These are two terms referring to much the same thing, well documented by political journalists such as Thomas Frank ("The Wrecking Crew") and Naomi Klein ("The Shock Doctrine"). And if you doubt they are actual tactics and the basis of modern conservative political strategy, listen to this from the Washington Post, in a live online dispatch entitled, Coburn wants "managed catastrophe" http://www.washingtonpost.com/...:
Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) on Wednesday echoed comments by other Republicans that failing to meet the debt ceiling deadline next Thursday wouldn’t result in default or even economic catastrophe.
In fact, Coburn even suggested he would like the debt ceiling deadline to be breached, saying a “managed catastrophe” would be good for a country that has repeatedly put off tough decisions on government spending.
“I’d rather have a managed catastrophe now, which I don’t think will be there,” Coburn said on CNN. “Here’s the thing that all the media does: default equals not raising the debt ceiling. That’s not true. … Those are two different and distinct things. I’m not saying we shouldn’t pay our bills. What I’m saying is we should put ourselves in the position where we have to start making hard choices now.”
So add "managed catastrophe" (which is in actuality a nonsensical phrase; more like "intentionally caused catastrophe") to "disaster capitalism" and "shock doctrine" as ways to describe the now-foundational basis for right-wing attempts to interrupt or damage US government.
What's happening now in the US is not unlike what happened to Germany in 1933, when the Reichstag arson fire that burned down the country's parliamentary building led to the suspension of civil liberties (to "protect" citizens after an act of alleged "communist terrorism") and the rise of the Nazis.
In the US, increasingly weak election prospects and ineffectual tactics in opposing progressive change have led conservative politicians and their well-heeled, often corporate, right-wing supporters to assault the US government by manufacturing crises. They throw monkey wrenches in government programs, even sometimes those they like, and then try to blame their opponents for causing it all -- in short, "You made us do this!"
It's all to create a crisis atmosphere and a call for "strong" leaders who will put a stop to all the nonsense fomented by, um, well, the small minority but over-amplified and egged-on followers of those very would-be leaders.
The latest such attempt, of course, is the GOP's successful, months-long drive to force a federal government shutdown and the looming threat that the US will be forced to default on its debt payment obligations. Sure enough, the Repubs insist the shutdown is all President Obama's fault because he didn't cave in to their demands. Never mind that Democrats over the past ten years have compromised time and time again, often enacting legislation (like health care reform) that are fundamentally Republican in origin. But even Republican ideas are to be shunned, the moment Democrats accede to them, because otherwise the disaster game would be over.
All this chaos, as viewed by crazy-like-a-fox Republicans including Coburn? They are "managed" opportunities to strictly enforce GOP policy doctrines, policies so regressive they could not possibly be voted into being by congressional majorities -- the normal way democracy works. Hell, a plurality if not majority of Republicans wouldn't vote for them if leaders like House Speaker John Boehner would put them to a full up-or-down vote. Which is why such votes come less frequently.
To get what they want, Coburn again reveals, the Republicans need to manufacture -- manage, if you prefer -- a catastrophe!
Where might this lead? Launching a fleet of nuclear ICBMs at Iran to see if that improves things in the Middle East? Or, failing that, perhaps just another massive, decades-long war like we had in Iraq and Afghanistan, so private oil and mineral interests can cash in. Or something else. For further details, ask Coburn. He's apparently an important member of the tea party cabal that's trying to manage all this insanity.
One problem, though: Managing insanity is pretty hard, especially when you're among the insane and won't listen to anyone but the voices in your own head.