Naomi Klein as is well known is the foremost critique of Neoliberlism & American Neocons. She has written a new book titled THE SHOCK DOCTRINE which examines the HOW of the rise of NEOLIBERAL ECONOMICS & NEOCONS THE WORLD OVER & by inference IN INDIA though she by passes India in her analysis.
It is a must read book. It is a large book - 558 page long - & I am still in the process of reading it but it makes for an easy read provided one has the patience. Reading this book one will come to understand the POLITICS OF INDIA’S ALL POLITICAL PARTIES right from BJP to LEFT to CONGRESS(I) & Manmohannomics.
Naomi Klein clarifies 3 main points in the current politico-economic climate dominating in the whole of the world:
1. The rise of the CORPORATIST STATE. This is the state where the BIG BUSINESS merges with the BIG GOVERNMENT.
Its stated objectives are - the elimination of the public sphere, total liberation for corporations and skeletal social spending - ALL FOR THE PROFIT & ENRICHMENT OF THE RICH.
The one major characteristic of this CORPORATIST STATE IS: aggressive surveillance, mass incarceration, shrinking civil liberties accompanied by though not always, torture.
2. CORPORATIST STATE is basically for ever increasing PROFITS primarily for the BIG BUSINESSES at the expense of the a) environment b) natural resources c) workers, peasants & the common people(the masses) - exploitation of their labour.
3. CORPORATIST STATE achieves its stated objectives by exploiting the fear among the common mass of the people caused by:
a) natural disasters(like Tsunami, Hurricane Katerina, etc)
b) real or imaginary threat of rogue states(Iraq - it simply had no DIRTY BOMBS)
c) by discrediting 1) WELFARIST SOCIO-POLITICAL-ECONOMIC MODEL as the source of all economic disasters like DEBT CRISIS of the 80s, etc. 2) equating it with communism.
In India the successive governments from BJP to now Congress(I) have exploited
PRIMARILY
a) Islamic terrorism
to usher in
1) neoliberal agenda under the dictats of America/World Bank/IMF
2) neo-conservative politics characterised by steady erosion of a) political activism b) erosion of human rights, etc
PRIME EXAMPLE IS: DR. BINAYAK SEN’S IMPRISONMENT FOR THE PAST 1 YEAR UNDER THE PRETEXT OF HAVING SYMPATHIES FOR NAXALITES.
Manu
P.S: ONE JUST HAS TO READ THE LATEST ISSUE OF TEHELKA TO UNDERSTAND THE COMPLICITY OF THE STATE, POSSIBLY, (POLITICIANS/POLICE/SECURITY AGENCIES) IN LINKING REPEATED TERROR ACTS TO’SIMI’ & MUSLIMS IN GENERAL. IT IS QUITE POSSIBLE THAT THESE TERROR ACTS COULD BE THE HANDIWORK OF ELEMENTS COVERTLY SUPPORTED BY THE ESTABLISHMENT. **I am just implying as a thesis.**