Naomi Klein, author of the upcoming book "The Shock Doctrine: the rise of disaster capitalism," gave an inspiring talk at the Loyola Law Center as New Orleans heads into the second anniversary of the Federal Flood. Bill Quigley, a law professor at Loyola and human rights activist, gives a short introduction (see Klein's audio below).
Naomi Klein, a writer-activist best known for her book "No Logo" on corporate multinationals and global resistance, spoke in front of over one hundred people at Loyola Law Center. Klein arrived in New Orleans a few days ago, receiving guided tours of social justice work that continues two years after Hurricane Katrina and the flooding caused by inadequate government levees.
A remarkable contingent of organizers from tsunami-affected areas of India--one leading an organization of 43,000 paid people, another coordinating 240 paid organizers--were present for the speech. Earlier they met with local activists and each group shared their strategies and processes of social justice in the face of disasters. The documentary "Redefining Peace" by Sunil Kupperi of Bangalore, India--shown before Klein's appearance--delved into the paths, principles and organizing of eight determined women leading justice movements in India. The violent repression of the state against those movements provided a global context for the injustices unveiled by the flood.
Most New Orleanians know the content of Klein's new book coming out in September, "The Shock Doctrine: the rise of disaster capitalism," all too well with the economic opportunism and privatization that capitalists had in store for the public services in the city.
Klein's talk brought in forgotten or "secret" histories, a radical populist analysis and relevant observations of modern struggle (and stories from her trip to New Orleans ten days after the flood) that reverberated with the largely activist crowd, which inspired an earnest and relevant conversation for the future of not only New Orleans but our world. No longer do capitalists and politicians collude to benefit when reacting to disasters with contracts and the usurpation of land or public services, but, like Iraq, they now often create them.
But please don't listen to me, listen to the talk for yourself, read the book when it comes out, discuss it with friends and take action.
*The world premiere of a short film of the same title as Klein's new book is shown early in the talk. It is produced by Klein and Alfonso Cuaron, the Mexican director famous for "Y Tu Mama Tambien," "Harry Potter and the Prizoner of Azkaban," "Children of Men" and recently a documentary on immigration and climate change called "The Possibility of Hope."
--Short responses to the talk were given by Peter Driscoll of Action Aid (community-accountable NGO in the Tsunami Disaster), an organizer from the southern state of India, and Gulf Coast Women for Change director Sharon Henshaw of Biloxi, MS.
--Among the people who ask questions: Mayaba Liebenthal of Critical Resistance New Orleans and INCITE Women of Color Against Violence, Mike Howells of C3 Hands Off Iberville, Clarence Thomas of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, education consultant Carolyn Gillman and others.
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