Kearns, Gerard (2008) Disaster capitalism in historical perspective. Geographical Journal, 174 (3). pp. 285-286. ISSN 0016-7398

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Abstract

Naomi Klein believes there has been a recent and wholly understudied shift in the practices of corporate capitalism. Far from considering disasters a travesty, corporate capitalists now freely embrace catastrophic situations – military coups, pre-emptive wars, climatic hazards, etc. – as opportunities to engage in radical socioeconomic and political restructuring. As an ideology, ‘disaster capitalism’ is strongly tied to broader structural developments, including militarism (as a first rather than last resort), deregulation and privatisation, the promotion of a security state, and the expansion of market fundamentalism. Disaster capitalism is, therefore, structurally linked to the demotion of democracy and the consolidation of power in the hands of a kleptocracy usually referred to as the ‘Washington Consensus’.

Item Type:	Article
Keywords:	Disaster; Capitalism; Historical; Perspective;
Academic Unit:	Faculty of Social Sciences > Geography
Item ID:	8649
Depositing User:	Gerry Kearns
Date Deposited:	23 Aug 2017 08:52
Journal or Publication Title:	Geographical Journal
Publisher:	Wiley
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	Publisher
Use Licence:	This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here

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