Video of Naomi Klein on the Colbert Report

In this video, Stephan Colbert pretends to defend making money off disasters. Despite his jokes, Klein gets her argument across. Notice the connection she makes to Hurricane Katrina. How do you think this argument relates to our overall course theme of America's place in the world?
- The argument that Naomi Klein emphasizes through out her book "The Shock Doctrine" and this video, is that the U.S government has taken and continues to take advantage of the people when they are in the state of shock. The state of shock, meaning when the people are going through difficult situations, such as: recessions, high unemployment, natural disasters and wars. People tend to have hope in the government and there is when officials in power take advantage of people's innocence in order to benefit themselves. I totally agree with her argument, because all the material that we have read and watched across the cluster, has shown us how the U.S government and their officials are very self interested and have used this tactic in order to get what they want. So, I believe that we must be alert and not let the people in power take advantage of us anymore!!!

We going through an economic recession right now, and I'm wondering how the government and its official will take advantage of this situation??? or they already did??? ;D

Personal Responses

What view of "American in the World" did you have coming into the cluster? Where do you think this idea came from? Has it changed? If so, what text(s) or idea(s) changed it? What do you still want to know? Thinking of the quotes we started with, are your thoughts now closer to Obama or to King?

- From what I have learned in high school; I have always seen the United States as being a country that has progressed through very difficult times and struggles and eventually it has become a very powerful country. Before coming into the cluster "America In The World" I always had the idea that the United States was not a self-interest country and that actually likes to help developing countries. As this cluster exposed us to different texts and films; I started to realize that the United States is not as good as everybody seems to think and that actually this country is very corrupted and self- interest. After learning all the negative actions taken by the United States; I totally agree with King's quote. I support King's allegations,mainly because we as class have learned how the government has used violence against different races in order to get what they wanted. As well as implementing white supremacy in the U.S.