CounterPunch Exclusives

CounterPunch Exclusives

Democrats Are Using Skyrocketing Energy Costs as a Classic “Shock Doctrine” to Roll Back Climate Policies Under the Guise of “Affordability”

Photograph by Nathaniel St. Clair

The current reactionary politics of skyrocketing energy costs are following the classic pattern of Naomi Klein’s book “Shock Doctrine”.

Klein wrote to explain how disasters were used to enact radical rollback policies that are unthinkable and could never be supported in normal times.

Klein argued that neoliberal economic policies are implemented by exploiting crises like wars, natural disasters, and economic collapses, a strategy she calls “disaster capitalism”. Klein contends that political actors use the chaos of these “shocks” to push through unpopular policies like privatization and deregulation, which benefit corporations at the expense of the public, who are too distracted to resist

Klein argued that neoliberal economic policies are implemented by exploiting crises like wars, natural disasters, and economic collapses, a strategy she calls “disaster capitalism”. Klein contends that political actors use the chaos of these “shocks” to push through unpopular policies like privatization and deregulation, which benefit corporations at the expense of the public, who are too distracted to resist

I saw this in action this week in Trenton and Albany. The climate rollbacks in both States promote the status quo and stoke even more corporate profits and mask rigged energy markets, see:

A Third Of Your Electric Bill Is Pure Corporate Profit

PJM Is Engaging In Enron Tactics

PJM Is Engaging In Enron Tactics

Yesterday, following the talking points of the corporate lobbyists, NJ legislators openly mocked........

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