Critical Analysis of “Disaster Capatalism: The New Economy of Catastrophe” by Naomi Klein

I believe that the voice of the author in this piece is that of a socialist. I think that Klein’s voice is also that of a middle class citizen. If not, she is then an advocate of middle class citizens. I believe that her audience is humankind in general. More specifically, middle class citizens as she wants to bring their attention to what is happening around them.

Klein’s purpose for writing this piece is to show that privatization is not the answer to the problems of catastrophes. Rather, she argues that privatization is the reason for many of the problems that arise when a disaster occurs. Many people believe that privatization of public services in the disaster industry will ensure that crises are handled better. However privatizing in reality does not do this. Rather, privatization, especially in the disaster industry, divides classes and people even more. When the poor become poorer, or the middle class become poor, (which so often occurs when disasters hit) crime will increase. Without any government, or public services available the classes become more divided. Which then will result in more need from the rich for protection, etc.

Klein’s ideas are that privatization is not the answer when catastrophe hits. She believes that the government should step in and protect all citizens but this is not happening. Rather corporations are making money off of people’s fear. “The more panicked our societies become, convinced that there are terrorists lurking in every mosque, the higher the news ratings soar, the more biometric IDs and liquid-explosive-detection devices the complex sells, and the more high-tech fences it builds.” Klein is showing her readers that this industry wants the public to be scared to make money off of them.

Klein uses many examples to show how corporations are capitalizing on the suffering of the public. One of the first examples she brings up are the citizens in Iraq. The middle class citizens are left to fend for themselves, by pooling their money together to receive basic services. While the rich in Iraq live in green zones. These Green Zones have their own phone, sanitation systems, and hospitals.  Klein describes as being in the Green Zones as “a giant fortified cruise ship parked in the middle of the a sea of violence and despair, the boiling Red Zone that is Iraq.”  She also brings up examples in the States as well. The main example being Hurricane Katrina.

I thought that Klein did a good job showing people how corporations are thriving off of the publics fear and how it is not the answer to problems. I did think though that it almost felt like she was using a slippery slope argument.