'Disaster Capitalism' and the Attempts to Privatize Puerto Rico

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As Puerto Rico continues its recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricane Maria, the push and pull of who controls the rebuilding process is well underway.

There are increasingly loud calls to privatize the island’s electric grid, which lost 75 percent of its infrastructure, and has long been a target for privatization as a way to help solve Puerto Rico’s mounting debt crisis.

But for Naomi Klein, senior correspondent for The Intercept, the attempts at privatization in Puerto Rico and elsewhere in the Caribbean are just the latest chapter in what she calls “disaster capitalism,” where businesses rush in to push through otherwise controversial free market policies in the wake of disasters. Today, Klein joins The Takeaway to discuss the recent privatization efforts. 

Naomi Klein's latest book is, “No Is Not Enough: Resisting Trump's Shock Politics and Winning the World We Need.”

This segment is hosted by Todd Zwillich.