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    Disaster capitalism in historical perspective


    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
    Related URLs:
    URI: https://mu.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/8649
    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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