Chris Hedges: Death of the liberal class

According to Chris Hedges, liberal institutions are to blame for the downward spiral of the American political system. In his Big Thinkinglecture at Congress 2012, he argues that the liberal class-the press, universities, liberal religious institutions, labour unions and the Democratic Party-have forsaken their core values and sold out to corporate interests.
Chris Hedges was a foreign correspondent for nearly two decades for The New York Times, The Dallas Morning News, The Christian Science Monitorand National Public Radio, and the author of such books as War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning (2002), American Fascists (2007), I Don't Believe in Atheists (2008) and Empire of Illusion(2009). He is a senior fellow at The Nation Institute and has taught at Columbia University, New York University and Princeton University.

[@zehrajafri9252]

Great job as alway's. Keep the truth alive for humanity and the planet and to wake up the masses of the world.❤❤❤💚💚💚

[@nemojedermann2845]

A brilliant speaker and person. As Chris says."You don't fight fascists because you think you will win! You fight fascists because they are fascists ".

[@wdfusroy8463]

Very much an echo of Jean Paul Sartre's position,

[@pkpapers]

1:07:27 "You can't teach people to be moral. You have to be moral." [Chris Hedges, Wilfrid Laurier University, Maureen Forester Recital Hall, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada; May 31, 2012]

[@brianjacob8728]

just look at catholic priests...

[@matthewkopp2391]

41:50 The difference between the USA versus communist East Germany was the citizens were actually more moral than we are now. They had legitimate complaints and demands against Honecker but they also grew up with an anti-imperialist humanistic ideology. They didn’t want to end what they had achieved they wanted to add on top of it and not to be subsumed into capitalism. So many in the USA are brainwashed into real moral degradation that they would shoot the crowd. Very little that is happening in the USA now is moral and we ought not moralize it. But The US government does in fact shoot its dissidents like Hampton or King. Communist totalitarianism and Capitalist totalitarianism are not the same. Communist totalitarian is bureaucratic mismanagement and narrow vanguardism, Capitalist totalitarianism is far worse. Every communist country fell mostly peacefully. Immediately the capitalists vultures flew to exploit everyone which should validate the paranoia of Honecker to some degree as not delusional.

[@destroyingangel14]

Poster children , Bader- Minehoff .... weren’t allowed to be seen as the anti- Facist s....that they were.

[@matt_cummins28]

A great talk and, as ever on these occasions, a great Q&A. Thanks to Chris, the hosts and the questioners.

[@anthonyalexander7246]

Talk talk laugh laugh chuckle, chuckle? Now what are you going to do about it.

[@brianjacob8728]

direct democracy requires things to become localized again, as they should be.

[@fanaticforager6610]

Prof. Chris Hedges is the proverbial canary innately opposing the cold mind ✨☂️

[@jhall2281]

This was a time when criticizing a standing president wasn't a partisan thing... Funny that it wasn't that long ago.

[@FedericoLucchi]

After Obama USA got Trump, and now Biden... things seems to get only worse!

[@johntormey3987]

3 weeds x360, 3

[@brianjacob8728]

well, obama was a vast improvement on Bush...

[@HomeofdaBONE]

@@brianjacob8728 on number of drone strikes, maybe

[@leebarry5686]

Corruption of soul, causing corruption of individuals , then society, then individuals again, a vicious circle, till disasters after disasters, then the doom's day

[@maxheadrom3088]

When I see this I realize Adam Curtis is really competent. When I started to see his documentaries I was amazed ... then I checked myself: what if that is just a well told story? I have seen many confirm what Curtis said - when a giant like Chris Hedges tells the story about Mass Psychology in the US and that's the same Curtis used, it confirms Curtis was right. I mean, it's Chris Hedges!!!

[@zehrajafri9252]

The world system should be adjusted to creating less luxeries and addictions for people to care about human values, the more the addictions and luxeries, masses of desirable though needless items in markets and organizations of enjoyment will create more corruption and any way to make money to buy the toys and baubles in the market. From small children's toys to big, adult toys like expensive cars.

[@johnhackett6332]

[28:24-28:27] Can somebody - anybody - please tell me, what word Hedges is using here? at |~ 28:26 | ; *"paramount, in terms of your electoral chor- - - ."* ? 'Paramount; in terms of electoral'... what? Is it a slip? Or, is "chorge`" some kind of elegant, French expression - or what? Could it be that he meant, *"choice"* , and just rolled through the speech and went with it? Lookin' for help here.

[@alexb8560]

its choice for sure

[@destroyingangel14]

Paramount in terms of electoral choice.....( lts the Starbucks...)

[@circleof5555]

Might be electoral college. The USA employs the electoral college to cast final votes for the president. Trump tried to hijack some electoral college delegates to steal the election. Each state has a specific number of delegates, based mostly on population size...

[@duncanmckeown1292]

Always like listening to Chris. BTW Michael Ignatieff was a "steward" when I was at school at UCC in the 1960s (a kind of chief prefect). He once came in the classroom and told me to get my feet off my desk. I've never liked him since! Seems my teenage judgment of character was correct!

[@Cellocurve]

I read this book in 2017, I also read America: The Farewell Tour and Empire of Illusion as well as Howard Zinn’s People’s History. I am no longer on the left. 😂 This comment is for myself and anyone who appreciates it

[@lsobrien]

Why would anyone appreciate it?

[@destroyingangel14]

Hoover appears in article in Saturday Evening Post... 1920’s ....decrying the industrial effort of the Chinese at the time , who have built a railroad without installing sufficient bank... to the turns ? Train just ran off the rails .... This is the first notice against Communist s and it isn’t about ideological wonk. Hoover’s tone is horrified , as he sees them as disastrous business partner.

[@domingodeanda6113]

Muchas gracias Chis.

[@florenceoztas6186]

Great stuff! In Britain the power to influence: manipulate public opinion also at one time shifted away from great political oratory to the printed press. Blair’s 1997 victory for Labour for example- Rupert Murdock’s tabloid’sTheSun ‘s headline boasted “It’sThe Sun “wot” won it”. More recently the demise of print , populist like Nigel Farage argue that despite the power and influence of the Centre Left consensus it is now social media that provides the forum in which the public can access “alternative “ opinions and elevate them to political victories via the ballot box. Hence Brexit here and the same is true for President Trump’s equally unexpected election in 2016.

[@phildurling7185]

Well said.

[@andyc3012]

Y would Trump be unexpected? You thought Hiliary was going to win?

[@florenceoztas6186]

@@andyc3012 No bloody chance mate - awful woman ! It’s not my personal opinion I’m talking about . The main media outlets here in Great Britain were so certain that it would be a Hilary “walk over”that they were gobsmacked when their independent rivals like LBC - got it right ! The same way they predicted a Brexit victory , they were scoffed at as “loons” for predicting a victory for Donald Trump ! LBC got it right because they were being updated daily by callers from the USA and also by their own correspondents live from Trump’s rallies( Farage /Hopkins). Very unexpected indeed - for BBC , Guardian ,chattering classes et al -

[@jordanyates9766]

Three most racist institution: Education, Religion and Judiciary systems.

[@tysparks598]

Not true, it's not the fault of educators that certain demographics have problems in schools, that's a cultural issue. Same reason Asians do so well.

[@voxomnes9537]

@@tysparks598 No.

[@Furious1Auto]

I almost blocked this channel until I viewed the video. Several fake channels hosting fake CGAi videos is Hedges are popping up. If I listen long enough I can spot a fake. I know his positions well enough I know when its fake.

[@Petro4069]

Y ce l

[@nationalallianceforprogres3136]

Long live communism and democratic socialism

[@destroyingangel14]

I love it when , Pundits for the MAGA trope , try to chime in , only to reveal, They’ve been spoon fed a non- message ( Swallowed it greedily..) 🤪😊😁

[@momos8166]

USA Immigration Reform PROTEST!Every Wednesday,Refus to Work,Stop going to School,STOP shopping!Immigration reform NOW! HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS!!!!

[@maungkyaw3519]

JANUARY 6TH USA IS REAL AMERICANS DEMOCRACY???????????????????????????

[@andyc3012]

No, because nothing really happened. Other countriea we call democracy has assassination attempts, burning of federal buildings, shoot outs ans gang fights. Taiwan is the best, they have fist fights in parliment ahagah.

[@tabo01]

Trump is a symptom.

[@thefakenewsnetwork8072]

Long live communism and freedom

[@andyc3012]

@Ragnar Odinsson nah.. You just associate communism with slavery.. Civil Rights movement was a communist movement..

[@itsoktobehappy461]

@@andyc3012 you are 100% wrong

[@andyc3012]

@@itsoktobehappy461 about what? That Black Panter was a Communist group? That there were many communist groups in the US at the time? That MLK was a communist? That there was communist uprising all throughout the continent? Yeah whatever Mockingbird. Look it up, Operation Mockingbird.

[@teddymargoles5829]

communism is not freedom.... its authoritarian... think of all the people you have to force into communism and then jail them if they violate it. just because it aims at the common good doesn't mean its not authoritarian. Learn what words mean.

[@andyc3012]

@@teddymargoles5829 communism is an idea that have never been achieved. There are communist parties. And yes, they do jail people for trying to overthrow their regime.. The CIA has disclosed many of their Cold War era regimine change operations.. Martin Lurther King Jr. was a communist. We jail opposition politcal parties here in the USA too. Notice how all the Socialist and Communist Parties disappeared?

[@HaleysComet81]

This man has been silenced by the corporate state for his truth telling.