Third Shock’s The Charm

Naomi Klein, author of The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism, one of our picks for most hard-hitting, must-read books of 2007, (if you haven't read it yet, don't let it slip by - pick it up today, buy one for your loved one too), has her take on the destruction of public housing in New Orleans at Huffington Post: Readers of The Shock Doctrine know that one of the most shameless examples of disaster capitalism has been the attempt to exploit the disastrous flooding of New Orleans to close down that city's public housing projects, some of the only affordable units in the city. Most of the buildings sustained minimal flood damage, but they happen to occupy valuable land that make for perfect condo developments and hotels. - First came the shock of the original disaster: the flood and the traumatic evacuation. - Next came the "economic shock therapy": using the window of opportunity opened up by the first shock to push through a rapid-fire attack on the city's public services and spaces, most notably it's homes, schools and hospitals. -Now we see that as residents of New Orleans try to resist these attacks, they are being met with a third shock: the shock of the police baton and the Taser gun, used on the bodies of protestors outside New Orleans City Hall yesterday. Thanks to Facing South for the catch. By the way, if you're looking for another non-fiction must-read, don't miss Daniel Brooks' The Trap: Selling Out To Stay Afloat In Winner-Take-All America.