Neoliberalism, the economic view that emphasizes the importance of economic growth and asserts that social justice is best maintained by free market forces with minimal government interference, is a myth. Naomi Klein began her speech at Stanford University on October 16th with this sentiment.

Americans used to call it Reaganomics, while Brits have dubbed it Thatcherism. Ms. Klein reminded the audience that the French may have the best expression for it, "savage capitalism."

Stanford is no Berkeley, but the speaker had a standing room-only crowd of sympathetic listeners. Ms. Klein told the audience that when she spoke at the University of Chicago, home to Milton Friedman die-hards, everyone connected with the Department of Economics seemingly boycotted her appearance.

Ms. Klein is the author of Shock Doctrine, a book meant to be a wake-up call and prompt what she calls "acute intellectual disaster preparedness." Ms. Klein dubs toxic debt "a financial weapon of mass destruction." President Bush said of the crisis that Wall Street got drunk; Klein says Bush was the Bartender-in-Chief.

Read More | Shock Doctorin' | Naomi Klein