The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of murder.

In 1980, workers in communist Poland formed an independent trade union called Solidarity, and they went on strike for the right to bargain. A leader in this movement was a former electrician named Lech Walesa. Walesa framed the movement as an alliance between the Catholic church and workers’ rights. 

In 1981, Solidarity held a national congress in Gdansk and advocated for democratic recognition. They also advocated for locally-controlled collective factories and cooperative workplaces (instead of central government control). The growing movement was violently oppressed by the Polish government. 

In 1988, the Soviet Union was weakening under the moderate Mikhail Gorbachev. The Polish Communist Party agreed to let Solidarity run in new elections. Solidarity overwhelmingly won the election and took over the government.

The Shock of Power

After coming into power, the Solidarity government was split on how to proceed with economic reforms. As in other countries, they were facing a massive debt crisis, and the only way to secure IMF loans was through “structural adjustment” policies of privatization, austerity, and deregulation. Once again, Jeffery Sachs was brought in to advise. He negotiated with the IMF on behalf of Poland to secure the funds while working with Polish politicians to push through a raft of

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