The Shock Doctrine In THE SHOCK DOCTRINE, Naomi Klein explodes the myth that the global free market triumphed democratically. Exposing the thinking, the money trail and the puppet strings behind the world-changing crises and wars of the last four decades, The Shock Doctrine is the gripping story of how America’s “free market” policies have come to dominate the world-- through the exploitation of disaster-shocked people and countries. At the most chaotic juncture in Iraq’s civil war, a new law is unveiled that would allow Shell and BP to claim the country’s vast oil reserves…. Immediately following September 11, the Bush Administration quietly out-sources the running of the “War on Terror” to Halliburton and Blackwater…. Based on breakthrough historical research and four years of on-the-ground reporting in disaster zones, The Shock Doctrine vividly shows how disaster capitalism – the rapid-fire corporate reengineering of societies still reeling from shock – did not begin with September 11, 2001.
theGatesNotes Bill Gates I don’t often get to say that I toured Europe with a rock star, but that’s what happened last week when I spent time in London and Paris with Bono. In our meetings with government officials, our message was this: Europe’s support of overseas development assistance is saving thousands of lives and is a tremendous example for other donor countries. In Paris, we met with France’s new president, Francois Hollande and his senior ministers for finance, foreign affairs, and development. It was fantastic to hear President Hollande affirm his dedication to continuing France’s leadership in aid. In London, we met with the new secretary of state for international development, Justine Greening, who oversees the UK’s Department for International Development, which has been a great development partner. It was energizing spending time with Bono, who has such a great way of thinking about challenges and communicating with people.
“The Great Feast” – TEDxOxbridge | Ed Dowding This is the transcript from my talk at TEDxOxbridge last weekend. If you a have a phone, take it out and hold it up. This device makes us magicians: At any time, from any where, we can know almost ANYTHING that is known to mankind. Ok – hands down. But what is truly extraordinary about this device… … is that this man has one too. He uses his to get stock updates – but his reminds him when to check his cows for diseases. He also tweets questions to the regional vet, shares tips and information with other farmers, knows the local and international market prices for his produce, and when you buy from him… you can pay him by SMS. There are 650 million people with a mobile phone in Sub-Saharan Africa, and even though only half of them have access to clean water or sanitation, they all have better mobile access to more information than Bill Clinton did when he was President. The world is changing quickly. Everything is secondary to food. That’s true of society, too. Food is one of these multipliers.