Introduction: The New Face of Disaster Capitalism
Disaster capitalism is often thought of as a phenomenon of war, natural catastrophe, or economic collapse. But in today’s world, the commodification of crisis goes deeper—right down to our most basic perceptions of public opinion. Crowds on Demand, a PR firm founded in 2012, is a vivid example of how outrage, division, and protest can be manufactured for profit, blurring the line between authentic social movements and staged spectacle.
What Is Crowds on Demand?
Crowds on Demand is a U.S.-based company that provides paid actors to participate in protests, rallies, political demonstrations, and corporate events. Clients—ranging from businesses and lobbyists to political campaigns—can hire a crowd to support a cause, oppose a policy, or simply create the illusion of grassroots energy. The company supplies people, signs, scripts, and even tactical gear to lend credibility to the event.
How It Works: Manufacturing Outrage
- Clients submit a request for a public demonstration, protest, or supportive audience.
- Crowds on Demand recruits actors, provides instructions, signs, and attire, and deploys them to the event location.
- These paid “activists” create the appearance of organic, passionate protest or support—often fooling onlookers, media, and even officials.
- The company has openly admitted to providing actors for a range of events, including anti-ICE protests, corporate disputes, celebrity appearances, and political rallies.
Crowds on Demand as Disaster Capitalism
Disaster capitalism is about profiting from crisis, real or engineered. Traditionally, this involved large-scale disasters (wars, natural catastrophes, regime changes), with contractors and corporations swooping in to profit from chaos and “rebuilding.” Crowds on Demand takes this model and applies it at the micro level:
Manufactured Crisis for Hire
- Just as war profiteers benefit from conflict, Crowds on Demand profits from division, outrage, and public spectacle.
- The crisis doesn’t have to be real—only believable. A few dozen “protesters” can create a media sensation and steer public debate.
Perception as Profit
- In a world dominated by cameras and social media, perception is reality. News footage of “mass protests” or “public outrage” can shape policy, tank stocks, or drive political decisions—even if the sentiment is fake.
- The ability to create and control these perceptions is a new, lucrative market.
Astroturfing and Public Manipulation
- This is the essence of “astroturfing”—artificial grassroots.
Real community concerns are drowned out by paid performance, making it difficult for citizens, journalists, and policymakers to discern genuine public will.
Profiting from Instability and Division
- The more polarized and chaotic society becomes, the greater the demand for perception management.
Divided societies generate more business for companies like Crowds on Demand, just as war zones do for defense contractors.
Disaster Capitalism’s New Toolkit
- Today’s disaster capitalists don’t just profit from bombs and bulldozers—they profit from information warfare, media manipulation, and manufactured events.
- Crowds on Demand is the tip of the iceberg:
- Paid social media bots
- Fake reviews
- Troll farms
- Deepfake videos
All are part of a new frontier where crisis, chaos, and spectacle are engineered—and sold to the highest bidder.
Broader Implications: Who Benefits? Who Loses?
Winners:
- PR firms, perception managers, political consultants
- Special interests able to “buy” public opinion
- Media outlets, eager for sensational footage
Losers:
- Ordinary citizens, who find it harder to discern the truth
- Genuine grassroots movements, drowned out by paid actors
- Democracy itself, as debate and policy are shaped by illusion
Ethical Dilemmas and the Erosion of Trust
Crowds on Demand openly acknowledges the controversy of its business model. Critics argue that it undermines trust in public discourse and makes authentic democratic engagement nearly impossible. If every protest could be staged, every headline manipulated, how can citizens participate meaningfully—or hold power to account?
Conclusion: Disaster Capitalism in the Information Age
Crowds on Demand represents the evolution of disaster capitalism. Where once profit was extracted from the rubble of war or natural disaster, now it is harvested from the rubble of truth and trust. Outrage, division, and protest are no longer just byproducts of crisis—they are products for sale, manufactured on demand.
In this new age, the challenge is not just to resist war profiteering, but to defend reality itself from being sold, one fake crowd at a time.
