Disaster Apartheid And Shock Doctrine

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The two pieces I found most moving during the History class this semester were “Disaster Apartheid: A World of Green Zones and Red Zones” and “An Inconvenient Truth” Both articles made reference to the radical adversity being faced by human, be it internationally through the constant threat of Global Warming, or be in nationally through the threat of discrimination due to ones race or social creed. In Naomi Klein's book, 'The Shock Doctrine' the chapter entitled "Disaster Apartheid" is the author’s interpretation of the Hurricane Katrina catastrophe for the many flaws in the actions taken by the government in prevention, survival, and rehabilitation in New Orleans. She points out the lack of planning that allowed the effects of the hurricane to have impact of such magnitude while criticizing efforts made towards evacuation. Her writing argues the segregation of classes in New Orleans, allowing the middle and upper classes to drive to safety while the predominately black lower class was left helpless. The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina show other mishandlings of the fragile situation by the government. Federal and state organizations distributed power amongst private; profit based, contracted companies and allowed for a shift towards profit incentive instead of rehabilitation. The destruction of homes, neighborhoods, and schools gave light for new gated communities and privately run boarding schools, while the poor were left nothing. Naomi Klein's 'The Shock Doctrine' outlines the controversy behind capitalistic governmental actions taken in times of great need. I’ve noticed that more specifically, in her chapter "Disaster Apartheid: A World of Green Zones and Red Zones," Klein strongly critiques the handling of the Hurricane Katrina disaster by the United States government. Her writing analyzes the individual mistreatments of the catastrophic situation and argues

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