The Klein Hypothesis: "Free" Market Not Born in Freedom or Democracy But in Shock

I have not read Naomi Klein's Shock Doctrine, yet; but I intend to.

It is an interesting alternative to the theory that "free" trade and "free" markets are the natural siblings of democracy and our constitutional freedoms.

Of course, when you use qualifiers like "free" in front of a term like "market," you always have to ask, "For whom is it truly free?" The freedom of markets comes with a price tag that few can pay.

That fact that a "free" market is more of an autocracy than a democracy would seem to support Ms. Klein's view that market-friendly policies have to be imposed on softened-up citizenries by those at the top. It also suggests that calling markets "free" is truly an Orwellian twist of words.