Incredible, insightful book, and well written. One of Klein's greatest gifts is that she sheds light on the widely-held idea that freedom for people equates with freedom of markets. This is the biggest single chunk of propaganda since the second world war, in her view, and yet *most* economists support it!

In fact, the US has repeatedly murdered democratic leaders and leftist citizens of other sovereign nations in order to install puppets friendly to the free-market view. Our CIA, our taxpayer funds, and our name, have all been used to destroy democracy to ensure corporations free access to other nations' resources and sources of wealth. Monsanto helped write the new Iraqi constitution, and included a mandate for purchase of Monsanto seeds, in it -- in another nation's constitution!

We are at a dangerous turning in this world. Whereas life is terribly far from ease and comfort for most world citizens, and whereas murder by governments is widely acknowledged in and by other countries, we Americans have been placated with things. We all have relative comfort, and we all face little injustice most of the time, even the terribly oppressed in the US. Our (rightful) challenges to injustice are of small scale and more about comforts, compared to the brutal beatings, systematic rapes and torture, and the mind-numbing 'disappearances' that we have helped orchestrate for other nations. But the fascism seems to be coming home to roost -- voices as mainstream as Naomi Wolf are echoing this view.

How long can we stay self-focused, really self-obsessed (think 'obesity' myth and dieting dogma, for one), and bent on acquiring things, magical things? How cooptable are we, really, as a medicated, placated, insulated, and well-indoctrinated nation? In strong socialist countries, people were shocked into silence, and rebellions against tyranny took years, even decades. We're starting from a much lower beginning point. What chance do leftists have to recreate actual democracy in this environment?

And what are *you* doing to help? Me? I'm making it my new year's goal to begin work establishing connections -- for disaster alleviation, and also for Buy Local/ Buy US-made goods, while working on increasing awareness of our grooming to consumerism, rather than citizenship, even as I learn, myself. I will stay here and post, so long as this forum remains. --diana Mackin, Galesburg, IL, USA

I agree with Klein that "disaster economics" is a powerful and destructive model that is being employed by the forces of corporatism. However, last year I was invited to present an alternative market-based disaster response at a UN sponsored disaster conference, so I know its not accurate to label the enemy "free marketeering". That kind of demonization is counterproductive because prosperous community marketplaces are the only sort that can effectively resist unsustainable practices without resort to totalitarianism. The solution is to empower local communities to resist the exploitation of the global marketplace without closing them to its benefits, and, importantly, regions where disaster has led to economic disruption are most able to benefit from this approach.

Kevin Parcell
http://sunmoney.org

Lots of clarification needed. First, the whole disaster idea was borrowed from leftist types, who kind of forget to keep it going (never formulated the theory adequately to keep doing it?). Friedman admitted this. Second, 'free market' has a meaning, and if you use *their* terms as a leftist, you risk getting so thoroughly coopted that you can't function. Let there be no doubt: free-marketeering IS the enemy. The only freedom in it is freedom for corporations to run, unfettered, through the resources and the collective wealth of any nation. That IS what free market means. Lots of phrases can be reclaimed; not that one.

Kevin, have you read Korten? He's the only market economy type that I can stomach, and I do truly like him. He insists that a "market economy" (nothing faux-free about it!) has built-in constraints. Monopoly is not allowed, and competition, which I suspect is a step toward the right direction but we need to move beyond it, keeps prices down. The 'free' market is all about monopolies, corporations having and abusing their 'rights' as 'individuals,' and providing stockholders with the most money -- period. Where corporate mandates used to be "for the good of the community" or a specific group, that law got re-written, just as surely as Monsanto re-wrote the Iraq constitution and set in stone the mandated use of Monsanto GMO seeds.

I think you're confusing marketplace economics with "free-market" processes. Again, the phrase cannot be reclaimed. Friedman worked with Chile's dictator to take power, via the *murder* of the freely-elected Allende in 1973, and the Chicago School, which coined, used, abused, and fully claims the phrase, still exists. Your revised use of the phrase cannot counter that, and we don't need it to. We can make and use our own words, and, in fact, a vocabulary is already in place. Again, a "prosperous community marketplace" has *nothing* to do with "free-marketeering" -- nothing whatsoever. Establishing Scrip, or alternate money, within a community and for use only within and to foster economic health within that community -- good stuff. Which has *nothing* to do with "free" markets, or with "free" people. Or even a "global marketplace" -- to the extent that it can possibly be sustainable. Please, also, don't forget sustainability!

Reclaiming lies can't remake a system. And while I applaud your fame, adequate to present at a UN conference, and I know of all of your presidencies from perusals of the Internet, I would hope you have humility enough to step away from said fame and recognition to re-examine what you've said in the post I quote. --diana