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| Naomi Klein spoke at pilipiliĀž» on Friday. (Bruce Bottomley Photo) |
The vibrant Naomi Klein graced the podium of the Ondaatje auditorium at pilipiliĀž» on Friday, Sept. 26. Known for her award-winning journalism and her first bestselling book, No Logo: Taking Aim at the Brand Bullies, she attracted a large crowd of approximately 1,000 eager listeners. They filled not only the initial the main auditorium, but also Dalhousieās Scotiabank and the Computer Science auditoriums, which received her lecture by live video feed.
Ms. Klein summarized the thesis of her most recent bestselling publication, The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism, using local and current examples. The book advances the unnerving argument that while people are reeling from natural disasters, wars and economic upheavals, savvy politicians and industry leaders are busy implementing policies that would never pass during less tumultuous times.
In the aftermath of crisis, she explained, we are distracted and disoriented, vulnerable to those who push through unwanted policies which shrink the role of the state and give large, inherently profit-oriented corporations more control. This assertion is built around a collection of global examples and the chilling statement made by the free-market economist Milton Friedman that āonly a crisis actual or perceived produces real change.ā
During her talk, politicians huddled behind closed doors in Washington negotiatingĀ the now-abortedĀ $700 billion bailout packageĀ for Wall Street. She predicts the so-called rescue plan will be yet another example of a transfer from the public to private sector, made possible by panic created in the markets and the public āby corporate media and doomsday politicizing.ā
The lecture was directly followed by a Q&A session and a screening of the seven-minute film by Ms. Klein and Alfonso CuarĆ³n (available on YouTube), which illustrates the main ideas presented in the book.
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| Naomi Klein signed books with the message "Be brave." (Bruce Bottomley Photo) |
Ms. Klein has a distinct way of invading the comfortable bubble of the status quo and forcing us to look at issues that directly threaten the good life we currently enjoy. She paints a sinister picture of a trend which seems to have taken root without our knowledge. But she asserts that we can arm ourselves against this type of shock treatment, that knowledge is power and āwe are more powerful than we think.ā
She finished her lecture by applauding the fact that so much of the audience was already part of activist causes and put call out for involvement for all those who were not. She signed books with ābe braveā and left a general sentiment that we, together, can play a part in turning this ship around and change the type of world we live in.
As the event wrapped, Asaf Rashid, the coordinator of the NSPIRG, made a short presentation on Atlantica, a free-trade initiative taking place right here in Nova Scotia which has largely been kept behind closed doors. After the presentations a reception fundraiser put on by The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives was held at the Grad House, where guests were able to meet the activist icon personally.
Naomi Kleinās appearance was organized by IDEAS (International Development Undergraduate Society) and their partners NSPIRG and The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.
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