Friedman Facts.com

Art Carden, Rhodes College Professor of Economics, just published an excellent article in the Journal of Lutheran Ethics on Naomi Klein’s book, The Shock Doctrine. We’re not sure why it’s in JLE, but it really is an interesting review of the book. In it, Professor Carden condemns her “impressionistic story” and failure in “providing a clear, compelling hypothesis and then evaluating that hypothesis in light of the best available evidence.”

As a refresher for those new to this site or the Friedman debate, author Naomi Klein argues that Milton Friedman and the Chicago School of Economics are responsible for utilizing economic and political crises to push through radical deregulation, which ultimately leads to global poverty and oppression. You can read more about her thesis and its critiques elsewhere on this site.

An excerpt from Carden:

There is an implicit contract between an author and a reader. An author who makes strong, controversial claims must get the facts straight and tie those facts together with a clear, convincing theoretical framework. Sadly, Klein does not live up to her end of the bargain. Where her claims demand evidence she offers impressionistic associations. Where her claims need critical evaluation of theories of economic development we are treated to moralistic crusading which seem to assume that the “best” model of a virtuous, prosperous society is self-evident and that the only thing standing in the way is a group of blinkered ideologues and evil people shouting quotes from Capitalism and Freedom to one another rather than listening to those who are blessed with Truth. Where her thesis needs plausible, detailed analysis whereby Klein’s claims are established, we get the assertion that Margaret Thatcher started the Falklands War so she could crush British unions, one of what Tyler Cowen (2007) called “a series of fabricated claims.”