It's Time To Understand "The Shock Doctrine"
Unpacking Tariffs and USAID's Destruction for Us All
If you have never read
’s "The Shock Doctrine," you need to get up to speed. Because that's what is being done to our world right now through Tariffs and the destruction of USAID.And, while you are reading up on The Shock Doctrine, you need to remember this self-obvious concept that comes from both Christian faith, and the simple rules of Game Theory:
“PEOPLE WITH NO HOPE WILL STEAL YOURS.”
Taken together, my dire message today is that the world could credibly plunge into a chaos such that we have not seen in decades.
Let’s talk about the twin steps being taken that track with Klein’s “Shock Doctrine” theory.
At the general level of the world economy: “Tariffs"
At the low end of the world economy: "The destruction of USAID."
Pay attention, because my sense is these joint move, breaking in the news today, are very likely to cause immense amounts of human suffering and misery around the globe.
And...that this ON PURPOSE.
What I mean is: not only are the tariffs and shuttering of USAID “on purpose,” but also: The horrific effects likely to happen are also on purpose.
Klein's now decades-old theory is that a series of intentional "shocks" are often applied to the nation’s economy, in an effort to weaken, paralyze, and "shock" ordinary citizens.
These are political or economic decisions by sitting governments (usually tyrants) or by multi-national corporations that control governments.
Klein's original theory was that the "Shocks" were often applied to a single nation-state, by oligarchs and business interests in the “disaster capital industry.”
What I'm suggesting here is that right now, the joint decision to start tariffs and also destroy the humanitarian mission of USAID could have the joint affect of sowing economic chaos like this world has never seen.
But don't miss: CHAOS is the POINT, not the byproduct.
Under Shock Doctrine, chaos allows the space for disaster capitalists to swoop in and save the day.
Will broad tariffs actually help the poor and middle class in America or around the world?
Unlikely. Most economists —save those with red MAGA hats on— suggest that broad non-targeted, tariffs like these will only increase prices, and misery, everywhere.
Oh, sure, the rich will be fine.
But the poor and middle class?
Not just here, but around the globe?
They will suffer, for sure.
We’ve been discussing Tariffs for weeks now.
The newer issue is the second move: Destroying USAID.
This is an agency that swoops in to help the world in times of famine, natural disaster, or economic crisis. It provides much need food, medicine, and materials…working hand-in-hand with NGOs to make sure millions of people do not starve or spread disease to everyone.
This move all but insures that those poor and middle class folks (worldwide) already suffering under the Trump/Musk tariffs will now find no help coming when the next climate or natural disaster strikes.
Their misery will not just double...it will grow exponentially. They will lack the emergency food, medicine, and other supplies needed to prevent large scale disasters from becoming exponentially worse.
Meanwhile if you listen to the Trump/Musk presidency (Or, should I reverse those names?) all of this will help save America...somehow.
That is...if we build a big enough wall to keep everyone else out.
Which of course we cannot.
This gets us back to Immigration, and my assertion that ALL political parties have failed us over a period of 40 years.
Everything Trump is doing is a stunt to please his base. But it’s also a stunt with huge consequences to actual human beings living in America.
Please understand: Nothing in the ICE raids or wall-building that is currently happening will stop the desire people have to immigrate to the United States.
In fact, when seen as a whole --when those immigration decisions are couple with Tariffs and the destruction of USAID-- there is very credible threat of even MORE incentive to immigrate to the United States!!!!
The desire to immigrate here always comes from economic insecurity and instability in home country.
Nothing related to tariffs or banishing USAID will lessen that desire or home country instability.
This is a good time to remind you of the presidential campaign of Julian Castro in 2020. Castro, to my mind, was the only politician I am aware of in recent decades who honestly and sincerely put forth a plan that could have lessened immigration.
Castro rightly suggested that we need at “Marshall Plan” like program that would not only increase “border security,” but would also directly assist home countries in rebuilding their economies and thus *lessen* the desire for immigration.
Again, I know of no other politician in forty years who spoke so truthfully of what it would take to “fix” immigration.
But, on the right and left, nobody wanted to listen to that.
With Republicans there is a demand to “close the border” and focus only on “security.”
(This is naive, stunt-based, foolishness)
With Democrats, there was a fear of pushing the truth of the need for that Marshall Plan-level of assistance.
(This is cowardly, and fearful, ignorance)
And so, we continue to argue over a Border Wall, and rightly recoil from ICE raids and talk of internment camps.
But my point is: All the suffering now, based on those things?
It will pale to the world suffering wrought by the twin choices to impose broad tariffs and destroy broad food, medical, and other humanitarian aid.
And the Trump/Musk oligarchic interests see dollar signs in, swooping in to clean up the mess they themselves caused.
Which leads me to remind you of how “well” this played out in Iraq and Afghanistan. (Turn on your sarcasm detectors…)
In those wars, disaster capitalists such as Halliburton and Blackwater, swooped in to try and capitalize on the misery wrought by the United States invasion. This did not “fix” things at all…even as it made a lot of money for those firms.
What it did lead to was: The creation of the Islamic State….and the continuation of worldwide misery.
“People with no hope will steal yours.”
Remember that phrase.
It’s the rock-solid corollary to “The Golden Rule.”
If we don’t treat each other as we want to be treated…if we imagine we can live in isolation, pretend America is some cul-de-sac neighborhood with a security gate and make even armed guards…none of our security efforts will matter.
There will be never be enough gates, no “walls” no police force, no military both nimble and strong enough to withstand the misery of the suffering millions created BY these policies. Because “security” was always only half the issue.
(I’d argue: not even half…)
Desperate people will continue to try and come to America. Desperate people who see their plight as caused by Tariffs and the destruction of USAID…God knows what they’re capable of.
Compassion and connection spread compassion and connection.
Selfishness in the name of security spreads distrust, angry and ultimately frustration.
These are simple human truths; true both on the individual level, and a global one.
The point of this essay is to suggest that these twin decisions today aren’t just bad for the American economy…but very likely very bad for world governments and people, everywhere.
There is very credible path to suggest that these twin policies today could lead to a radical DE-stabilization not just of our economy, but also world governments, including ours, at all levels.
And again, for the Trump/Musk government: That’s probably the point.