If one reads the book, there is a discussion of an alternative to savage capitalism: democratic socialism, meaning not only socialist parties brought to power through elections but also democratically run workplaces and land holdings. According to Klein, it is a model that has worked in many regions in Scandinavia, co-operatives in Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region, and some evolving economies in Latin America. In Argentina, it is most noticeable in the movement of “recovered companies” that have been resuscitated by their workers and turned into democratically run co-operatives. Does it work in the long run? Perhaps in a decade or so we’ll have an answer…

I thought the most fascinating aspect of the book is its investigation of how an economic theory (with emphasis on THEORY) had a profound effect on the economies and history of several countries. On a different scale, science and politics have been always uneasy mates: from Galileo to sciences and politics of tobacco, nutrition/GM food and international environmental regimes.

Also, isn’t publish a book, probably about capitalism that feeds on disaster, a way of also feeding on disaster, just one step removed?

There’s no known substitute for capitalism that works. Maybe she’s got an idea, but she doesn’t share it. I’m a ‘lefty’ and support broad social programs and advocater to help-the-poor, limit-the-rich. But at the end of the day, people can only be motivated by an improvement in their lot-in-life. Corporations can only be successful by motivating people. Invariably her criticisms ignore the competitive reality she profits from.

The topic of shielding scientific inquiry from political interference is something I am interested in, though I’m skeptical that a non-scientist author can really do the topic justice, particularly ms. Klein. I’m not likely to buy her book, but might seek it out at a library to avoid funding her capitalist anti-capitalism

-Researchinator