The shock doctrine

Ok I'm back!

The summer vacations are over. Lets resume on the Strategy blog.

I suggest to you a very good book to read on strategy that has ramification in economics, war, espionage and psychology.

It suggest that a massive collective trauma makes people become like kids. And then they are more willing to give up their rational thinking and give in to anyone who would come and lead the way.

Take this simple example. I'm sure it happened to anyone of us. There must be a memory that you have in which you screwed up. And some adult shouted at you something like "There! You see! I told you! Now you will listen to me and do as I say!" And you did comply.

The shock doctrine works on the same principle. "But it cannot be applied to an entire population" You would say. Think again.

On September 12th 2001. And the following days. Did the Bush administration had any problems in passing laws that restrict people's freedom for the benefit of national security? No it did not. In normal time this would have generated a scandal and a wave of protest against the federal government stating that it want to destroy the constitution and enslave the population. What happened instead? People thought that the government took a sound decision and population was reassured.

Lets take another example. In the fall of 2008 after the collapse of the financial market. Did the population scream that their government were turning communist? That the government was trying to put its hand on everything that counts in the economy? No. Everybody took it as a salvation act by the government. But look what has happened this last summer without a massive crisis when it was time to vote a government extension right on borrowing. The entire nation closely came to total stall.

No major crisis, then no easy acceptance of massive measures.

Now I don’t say that those crises were provoked by the government. I don’t say that there was a conspiracy behind that. But was I do say is that some instances in the government are well aware of the shock doctrine. And since we have a crises, lets use it to our advantage to make our way…

Want to make your way? Wait for a major crisis. Be patient, it will come. And then speak loud and clear when it happens. People will follow your footsteps.

I recommend you watch this movie. Its part in French but most parts are in English.

Its very good.

And what did I tell you about languages? First knowing more that one language is giving you a strategic advantage over people who knows only one. And second, Lord Francis Bacon said that the knowledge of the world starts by the knowledge of languages.