas Shrugged and that "Parasites....perish as they should" is none other than the guru of American Capitalism

Alan Greenspan

And, in truth, many modern-day capitalist credit their success to Rand's work, but not so fast....is her work really a celebration of capitalism?

Digby doesn't think so, and neither does Gore Vidal, who says,

For years, Rand’s message was attacked by intellectuals whom her circle labeled “do-gooders,” who argued that individuals should also work in the service of others. Her book was dismissed as an homage to greed. Gore Vidal described its philosophy as “nearly perfect in its immorality.”

Digby coins a new phrase for modern "Randy Conservatives" and I think I agree with her.

They are "...modern manifestations of cruel free-market fundamentalism".

The whole misadventure in Iraq was caused because of the modern neoconservative movement that was documented in the book Iraq, Day One, in which Bremer and his merry band of fundamentalists (both religious and economic) tried to make Iraq into a capitalist Utopia immediately after the invasion.

I'll riff more on this later because the real world is demanding my attention...

(why am I talking on two telephones at once?????)