The Shock Doctrine: A Warning We Can’t Afford to Ignore
Naomi Klein’s The Shock Doctrine: It helps us see how power operates in the shadows of disaster. —it’s a warning. We must reject panic-driven policy.
The Shock Doctrine: A Warning We Can’t Afford to Ignore
By Dr. Nick Sanders
Naomi Klein’s The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism is not just a history of aggressive economic reform—it’s a warning. In her 2007 book, Klein argues that governments and corporations use crises—wars, natural disasters, economic collapses—to push through sweeping neoliberal reforms that would never pass in stable times. During these moments of public disorientation, systems of public support are dismantled, wealth is transferred upward, and the most vulnerable are left even more exposed.
In 2025, Klein’s warning feels more urgent than ever.
COVID-19 and the New Shock Doctrine
The COVID-19 pandemic gave us a real-time example of disaster capitalism at work. While millions of people lost their jobs, homes, and access to basic healthcare, major corporations—Amazon, Pfizer, and others—thrived. Trillions of dollars were released in government stimulus, but much of that relief went to large businesses through programs like the Paycheck Protection Program, while many small businesses and working-class families struggled (Tooze, 2021).
At the same time, education became a battleground. Public school budgets shrank, while Big Tech companies expanded their role in virtual classrooms—raising long-term questions about privatization and surveillance in learning environments.
Climate Crisis as a Corporate Opportunity
Climate change is another arena where Klein’s theory continues to unfold. After Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico in 2017, the public electrical grid was privatized. Today, residents pay higher prices for unreliable electricity under LUMA Energy—a private firm with limited transparency or accountability (Robles & Mazzei, 2021).
Across the globe, wildfires and floods are followed not by community-driven rebuilding, but by real estate development and land grabs. Climate disaster, in many cases, has become a business model.
War, Reconstruction, and Profit
We’re also seeing echoes of the Shock Doctrine in war-torn regions. In Ukraine, as the war with Russia drags on, international investors are eyeing the post-war recovery as a prime opportunity. Millions of hectares of farmland have already been made available to foreign agribusiness, and new IMF loans come with conditions similar to the neoliberal “shock therapy” policies Klein critiqued in post-Soviet Russia (OpenDemocracy, 2023).
In Gaza, reconstruction efforts are often managed by international firms rather than local leaders, making recovery more profitable for outsiders than for the people who need it most.
Why This Matters Now
Klein (2007) didn’t just outline a pattern—she issued a call to awareness. Crises will come. But if we don’t pay attention, they’ll be used to erode our public institutions, shift wealth to the top, and leave everyday people with fewer rights and more burdens.
In every crisis, we must ask:
Who is benefiting?
Who is being silenced?
And what is being permanently changed under the cover of emergency?
The Next Shock Is Coming. What Will We Do?
The Shock Doctrine is more than a book—it’s a tool. It helps us see how power operates in the shadows of disaster. If we are to respond to future shocks—whether economic, environmental, or political—with justice and resilience, we must reject panic-driven policy. We must insist on transparency, community leadership, and equitable recovery.
Because the true danger isn’t just the storm—it’s what gets built in the aftermath.
References
Klein, N. (2007). The shock doctrine: The rise of disaster capitalism. Metropolitan Books.
OpenDemocracy. (2023, April 6). Ukraine’s new land law opens doors for Western agribusiness. https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/odr/ukraine-new-land-law-agriculture-western-investors/
Robles, F., & Mazzei, P. (2021, August 15). Privatization of Puerto Rico’s power authority leads to new outages and frustration. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/15/us/puerto-rico-electricity-luma.html
Tooze, A. (2021). Shutdown: How COVID shook the world’s economy. Viking.