Chris Hedges on What it Takes to be a Rebel in Modern Times

Bestselling author and Pulitzer Prize winner Chris Hedges sits down with Ben Makuch at the Toronto VICE office to discuss what it takes to be a rebel in modern times. Hedges discusses his new book Wages of Rebellion, an investigation of the social and psychological factors that cause revolution, rebellion and resistance. From Wall Street corruption to why the elites in corporate media have eviscerated traditional investigative journalism, Hedges tries to make sense of the world we live in.
Click here to subscribe to VICE: bit.ly/Subscribe-to-VICE
Check out our full video catalog: bit.ly/VICE-Videos
Videos, daily editorial and more: vice.com
More videos from the VICE network: www. vicevideos
Like VICE on Facebook: vice
Follow VICE on Twitter: / vice
Read our Tumblr: / vicemag
Follow us on Instagram: / vice
Check out our Pinterest: / vicemag

[@thepolicestateendswithme1585]

I love when Chris Hedges says: "I don't fight fascists because I will win, I fight fascists because they are fascist!"I couldn't agree more!

[@briantyson6138]

@Troll Trollsen is troll upset or troll use logic instead of specious argument? Fuck off.

[@pathacker4963]

So why do we still have "fascists"?

[@supfisher7576]

So wait, how does this make him a rebel? The Government, Corporations, Media, and general normie consensus all fight and hate fascists, lol. He has the backing of the entire system, this doesn't make him a rebel. He hits all of the same old tired liberal talking points, unfortunately for Chris, he is outdated and people no longer care about his rhetoric. It is no different from the Democrats of the 90's. This is just an old boomer virtue signaling about his "activism" days, wow such wow. Nothing more than an empty puff piece, to fan the balls of a cuckold journalist who effectively toed the neoliberal line long enough to get somewhat noticed.. "If everybody in power doesn't dislike you, then you are probably not doing your job", then why Chris does seemingly everyone in power love and support you? By his own logic we are left to conclude, that Chris is neither a rebel nor a "freedom fighter"; for the very system he claims to oppose at every turn supports his "rebellious journalism". 10/10 for the mental masturbation tho.

[@briantyson6138]

@Troll Trollsen How in the world does "Fuck Off" make me sad? I won't ever understand the tribal aspect. There is no need to bring them into this. Who told you?

[@elizabethbennet4791]

bINGO

[@PeeedaPan]

glad Vice is covering Hedges. This man is light in these dark times.

[@yeaaboyy]

+Derrick Wade Hedges is a hypocrite. He doesn't understand struggle.

[@liamfun1000]

+Derrick Wade Why do you have to use word "Dark" its a racist way to describe bad times!

[@grapeape888]

+yeaaboyy So a guy who covered stories in the middle of an active warzone doesn't understand struggle? alrighty then.

[@christopherkettler8727]

Amen bro he cant even get on tv that much anymore and if they power that he talks about had their way he would be like chompsky persona non grata

[@Hands2HealNow]

+Derrick Wade Really considering how awful KZbin under google has become I'm actually surprised that its even up hear. I guess there's a certain amount of tracking that they can do on VICE so its ok for them to make money. All the other sites like "Storm Clouds Building" have been stopped from monetizing their videos despite no vulger content. Google is just another tool for the heroine peddling CIA FBI cowards.

[@ennui1812]

He nailed me with "declasse intellectual". My upper middle class roots are out of sync with the physical reality of precious little opportunity for my children's generation. Make no mistake, corporate America, we know what is happening to us!

[@Johnconno]

It must be a nightmare for you, I Feel Your Pain and agree with your name.

[@andyo6770]

ennui1812 I don't know where you got that , but that's like a perfect rap verse right there: /My upper middle class roots /Are out or sync /With the physical reality /Of precious little opportunity /For future generations /Make no mistake U.S. /The corporate America /Is out to get us !

[@Stbuster31]

the guy is brilliant that's why he was fired from the NY Times

[@finnleason6916]

@@jrmurphypoet Kia Ora bro, I tautoko that whakaaro

[@cckeneally]

3 years on and holy shittttt

[@penzotoko6619]

Hedges is a national treasure...a shame he's not heard more.

[@nicolafisher1782]

He does the rounds of small US entities with MOOCs such as the Sanctuary for Independent Media which is in North Troy Capital District of NYS. US

[@T-roccBABY]

He's suppressed for a reason. Why let the lemmings attempt to learn about their decaying cage even we can just keep them asleep with bread and circuses.

[@gregorybarootjian323]

He is suppressed intentionally like Ralph Nader do you see them in mainstream media of course not.

[@elled10024]

A national treasure if you’re Russia

[@pezeron24]

The reason why Chris Hedges is not heard more is that he has nothing interesting to say. He's not Christopher Hitchens by any means. He's just a preacher.

[@legendray2008]

I like Chris Hedges. More of him please.

[@IAMinDreams]

the first 27 seconds basically summed him up, a lot to say, shame its all fact bending shit, stay off of vice.

[@SherLizz]

I agree!

[@christopherkettler8727]

***** salon sometimes and try to follow people you know are good like this guy hedges,jeremy shcahill,glenn greenwald,naomi klein etc etc....there are some good journalists out there democracy now amy goodman but you have to take everything with a grain of salt and know that good people can get it wrong too through no fault of their own

[@pgavin66mpls]

+legendray2008 "those of us of who care about the truth" well, in that case the conversation around truth goes on without you, hedger. this dude is a monotheist charlatan minister. he's al sharpton with an education. he wandered around MENA trying to get a vibe and whilst never asking the difficult questions. of course he never would because he denies the link between belief and behavior. dude lacks basic integrity and intellectual honest around the biggest question of all - the crippling and gravely retarded ideology called faith ,that has put a veto on relations between peoples. like Al Sharpon, he lives in the prison of his parents abject slave desires. Chris hedges? sell short!

[@stevencoardvenice]

Fuck hedges. I want more hipster please

[@daveydogooder1260]

I don't really watch VICE, but I'll listen to Hedges any day. Some really great points here.

[@skepticalthesensible]

Yes I almost sub than seen this was so old of à video and was vice .. making the guy reporter at start of video who asked if for hedge he really felt journalistes tell news in their bent ways of perspectives and is to sell what they belive and want to vent on basically.. And on vice of all places ..the reporter tried to look shock that journalisme could ever be defined as so ..because you know ..vice is so alt right and conservative at times its just so obvious.. yes this was sarcasme about them always reporting news with a dem supporting perspectives and liberal bias vibe checking all constantly when pick what to report on and how to frame it..not that you needed the sarcasme explanation as all know of vice bias and sold out long ago ..a shame if they stuck to actually just doing documentaires to prove their ideology and case instead of ended up just another saying what other médias and gov desires like rest of news Chanels on our old TV networks.. lol they all start off new, hip , truth tellers, hard hitting news, than when they make bank they sell off as gained to much power of influence to not hijack towards narratives that work in gov favor not truth or better for citizens ..when they mention politics and so forth now so clear today .. RIP vice

[@DivergentStyles]

Usually Vice has a lot of pro war and corporate propaganda, I'm suprised they let Chris Hedges on the show.

[@brentmacdonald4891]

Hedges is brilliant in his description of the pathology of the super rich, as well. One of the true voices of rebellion in this age, as so many are corrupted by money and access.

[@charlescasaburi5333]

Where do you people get the idea that you are the enemies of the super rich. The super rich are your buddies 65% of their votes & 70% of their contributions go to leftists. BLM & antifa are largely funded by the super rich . Hellyweird & Soros are 2 obvious examples but far from the only ones.

[@totonow6955]

Chris Hedges will tell you like it really is. He has done the work and seen the real facts.

[@gswovoka6286]

Totally agree. Those who are unfamiliar with him should make the effort to find one of the many interviews of him where he talks about how he became who he is.

[@42Mrgreenman]

@@gswovoka6286 Indeed, when he recounts the fall of Yugoslavia and the Stasi state with the wall it's downright chilling when you line up the parallels...

[@kennethbryan9953]

It is time to destroy the corporations,the Capitalist system it is killing you,in slaving,you raping you, stealing from you, improvish you,will you rise up to destroy your slave masters or will you be exterminated by your slave masters. Will be turn ground into food for the rich?Regulate, control,oppress, your slave masters.

[@timrichardson518]

He keeps saying he has “seen societies fall“ -sounds to me like he has seen one society, Yugoslavia - which was a 45 year train wreck by the time it came apart in the 1990s

[@unityforce300]

@@timrichardson518 upvote

[@dilligaf24824]

I stopped watching Vice News a few month ago when I saw Obama being plastered all over their site. The interviewer at the time didn't even have the testicular fortitude to ask him any serious questions. That's exactly what Hedges pointed out towards the end of this video and that is if you get to comfortable in bed with the enemy then he will eventually call the shots. Hedges was very careful to answer that last question, but I believe that he seamlessly warned VICE about their direction.

[@daedrick]

+Laz Andres Mesa Great post!

[@notundermywatch3163]

yes, sir. That's exactly what I sensed in Mr Hedges ' final words of this interview and yes, I was equally shocked and disappointed by the Obama interview. I thought it was an awful move from Vice. Naive and pretentious and the potential beginning of a slippery slope... I also dislike the fact that Eddie Moretti can sit 52 min with Cody Wilson and we get served 16 min with Chris Hedges hosted by a kid who scoffs when he says revolution is America's last hope... In my opinion we will lose Vice eventually, it's just a question of time. That Obama move is not the kind of thing you ever recover or come back from. Vice will end up becoming a liberal propaganda tool to harness the youth, heat up LGBT activists and SJW with begger mentality, no longer a greety raw independent media of truth.

[@dilligaf24824]

+Kriztofer Plitzkin Words of wisdom. Thanks!

[@stevencoardvenice]

exactly. smith is above his pay grade when he sat down with obama. plus 2008 was SEVEN years ago. this could be forgiven back then. but not now

[@dilligaf24824]

Thanks, Mark.

[@katthudson9131]

“When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross.” - James Waterman Wise

[@michaelhez8562]

Agree Katt; but question the tense. It is and came to America, a long time ago.

[@notsoancientpelican]

Katt Hudson I believe that quote is from Sinclair Lewis

[@notsoancientpelican]

Correction: I made a check and now it appears that neither Lewis nor Wise said those exact words, but rather something similar to them. But, they should have!

[@mshakespearek]

operation paperclip.

[@RagingCajun985]

That happened already in the 50's fascism is the reason my we don't speak french in Louisiana anymore. Is the reason why black people where terrorized back then.. fascism

[@joeclarke9662]

Ben Makuch looks like he is on the verge of tears

[@michaelpalin8953]

"Oh man!, oh man!, oh man!, I'm talking with Chris Hedges!, eeeeeeeeek!" XDDDDDD

[@mikeisapro]

I see what looks like skepticism and contempt, and a sort of Tucker Carlson-esque perpetual feigning of some confused intrigue.

[@matthewkopp2391]

I think it might be gas or constipation.

[@laritagaskins394]

I have always held a deep respect for Christ Hedges; He tells the TRUTH!

[@southernsolarflair]

“ One revolts not for what they can achieve but for who they can become” - Chris Hedges is the man

[@JuanMercado91]

3 years later and Chris nailed it. Vice has become another mouthpiece for power. I doubt they would ever have him or anyone like him on again.

[@juliagoolia5604]

Now just discovering this man. Ihave gained So much insight watching interviews with him.

[@samre7870]

the look on the interviewer's face though, full of fear, struggling to get how serious the situation is. priceless

[@jaredvincent3323]

I see a completely vacant mind

[@xm8lover]

Hedges is the man. Im glad vice did this interview

[@ULYSSES-31]

"you've seen some pretty dark shit" The hipster interview lost me there.

[@stevencoardvenice]

LOL I thought the same thing at the time. sooooo hipster. still worth watching the rest though

[@UnderBridge]

+THOMAS CARNACKI Indeed... he wanted sound so "rebel"...

[@stevencoardvenice]

seen some dark shit, brah

[@stevencoardvenice]

I mean let's face it. vice is global news for hipsters. so we can't really complain

[@aurelienani204]

+THOMAS CARNACKI they're two liberals interviewing each other, you can smell the sense of superiority and ego in the room, even though both are nobobies

[@Shiba643]

I love Mr. Hedges so much. He puts the conflict I feel around me into words better than I could ever hope to.

[@gold88fish88]

Hedges is a national treasure. America, listen to his speeches

[@rkheno]

That's very refreshing to know that there's at least few journalist like him who's speak the real truth in this fucked up world.

[@Orf]

Arkheno agreed

[@davidheras1682]

Matt- see you everywhere on the comments section

[@Johnconno]

Two? Maybe Three?

[@GodzillaGoat]

Arkheno he is really conical. We can turn this around. Women's march showed hope.

[@mjsalem922]

We need to get this word out to the public.

[@shipod]

I had the opportunity to sit down with Chris back in 2013. He told me that he is not a journalist or a rebel for the purpose of making the world a better place, but because he sees it as a "moral imperative."

[@SYLBM]

+Shiloh Silverman what do you think of his plagiarism and lack of apology?

[@OriginalMindTrick]

+Katerina Garin Just google it. It's not a very pretty story.

[@shipod]

+SYLBM I don't know.

[@OriginalMindTrick]

***** People can be both assholes and make big mistakes and still have something valuable to bring to the table.

[@pgavin66mpls]

+Shiloh Silverman "those of us of who care about the truth" well, in that case the conversation around truth goes on without you, hedger. this dude is a monotheist charlatan minister. he's al sharpton with an education. he wandered around MENA trying to get a vibe and whilst never asking the difficult questions. of course he never would because he denies the link between belief and behavior. dude lacks basic integrity and intellectual honest around the biggest question of all - the crippling and gravely retarded ideology called faith ,that has put a veto on relations between peoples. like Al Sharpon, he lives in the prison of his parents abject slave desires. Chris hedges? sell short!

[@MIDixons]

Why can't I like this twice?!? Chris Hedges is a national treasure.

[@peruface]

THIS GAVE ME CHILLS

[@ahmsuli12]

This video should be viewed a minimum 50 million at least

[@juleshitchen9089]

people can have it all 'up there', but if they can't articulate themselves accurately or make themselves interesting to listen to then their knowledge loses its effectively. This guy is easy to listen to and gets his point across through simplification. sign of a true intellect

[@Pipe_dream_reality]

Get a cause then rebel against your oppressors. Respect to Chris Hedges.

[@nassemthegreat9582]

Thank you for interviewing Chris Hedges!

[@higgpigg4326]

Mr.Hedges is a brave dude

[@mikeoxsbigg1]

I didn't like him in the intro but the rest was awesome. This guy has it right. I only hope I'm alive to see smug corporations go down.

[@acceptingWhatIS]

"There is news and there is the truth. If you care about TRUTH eventually you are going to run into problems.” Chris Hedges

[@ZachyStugotz]

Brilliant man. Thanks Vice for interviewing Mr. Hedges.

[@jonathanbrowne8849]

ANY KZbin Channel that has Chris Hedges on I will instantly subscribe to and click the bell. Chris Hedges is an absolute HERO and one of the last clear representatives of integrity and the need for it on this earth.

[@sisyphusvasilias3943]

Remember this interview was four year ago and VICE as seen changed ownership and leadership. VICE is now domestic propagana in private ownership by Rubert Murdodch (FOX news) Ratheon and other M.I.C. corporations. Some more information on VICE kzbin.info/www/bejne/oYrdhHufpr-sd8U

[@freeinformation9869]

It will soon be time for a new interview I believe.

[@itsolivier]

indeed vice is falling off again, if they can pull of another interview it would be like Chris handing them a giant stick when they are holding onto the edge of the a mountain cliff

[@got2bharmony]

Chris Hedges' analysis of the current situation is well informed and eloquently communicated. Few know of him or what he has to say because the system is so fixed and will not get any exposure in the mainstream media. Some will see him as depressing, I see him as one of the few hopes we have for a better future. The challenge is how the ideas and narrative of Chris can be communicated to the majority. Very difficult when the majority have been dumbed down and distracted with smoke screens and hatred.

[@Shermingtan]

The interviewer looks like John Snow being stabbed when the guest talks and the camera focuses on him.

[@mcrettable]

+Shermingtan WTF JON DIED?

[@imgoingonholidaytovietnam3631]

+mcrettable oh shit you didn't know

[@joebazooks]

+Shermingtan he's high on something. look at his pupils

[@SOPERFECTT]

+Shermingtan LAMO

[@Blueswailer]

+Shermingtan Aaahahahah, holy shit, he does!

[@mantonio121773]

VICE could position themselves as our generations MTV, but way bigger and more important. They should (if they have any balls) put things on their network from Peter Joseph (Zeitgeist the movie), Jacques Fresco, Cornell West, more Chris, Robert Reich, Richard Wolfe, etc...

[@Beccalotte1021]

If they weren't mainstream media themselves, then they might do that. They are very much Neoliberal agenda themselves.

[@mantonio121773]

Beccalotte1021 Well they are owned by Disney, Rupert Murdoch, Discovery Channel. I keep trying to warn people that they are mixing right wing propaganda with liberal content. Ever notice how much geopolitical content gets mixed in? Pay Attention.

[@hopedream11]

Zeitgeist is a right wing conspiracy movie so no to that but Richard Wolff and Robert Reich? And Cornell West? Yes to them

[@MyCatFooed]

I may disagree with Hedges politically, but I'll say that he's spot-on regarding the how & why shit goes down the way that it does!!

[@wadegoodwin6773]

Perhaps the most complete, social development intellect in the Western Hemisphere. If the world didn't have a Chris Hedges, we'd have to invent him. A natural successor to the now incomparable Noam Chomsky. Wade Goodwin, The FAIR Digest, South Africa

[@jawadkashem1436]

Thanks Vice for giving this legend a platform to speak .

[@GetMikeNyce]

Nice to see Chris Hedges on VICE . good outlet for more people to know about him

[@acetate909]

This comment aged horribly.

[@vibefrequencyable]

One of the best interviews i have ever seen.

[@neilblockhead]

Best moment: 9:20 - 9:40. Spot on! Interviewer looks totally out of his depth, like he prefers the "happy thoughts" Hedges talks about, including how low his beard should be, and how many roll ups his trouser legs should have. God bless the modern PC, magazine buying, computer game-playing adults of today.

[@justmadeit2]

Chris seems like a bright guy from the clips ive seen on him on y. tube. Ive added some of them to my favourites folder

[@antifacisme]

funny how hedges is actually covering what is happening to vice at this moment.. :v

[@Beccalotte1021]

Indeed.

[@samrexroat8473]

love Chris Hedges, he's extremely intelligent and well spoken. it's people like him that will be the beginning of the REAL change that needs to happen in society today.

[@prodbyglider]

That vice guys face😭 HE CRI EVRYTYME 😭

[@pragmaticcynicism6911]

Back when Vice was still independent.

[@debbiezenaida]

Read his book American Fascists - BRILLIANT.

[@TheDavidDaoud]

I'm at 11:27 and I'm suddenly remembering a Nigerian guy I met in Israel at Ramle Immigration Prison. He was there as a foreign worker who had exceeded his visa, I had been working in Nablus in the West Bank of Palestine at a major university there and got caught at a checkpoint. But we were both about to be deported. 25 of us were on a bus on our way to Ben-Gurion airport when this guy started up singing an impromptu song "Green Peppers for Breakfast", with a big smile. He really cheered me up!

[@big3ye378]

Chomsky is a sage, too honest for the mainstream media, and deservedly quoted here.

[@beingsshepherd]

He endorsed Obama's reelection bid and the official narrative on 9/11, plus trivialises the JFK assassination.

[@big3ye378]

@@beingsshepherd Yeah he has failed us like the rest of academia... back then I didn't realize the vastness of the corruption and war on the people

[@TheWadesauce]

Ben, that was hardly unsolicited advice, you literally asked him what he thought of your channel

[@dabay200]

Hedges is a legend - one of the best journalists ever. Such a humble person.

[@ChairmanMeow1]

This entire interview gave me such an information overload. Chris Hedges is a smart human. Gonna take me a while to work this all out.

[@bluzshadez]

This is 16 minutes and 34 seconds of valuable information. I've learned so much from Chris Hedges. So, it's true! Not everything is what it seems. Watching this taught me to question every information. Not to be paranoid, but to give the benefit of the doubt on important things.

[@danthemansmail]

Chris Hedges, our very own prophet of doom, and the only journalist in America that knows and is willing to tell the truth and damn the consequences.

[@_Citizen_K]

Unfortunate click bait title ' What it takes to be a rebel in modern times.' Lame. However, a great interview with Hedges.

[@k54dhKJFGiht]

Active Measures - Psychological Warfare - Subversion - Yuri Bezmenov - 40 years ago, he prophetically explained everything going on today in shocking detail.

[@TheMdog8]

Such a top bloke and nice to see him smile once in a while

[@kingsdaughter777]

Thank you Mr. Hedges. So well said. And using a developed vocabulary instead of crude cursing.

[@legalfictionnaturalfact3969]

Oh, stfu. People talk how they like. Deal with it.

[@carriontorch8564]

I've Always loved PBS programming (esp. re: the arts, and science.) But I can't help thinking that Some of their corp. donors (e.g., Koch, ADM), Have to have an effect on any journalism that pertains to their "interests" (see: $$$.)

[@laritagaskins394]

I'm in agreement Carrion.. that is an excellent observation and point! We have to weigh all sides!!

[@Stbuster31]

"some". PBS is a propaganda wing of the State without all the flair and fluff of CNN, Fox News and MSNBC and the big three letters, NBC, CBS, ABC

[@rbrinks5]

DM R where are we supposed to get unbiased news then?

[@taylorlayton4508]

@@rbrinks5 IMO PBS news hour pretty good as getting facts and headlines go. I think some people think it's a propaganda wing of the state because it's not always proclaiming a progressive revolutionary line, but not all news call for propaganda.

[@nji7772]

Absolutely true. I know it gets tedious to investigate who the board is, ect. I did do this for PBS. I like some of the programs but I consider while watching what their bias is. Also, depending upon what show, I keep in mind their historical shows can be quite inacurate. So, PBS is only one source of part of an entire picture.

[@annpacey105]

This is my favourite Chris interview yet. And I've seen a lot!

[@epicbenstudios]

I've been reading through Chris Hedges' work for quite some time now, and I will not hesitated to say that his views on society, especially American, are eons ahead of his time. I admire him greatly.

[@LOLyoulooked1]

This is still so relevant

[@jamesmccormick875]

Chris is great. He is spot on with what is going on in this country. It starts with people waking up and realizing that blind partisanship is exactly what is destroying and undercutting any advancement for We the People.

[@gemimarigby2471]

I was involved in Occupy and was in Zucotti on a few occasions, including when it was destroyed. Faced a line of police in riot gear who pushed us back. Before that it was beautiful. The conversations I had. It was a revolution quickly squashed by well....you know.

[@deedee2567]

Thank you Chris Hedges for voices the truth. It takes integrity and courage!

[@PIPA1302]

You gotta love this guy....

[@theknifesong]

*"What it Takes to be a Rebel in Modern Times"* *1.* Defend the current government administration from criticism at all costs. *2.* Heavily police 'politically incorrect' speech and protect yourself from dissenting opinions. *3.* Attempt to destroy the career and reputation of anyone that proves you wrong. *4.* Label anyone that disagrees with you a "racist", "bigot", "homophobe" or whatever is trendy. *5.* Indoctrinate as many innocents as possible to help stamp out and silence non-believers.

[@groupsounds4896]

+theknifesong yawn

[@groupsounds4896]

King Steve did i strike a nerve chum

[@hattorihanzo3188]

+theknifesong Do you know what a "rebel" is? Because you are describing the social pillars that maintain our neo-liberal, capitalist society.

[@SupKash]

+theknifesong I am kind of confused.. What you're describing is what the government does to maintain its position of power and authority. So how the hell is that the rebels...? Weird

[@hattorihanzo3188]

SupKash I think his post is better summarized thusly: _Damn lib'ral hippie bastards supportin' dat anarchist communist socialist fascist corporatist Obummer and da rest of da PC nazi croud_ Cause, after all, Hedges just loves Obama and the democrats...

[@Jim-nw2sr]

Thank God for the truth tellers like Chris Hedges ❤️🙌🏻 Thanks for posting 👍🏻

[@bhattmagandhi]

Chris Hedges is the ideal definition of a journalist, all journalists should marvel at his courage to speak the truth. I love this guy!!

[@FrankFloresRGVZGM]

Please investigate a resource based economy.

[@neightneight1280]

+Cutie Patootie Senpai Research the brutality they've BEEN committing to preserve it; just more of that and worse. Prepare, brothers and sisters

[@ralphklien9593]

+Frank Flores Exclusively resource based economic models - in the general sense of that phrase - are basically veiled communism. The only mechanism to regulate, distribute, or control resources is either a government or corporation; both will be just as hard to control as the current forms of them are now. I did some serious digging on the RBE economic model four or five years ago so I'm not exactly current with my information but ideas like the "Venus Project" are basically pipe dreams which neglect to address or blatantly disregard fundamental operational, philosophical, and ethical problems within the model. In the extreme, RBEs would be an almost neo-feudalism, but with mass surveillance and advanced algorithm technology with robot police.

[@trubblefoundit7056]

+Ralph Klien Something to consider when waxing economic... Communism and capitalism differ only slightly, if at all. Current tax rates and the interbreeding of government and corporations in America land the US further on the socialist portion of government spectrum than most "communist" countries. There has not been, in fact, a true communist country to exist (nor has there existed the mythical "free market"). So-called communism/socialism thus far has merely been the control of an entire country's ways and means by a few decision-making elites while the product of the country's economy is "distributed evenly" among the citizen participants. Neither America's oligarchy-hiding-behind-reality-show government, nor any socialist country's here's-what's-left-for-you-slaves-after-elite-plundering system are actually one rigid form of government or another (facets projecting a spectrum). Humans are so black and white in their understanding, yet everything in nature has been found to register more spectrally. When envisioning an ideal economic scene for humanity, I think we have to consider scale first. Smaller organizations are naturally more transparent. Local organizations are naturally more responsive to local people and conditions. Someone in a DC penthouse has none of the practical knowledge or technical experience required to solve even the simplest of problems for a community thousands of miles away in a different climate and market. This is compounded when the communities are all small and unique, yet are bundled in with millions of faceless people in attempts to manage entire countries with blanket programs and extremely inefficient supply chain mock-ups. Things become more convoluted as you gain distance from ground zero. I argue that we should be arranging our governments at community scale, with greater private citizen participation. When you break down food and energy infrastructure, you find that efficiency is born out of localized production and minimal transport. When you look at nearly all human activities, true efficiency (not the distortions offered by the market and its many manipulators) starts with minimizing travel distances. The money system may tell you it is more efficient to use slave labor in China to process poultry raised AND sold in America, but the obvious technological and resource inefficiencies are overlooked because it is CHEAPER to engage in this enormously wasteful and DANGEROUS act. Though the proposed systems you mentioned are, "pipe dreams," they are the first looks into rearranging society to serve all of society, instead just serving high society. Speaking of pipe dreams... Do you think that the first poor Rothschild banker ever dreamed that his actions would enslave the entire world and all its people? Well that pipe dream is the apocalyptic nightmare of today. Nature has a tendency of generating designs that flow more efficiently over time. It is observed to be equilibrating in all things. The creative commons and local food and energy trends are the beginning of a re-routing of flows (which have been bottlenecked into the pools of the elite) which will help the economic system of our world achieve equilibration. Nature flows in interconnected tree-like patterns, and when human activity mimics this, efficiency is found. Generating production at community-scale, as opposed to global-scale, will decentralize control and generate greater income equality and public health wherever locally controlled systems are in place.

[@ralphklien9593]

I agree and fully understand your many points. I too am an anarchist at heart. The main issue is the state. There will always be unconquerable problems when the state is our God.

[@davyrobb5966]

+Troyous Ricciardi agreed

[@Stonedead1991]

"I like how Hedges tells it like it is."

[@ljv2094]

"If everyone In Power doesn't Dislike you, Your doing A bad Job" I like that

[@Goddeify]

Thankyou Vice. This man is one of the world's best.

[@phaedrussmith1949]

"The revolutionary of the future will be the person who thinks, because they don't want us to think." -John Trudell

[@tarnopol]

Excellent first question. Bodes well for the interview.

[@nsbd90now]

"If you care about the truth, eventually you're going to run into problems."

[@susylove7739]

Great talk! Thanks from Holland. We need you too!

[@whatitisnt8270]

the empire is crumbling.

[@jesuschristpose896]

He is right, we went underground, but we have not forgotten and we will not forget, the people should never be afraid of their government, the government should always fear its people.

[@mooncat.787]

Have to do some research into this fella. He's lights are on and burning brightly.

[@mooncat.787]

pippin1962 Thanks for that. Will take a look.

[@PorscheAbraham]

Wise man. Love this! Thx for sharing

[@jeanzeibak8613]

I love Chris Hedges truth

[@henryVIIIification]

I love this guy. I had almost forgotten about him over time and many distractions. I agree it is past time for a revolution. More of the same and in time there will nothing left but a slave camp for multinational corporations. We are the ants and it's time the ants recognized their Constitutional rights and a government for the people. Not for corporations but for the people. Corporations are just fine with me but people are far more important. Corporations have been given the rights of people and that should be in question. Corporations are businesses not people. People have priority over corporations. As gas runs an engine we are the gas that runs the engine and we should be given that respect and honor. The common man is uncommon. I think we may have our priorities out of balance. If the feet are not comfortable and well taken care of the whole body including the head will suffer.

[@msykutera]

Very enlightening interview. Keep up!

[@JuanHernandez-ry9dr]

Superb intellectual. I tip my had to his knowledge and integrity. Bravo !

[@jadovaoliaro]

Top guy

[@KarlLetcher]

Interviewer is terrified that he’s going to say something stupid sounding, which seems likely, given that he started out by noting Hedges had “seen some dark shit.”

[@SongwritersAndPoets]

Thanks as always Mr Hedges and Vice for making this happen

[@1337flite]

KZbin does more journalism than any media organisation, including Vice and the other alternative media. What we need are not media/news organisations, but issue aggregators. Some place that normal people can say "hey this is going on" and it's important to me, is it important to you? If it is it gets voted up, and as it gets voted up more people look at the issue, research it, investigate it, crowd source etc. A platform for citizen journalism to gain an audience and the resources to to pursue the stories and issues that matter. Kind of like reddit, kickstarter and citizen journalism all rolled into one. Ideally there would be mentoring by more experienced people even "real" journalists on technique and tradecraft to allow the more controversial/classified/hard to investigate stories to get out.

[@samkim8451]

Chris is the best🌹👍✌️🇨🇦The only difference between me and Chris he is five years in front of me maybe 10 .If the people find out Chris Hedges trust me the day after is going to get a revolution

[@sunshine_burn7208]

Chris Hedges is the man!!!

[@DraganBakema]

Chris Hedges, what a monologue.

[@patrickalaggio3560]

Excellent interview. Thank you gentlemen.

[@Eltalstro]

And here we are in 2020.

[@drumstick74]

Turn off the TV

[@cybreeg]

Quality interview 👍

[@ungratefulninja4535]

Much respect to Chris an People of conscious...be the Change