The Chris Hedges Report: America's dangerous leaders with Andrew Bacevich

Retired Army Colonel Andrew Bacevich argues America's leaders are woefully out of touch with reality, and unable to adapt to a changing world. Unless they are wrenched from power, the twilight of the American empire will be one filled with catastrophe after catastrophe.
Andrew Bacevich is a retired army colonel and Emeritus Professor of History and International Relations at Boston University. He is also the cofounder and president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft.
Watch The Chris Hedges Report live KZbin premiere on The Real News Network every Friday at 12PM ET: therealnews.com/chris-hedges-...
Listen to episode podcasts and find bonus content at The Chris Hedges Report Substack: chrishedges.substack.com/
Help us continue producing The Chris Hedges Report by following us and making a small donation:
Donate to TRNN: therealnews.com/donate-yt-chr
Sign up for our newsletter: therealnews.com/nl-yt-chr
Like us on Facebook: / therealnews
Follow us on Twitter: / therealnews
#chrishedges #therealnewsnetwork

[@mac9954]

We need to talk about war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan by the U S.

[@andrewwiener6798]

I am under the impression Russia cited the same UN Articles that NATO, EUCOM, and EU cited in justifying their actions to wrest Kosovo from Serbia in 1999.

[@joni8090]

When a perpetrator is not held accountable for monstrous crimes past how can they ever moderate or correct their behavior , especially when their co conspirators are brainwashed into righteous duplicity ? Sadly , for Democracy America is a clear and present danger to humanity . 🇷🇺💲🇨🇳

[@pmullins1495]

..." by the Political Military Industry Congressional Rulers ( PMICR), NOT the peon citizen, the dazed Sheeple.

[@sandraelrod5108]

Plus civil rights in America.

[@matildamarmaduke1096]

@@sandraelrod5108 What about it elaborate please.

[@christinepeach8213]

How about the 1st thing being that the Ukraine war was avoidable...What about the Minsk Agreement that was guaranteed by France and Germany?

[@Push-Pull]

Porshenko , the former Ukrainian pro nato leader , has admitted back in June this year that the Minsk agreement was just a cover for Ukraine to build up and train their military. They never stuck to the agreement.

[@bellakrinkle9381]

I doubt that most USA Citizens realize that the Ukraine/Russa tragedy is another Proxy War, created by the US Administration.

[@qjtvaddict]

@@Push-Pull wasn’t porshenko overthrown?

[@joni8090]

What about the deafening silence of the majority of the UN ? 🇷🇺💲🇨🇳

[@Yikum24]

I loved the topic being discussed and the book sounds great. Im glad it came out before Ukraine because his take is a bit whack espevially when considering his #2 statement that other nations INCLUDING the US to provide the wherewithal (weapons) to a civil war that the CIA instigated beginning in 2014, but honestly even decades before. Yall should look into operation gladio and how it ended up in Ukraine after WWII. Anyways, seeing as he had Vietnam perspective onthe brain ao much of the interview, i am surprised he doesnt see the parallel's in the sense of the CIA genocidal meddling but also because je just got done talking about being the indespenable nation concept! How about we stop dispensing weapons to war zones we create! He is a smart old guy cause he is right. This world police shit was INGRAINED IN US. Look at it! A more honest version may not be more possible than thia gentleman from that generation.

[@v.g.4817]

War in Ukraine was desirable, prepared, nurtured for years on many levels: ideologically, militarily, financially, politically. One doesn't need much knowledge, intelligence and observation to see that through years, especially after 2014, and with little research to see its roots in 1990s. Ignorance is not an excuse.

[@brindlekintales]

@@joedoks320 We're doomed to repeat history, regardless. For it is the well-educated in power who KNOW their history, who manipulate the strings.

[@qjtvaddict]

Cute you think Americans are capable of critical thought

[@yaoliang1580]

Unfortunately about 70 percent r still in the dark n only rely on the rumour mongering mainstream media for their info

[@brindlekintales]

@@yaoliang1580 Welcome to Idiocracy, but without the happy ending like in the movie by the same name..

[@JosephKulik2016]

​@@qjtvaddict Education critic John Taylor Gatto argued that the purpose of the American Public School System is to "dumb down" American children, and not to truly educate them. Gatto believed that the function of Public School Education is to produce Robots for the Corporate Business World, workers who are smart enough to do their jobs, but not smart enough to ask "inconvenient" questions about their jobs. Gatto saw including Critical Thinking into the Public School Curriculum as a threat to the Capitalist social status quo. Today, common American Citizens capable of Critical Thinking are a National Security Threat and it can possibly get them thrown into prison with no charges under The Patriot Act.

[@filmserve]

The greatest challenge humanity has always faced is to create political and economic systems that are not taken over by the corrupt and incompetent.

[@brindlekintales]

Really? I thought it was bedbugs.

[@stephenlock7236]

A very accurate description of the rogue US regime indeed.

[@tyebright]

Yes, could have been avoided. 😢 when is the last time you heard an arms maker say "NEGOTIATE?"

[@midwestbenefitshealthlife950]

😂

[@berylanjous6932]

Absolutely. That hit the nail on the head!

[@anthonyforfare7223]

👍😜😁😂🤪🤣🤔😎🔫🐍

[@valmontsantos]

Who could avoid war? US/NATO certainly. But after eight years of bombing, 14,000 deaths and the imminent final massacre of the Donbas people, to say that "Putin could avoid war" is beyond my grasp of reality. This seemed to me a concession by the author to the common sense formatted by the mainstream media.

[@FizzVizard]

I don't think they wanted to avoid it, they've been provoking Russia for decades

[@asbeautifulasasunset]

What Mr. Bacevich is describing seems like the mythological Pygmalion: one looks around and detests the other until the other can be made to become a mirror reflection of oneself (an impossibility). What is so frustrating is that many ordinary people have defined the same problems that these two great figures do but we, also, don't know what we can do about it! It is so hard to see your own country and people circling down the drain because Captain Ahab (the head of ship/military leaders) is so obsessed with killing the whale when the whale is not the problem. It is Captain Ahab (not the whale) who will take down the ship. Captain Ahab is the problem but he cannot or will not see that he is the problem!!!

[@geggerson6943]

Amen and to shut down the truth hurt enough people so the pain is worst than the vile wicked truth of death to anyone who pushes against the grain of sinister evil. Its like the murderer who caught the bus with blood on their hands looking out the back window at the dead bodies on the ground saying now they are one of us! They will quickly assimilate and fall in line behind evil that people have accepted as necessary. How twisted are the minds savoring power and calling a steal a victory. God has His people in his 👋 🙏 🙌 ❤️Never diminish God because the enemy tries to force you to doubt! They fear faith in God as a threat because He is and what they hope to be they are not and never will be all knowing rulers with absolute power!

[@dkblack1289]

Wow! Your analogy is as beautiful as a sunset...I love it.

[@annoloki]

I call it "national narcissism"... that inability to connect the dots between ones own behaviour, and negative outcomes, leaving oneself powerless to avoid causing or contribute to the causing of those negative outcomes. With the person narcissist, this inability for self analysis is due to emotional trauma from childhood punishments from authority figures (parents, teachers etc). With national narcissism, it is our information system itself that it unable to give the required information to allow self analysis... we can't connect the dots to our own behaviour, because we are lied to about what our own behaviour actually is, or our behaviour is completely covered up. Of course Russia's invasion was unprovoked and unreasonable, because we aren't told what we have been doing to cause them to have reason to need to respond to our behaviour. That means that as nations, we are narcissistic.

[@chrisasterion5050]

the U.S simply wants to return the manufacturing base they outsourced to China due to the greed of their corporate CEO's & share holders, in which they payed regressed wages & enjoyed laxed environmental laws, in this event the total destruction of Europe will occur, as is happening as I type, yet the effect this AGENDA will have is isolating the WEST, causing AFRICA to join BRICS & creating a bi-polar world the 5 EYES nations, vs the rest of the world & the rest of the world will win...so stack up on gold, silver, seed & prepare to pivot, bcz the U.S ELITES got this one wrong, sure the U.S has alot of weapons (BLACK PROJECTS) up it's sleave but it's losing the PUBLIC OPINION WAR & this is why its rigging the elections with such ferocity inorder to keep the DEMOCRATS (backed by the DEEPSTATE in power) FETTERMAN will be the next PRESIDENT in 2024, they want puppets & he is the best they can get, not as gd as BIDEN, but he'll do...they wont get to a nuclear war, no ELITE wants that, they have money to spend & lives to live, but they will continue to fight China & Russia irrespective, bcz this makes them rich...all wars are a racket...so they will prolong it, just as they did in Afghanistan & Iraq....but eventually bcz AFRICA will be the lynchpin that joins CHINA/RUSSIA, these 2 will win, bcz AFRICA has always been the catalyst.... ALWAYS...!!! AMERICA has some serious military toys that they will deploy when the time is right, DARPA is way ahead in this area & this is the only thing CHINA/RUSSIA fear, they've been pumping trillions into their research & development for way longer than CHINA & hence CHINA'S hesitancy in taking over TAIWAN...& RUSSIA'S hesitancy in UKRAINE...FACT..

[@0150Tricia]

Great analogy - thanks!

[@peelot101]

This is an outstanding channel...any sanity and reasoned thought is like pure gold these days.

[@fpiedade9451]

Dirty Gold

[@Musa-hj8vf]

"We'll do another show on that." Your diplomacy saved the guest an avalanche of embarrassment.Youre one of the best.

[@philobetto5106]

you have fallen victim to propaganda

[@Musa-hj8vf]

@@philobetto5106 You are astute in your inaccuracy. Furthermore, from your comment, I can tell that you are a sufferer of cognitive dissonance.

[@philobetto5106]

@@Musa-hj8vf Yeah I smoked some cognitive I couldn't afford dissonance 'so Yo! wat up wit dat...

[@philobetto5106]

@@Musa-hj8vf Yo! one, other thing, I ain't down wit dim racial slurs dog, sum of my close friends are stute

[@mikehayne538]

He could get a job washing dishes.

[@stillraven9415]

They are NOT our elites! We are their peeons.

[@AbeldeBetancourt]

Did you mean pawns or actually pee-ons? (...as in those we are about to "pee on")

[@stillraven9415]

@@AbeldeBetancourt pawns is appropriate but no I definitely meant pee-ons

[@stillraven9415]

@@AbeldeBetancourt a little trickle down economics

[@elviajove8289]

They are the looters of our tax money

[@stillraven9415]

@Dr. Octogon I believed that any elite watching this would assume that I wasn't talking about you.

[@zoktoberfest]

I was following along with the reasonable and rational perspectives of your esteemed guest, Chris, until he said this at the end of the conversation: 28:16 first of all there's no question that this was an act of criminal aggression 28:22 engineered by Vladimir Putin there's no excusing that ... I couldn't disagree more vociferously. NATO, the MIC, US weapons merchants and manufactures, engineered this war. The US signed treaties and pacts assuring Russia that NATO would not push its presence to Russia's front door. We had previously funded, trained, and armed the Mujahideen in response to Soviet occupation in Afghanistan. We provided the most modern weaponry, intelligence, and logistical support. When the Soviets finally pulled out, we abandoned our convenient proxy army leaving behind arsenals of advanced US weaponry. The neocons took all the credit for bringing down the USSR -- even though, the Mujahideen engaged in the actual combat and suffered the casualties. Now we're perpetrating the same PNAC neocon, NWO hegemony, but in Ukraine; by violating existing treaties, to the contrary, and moving NATO closer to Russian territory. Instead of empowering proto- Al-Qaeda, we're empowering neo Nazis. I thought this was obvious to the geopolitically enlightened. Why didn't you call him on it Chris?

[@casteretpollux]

Reports I don't know if verified that 'ISIS affiliates are now fighting with the Ukraine forces.

[@mikedonnarumma5337]

THANK YOU

[@allancarter4242]

Very well said J Z. Thanks for commenting.

[@robertburnett6348]

Yes. He is so historically correct. Then off the rails on Ukraine. Very strange.

[@jimperdue6166]

Do you know how many neo-nazis are in Ukraine? How much influence they have? What % of the population they make up? Because I don't, and it would be interesting to know.

[@chesterrawers346]

Dude lost me when he started talking about the issue of Ukraine, as if it started in February.

[@philobetto5106]

If you analyze the Russia Ukraine ''war'' based on facts about these countries you find this can't be a war

[@9UaYXxB]

@ Chester..... You're glossing over much of what Bachevich said about that situation. Listen again, if you want to be intellectually honest here. And 'philo betto', your remark is just unhinged.

[@mikehayne538]

Yeah. This guy is messed up. Hedges is not totally correct about some issues, but he does have a lot of good material.

[@ryucartel351]

Ukraine started waging war on it's own Russian speaking population in 2014

[@hollyw9566]

NO. It started in 2014, with Ukrainians breaking every agreement in the Minsk accord and murdering ethnic Russian in a total genocidal way in the Donbas. FFS!

[@tmaxyb]

NATO have been pushing Russia since before 2008. The US and EU are responsible for what happened 2014 and despite Russia trying to come to terms with the situation through the Minsk agreements Ukraine refused to implement those solutions. A very complicated history has led to a majority in certain areas of Ukraine to think of themselves as Russian. Implementation of the accords would have left Ukraine whole with regional government. After 8 years of fighting in which 15000 people in those areas to be killed, infrastructure destroyed and people terrorised by people who were in actuality true Nazis Russia intervened as the Ukraine army built up and shelling increased from their side of the de- confliction zone. And yes, it's very much something that could have been avoided and I tend to put the lion's share of blame on the west, NATO in particular that needs such a conflict for its continued existence.

[@davidsalcido383]

“Like I’ve said before ‘FU AmeriKKKa!!! 🇺🇸 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🦠🔪🦠🔪🦠🔪💩🧻💩🧻💩

[@RCaugh]

Imagine STILL believing the US has honorable intentions after literally raining down terror across the globe pretending it’s humanitarian. The millions of dead and displaced in its wake of PIRACY is truly heartbreaking. Ukraine is just another failed state on a very long list.

[@jazziejim]

Very well put, about as concise as possible. And Ukraine had racist Nazis before Hitler and they are worse. Allen Dulles and the CIA have supported them against Russia so the proxy war continues, but with our current delusional leaders it’s a real chance we’ll all die.

[@wendwllhickey6426]

We want the whole world to be just like the us and can't stand people having a different view that us so start a war to force them to agree with us.

[@stevefelthouse7851]

END THE FED !!!!!!!! No more Bankers

[@joeows6537]

Banksters

[@fluffymcdeath]

The people of the US aren't particularly allied to Britain and old Europe, but the new empire elite club is still rooted in the old empires. The countries are now more populations (taxable cattle) than nations and The leadership are more CEOs than countrymen. If the will of the people were paramount then Donbas would have been Russia decades ago but the international system prioritizes the right of the rulers to their territory and ownership of whatever cattle lives within their fences.

[@casteretpollux]

The Ukraine war is in part a war of competition by the US against Europe. Bombing of Nordstream gas pipes being a case in point.

[@Brianbeesandbikes]

u$a's 1% have routinely treated EU as another profit and privatize center. "To be an enemy of America is dangerous, but to be a friend is fatal." Henry Kissinger

[@govindagovindaji4662]

It's not like "everybody" in Donbass wanted to be Russian again. And there were original territorial lines of the 'country' Ukraine, stemming back hundreds of years. I doubt most want to be Russian now after witnessing this cruelty perpetrated on them by Putin & Russian soldiers!

[@paulheydarian1281]

@@govindagovindaji4662 Those borders are less than 80 years old. They're a Soviet creation. Historically, the port city of Odessa for example, is much more Russian than it is Ukranian. The same is true for Crimea. Hopefully, Putin will cut off Ukraine's access to the Black sea and make it a landlocked rump-state, much like Belorussia.

[@maegorbalerion]

@@paulheydarian1281 odessa was founded by russian empress Catherine the great. The first population in that regione descends from the 3 million russian serfs that she transferred to Southern ukraine, before that there were turks and the slavs were sold as slaves from Crimea. South Eastern ukrainians are russian people just like siberians are russian people.

[@leroyeuvrard5243]

Our leaders aren't fools. They know exactly what they are doing. They are making MONEY!

[@cheri238]

An opportunity always to learn more. Thank you, Chris Hedges for this opportunity and educational experience for all.❤

[@christinepeach8213]

Please Stop referring to the rulers as 'Elites' because the rulers are not better than the rest of us! The rulers have proven to be inhuman and that is NOT elite!!!

[@dkblack1289]

Hi Chritine, The dictionary defines Elites as "Aristocrats" . Don't you think its a fitting term for a bunch that deserves to be overthrown again? Perhaps guillotined?

[@AbeldeBetancourt]

I love you for your comment. The thing is they are as obtuse, morally bankrupt, corrupt, boorish and ignorant as the worse of us.

[@annoloki]

"Elite" comes from "elect", from Latin... it literally means chosen, selected or elected... not "better"

[@kateoneal4215]

​@@annoloki yes, but that's not how the word is actually used today.

[@Rubylove48]

Ruling class is a better term imo.

[@EarthColonyNet]

My problem with what Bacevich calls the historical narrative wired into our historical perspective is the use of biblical/protestant/Weberian phrases like 'calling', 'providence', and 'exceptionalism' to mask a raw historical agenda of imperialistic materialism for a ruling elite institution. It's not the 'Holy Roman Empire, mimesis itself of ancient Rome, America is yet another mimesis of ancient Roman fascism.

[@gmw3083]

What's left of the American led west will smash itself to pieces as fast as the SCO & BRICS can build and fortify themselves.

[@batgirlp5561]

Yes, there is truly the regurgitation of American self-delusion at work there.

[@madeleineswords704]

Yes you are spot on point here.

[@andrewhaas5626]

Bingo!!!!

[@brindlekintales]

"Exceptionalism" my ass! It all boils down to the Christianized ideology called "Manifest Destiny" that justified the slaughter of the native population and stealing all their land in the name of their sadist god.

[@citris1]

When people tell me that Putin’s invasion of Ukraine was an illegal criminal act I want to ask them, given the problems he was facing in that situation, what action would you have recommended instead?

[@zoktoberfest]

Exactly

[@ahsoontan1219]

Understandable,that’s the US and NATO portfolio Russia had breached that red line and they are throwing tantrums

[@siep6922]

His resignation and suicide?

[@johnburns8660]

Are Putin's gangsters any better than the ones that NATO sponsors? I'd have asked Putin to give a pass to the people in his country who really don't like his style. I mean like maybe promise without his fingers crossed not to beat them up or poison them. The we could have gone from there and seen whether we needed a war.

[@SvalbardSleeperDistrict]

"When people tell me that Putin’s invasion of Ukraine was an illegal criminal act I want to ask them, given the problems he was facing in that situation, what action would you have recommended instead?" Um, I don't know, maybe... not invading?

[@Ivorybird09]

Thank you for a great discussion. One point. Ukr war did not start in Feb 2022. It is a civil war between Russian speakers and Ukr nationalists dated back to 2014. Since then harassed Russian speakers of Ukraine were murdered ( 15 000), kidnapped, raped, etc. Putin kept insisting on Minsk agreement to stop the genocide of the Russian speakers in Ukr. To no avail. Putin kept talking about red lines. Ignored. Now we face this HORRIBLE MILITARY SITUATION and western leaders keep bringing up NUCLEAR WAR yes. Many westerners profited in this endeavour. They have provoked it. They benefit from it. Please find the article by RAND dated January 2022. It explicitly calls for USA to weaken EU, deindustrialise Germany by breaking up its relationship with Russia. How? By starting a war in Ukraine What a disgusting plan. Well. We see this unfolding in front of our eyes. ---

[@marypritchett115]

Nice try, Vlad. That Rand article is fake.

[@TrueNorth1970]

spot on Sir! 👍🎯

[@mikecorbeil]

Regarding the war in Ukraine and Russia having attacked, it is surprising that there is no mention in this video that the US ensured overthrow of the elected govt there in 2014 and permitted people who historically worked as Nazi allies to get some of the subsequent govt's positions, plus the US/Washington, in addition to other western govts and media not being bothered by the fact that a considerable number of the 'new' govt's military consists of Neo-nazis, plenty of whom quickly began killing innocent ethnic Russians in Ukraine, such as in the Donbas region. That reportedly is a main reason for Russia's invasion, all while Russia also did not want the 'new' Ukrainian govt to join NATO, which of course has no business in trying to get such countries to join, given that they have nothing to do with the North Atlantic and NATO is supposed to be the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. There was/is absolutely no mention of any of this in this video and, imo, there definitely should be. Otherwise, it is like contributing to covering up this critical information. EDIT : This is added just a few minutes later after having listened to the following video from _The Jimmy Dore Show_, " __*_How Ukraine - Not Russia - Floods Social Media With War Propaganda_* ", TJDS, 11 Nov 2022, kzbin.info/www/bejne/gpW9dGhjd6uLppI. It strikes me as information that everyone needs to learn from.

[@dariasacharovskaja99]

Yes, true. Moreover, the NATO instructors long before the so called criminal Russian invasion, have been training the Ukrainian military in its NATO camps how to kill the Russian people in the urban war. The Ukraine maybe fooled the West in terms of possibility of the Minsk agreements, but never meant to follow it, because their real intention was to wipe out all the civilians of the Donbass and Lugansk area and attack Russia. The hatred toward Russia has been instilled (last 30 years) in the Ukrainian youth through rewritten historic textbooks, through the media, where the Nazism was justified, and the Soviet victories over the Nazi Germany were condemned. That brought the prohibition of the Russian language, Russian literature, the dismantle of the Russian historic figures, the Soviet Heroes of Ww2, and renaming streets of Kiev and other Ukrainian cities to honor the notorious Ukrainian Nationalists like Bandera and Shushkevigch, whose compatriots and followers tortured, burned alive, murdered millions of the Soviet Jews, Poles, Soviet civilians, communists, etc. in WW2. Moreover, after the coup orchestrated by the US, people like Victoria Nuland, that brought the vicious Ukrainian Nationalist/Neo Nazis to power, and the three regions like Crimea, Donbass and Lugansk, also city of Mariupol and Kherson where many Russian ethnic people lived, decided to have autonomy from Kiev's new puppet regime, the last two got started to be assaulted, bombed, shelled, raped, mutilated by the Ukrainian military since 2014, killing 16 K civilians, many children, etc. People have lived and still live without electricity water and lack of food since that time. Putin many times tried to talk to the Collective West, but to no result. It became known to the Russian government that Ukraine was planning a final assault on Donbass and Lugansk with 200 K army, that were gathered at the border, with the plan of a complete annihilation of the region and then attack on Russia in early March of 2022. Putin decided that millions of civilians of Donbass/Lugansk area had suffered enough. The Russian so called criminal invasion was an act of protecting the lives of the innocent. By the way, during the military operation, the Russian military tried to save the civilians and attacked only the military objects, while the Ukrainian military had shot at the Eastern Ukrainians who tried to leave cities, they shot at the basements where people where hiding, they created torturing chamber mastered after the Gestapo style in Mariiupole, they deliberately used the civilians quarters to put tanks, guns in schools, hospitals and in people homes, because they didn't value these people lives, knowing that they were pro Russian. Finally, Kiev which has good capabilities to create films, created propaganda films, where they staged alleged Russian atrocities, by hiring actors to perform. It is all proven, people who acted in these films came to confess.

[@dariasacharovskaja99]

And it is truth about 30 military biolabs in Ukraine that worked on prohibited microorganisms and used mosquitos to spread infections. Interesting that in the Western media, the fact that is well known in Ukraine and Russia that Zelensky is a well known drug addict has been absent so far. The recent book by the American woman-journalist said that Zelensky when tried to negotiate peace agreement, was threatened by the Ukrainian Nationalists/Neo Nazis to be hung on the tree and his family murdered. This rumor was circulated for sometime in Ukraine and Russia, more likely it is true, because people who knows Zelensky very well, and people whom one can trust, saying that he is a big time coward, and a selfish man.

[@jimperdue6166]

Can you identify those who historically worked as Nazi allies? Aren't the Nazis from WW II dead?

[@feynmanschwingere_mc2270]

LOVED everything you mentioned EXCEPT FOR Jimmy Dore. Dude is a psuedo-intellectual GRIFTER and just because he was absolutely spot on about Ukraine propagandizing the MSM, that doesn't make him an authority on...well...anything. I used to be a Jimmy Dore fan a LONG time ago before i caught on to his act. Avoid him, he's a sell-out attempting to canibalize a right wing audience desperate for confirmation bias from a supposed "lefty." He was an idiot from Day 1, but the day he really lost me was when he argued that Trump winning in 2016 would have zero bearing on the make up of the supreme court. Lol. How wrong can you be? Ouch.

[@DRpokeme]

👍👍

[@alanhehe4508]

KZbin says this only started 5 mins ago, but I still had to slide back to get to the start. Strange. At any rate, I have immense respect for Chris Hedges. He is an uncompromising political and social analyst. I never worry he's gonna pitch softballs. I think any honest assessment of the current political reality would be pessimistic, but Hedges will be a deep and unflinching perspective.

[@ron2823]

Unless you clicked on a "live" broadcast, the "5 mins ago" refers to when the broadcast ended (not started).

[@douglascarlson9006]

You're respect for Hedges would not be so immense if you paid closer attention to his actions and words since the MAR '20 lockdowns ... I used to love this guy, but not anymore ... he abandoned the working class on all things COVID and refuses to stand with us against the mandates and passports ... He'll talk your leg off about Assange, Snowden and Ukraine, but only to divert your attention away from the larger issues of tyranny that are now knocking on our doors ... Ya see, our friend St. Chris does not want to offend TPTB ... there are plenty of RED and GRAY voice types out there who will not be intimidated, but Chris Hedges is not one of them ...

[@alanhehe4508]

@@douglascarlson9006 hmm, makes me sad to hear. It seems COVID caused many people to abandon principles of freedom.. in reaction to fear..I guess. I've been learning about Modern Monetary Theory, or MMT, recently, and if accurate (I haven't heard it debunked, very credentialed economists talk about it etc) I think it may be the biggest lie, politically speaking, the public has been sold. If interested, Steve Grumbine over at Real Progressives does a great job of explaining it. Also Professor Stephanie Kelton just released a new book titled "The Deficit Myth." According to MMT, Federal taxes don't fund Federal spending. State taxes fund State spending because States are USERS of the currency, whereas the Federal government is the CREATOR. The reason for taxes is because they're what cause the need for, and thus give value to, our unbacked, fiat currency we know as dollars. You have to pay taxes and you have to pay them in dollars. So no "faith in the dollar " is required, as many people think or fear. Federal taxes are actually deleted, according to MMT. The Federal government can not go broke in it's own currency, and it can fund anything it WANTS to fund..unless the owners of Congress don't want it funded. This is how they can raise the "defense " budget by billions every year without any need to raise taxes or anything else. The "we'll have to raise taxes " is just a fear tactic they use to not fund stuff they don't want to fund. The only restrictions on money creation are the actual resources and the spare capacity within the economy. In other words, if there's work to be done (like fixing our infrastructure), resources and labor to do that work, then money creation/injection isn't inflationary. MMT isn't really a theory, it's just a description of how any fiat currency functions, is given value, etc. The theoretical part has to do with possible applications of MMT, like a Federal job guarantee. The only real criticism of MMT doesn't have to do with its explanation but its possible applications. Wow, that was a lot, but since you took time to try to further inform me, I figured you deserved the same opportunity. Peace.

[@jimperdue6166]

@@douglascarlson9006 Have you read "The Premonition"? It gives an account of people working behind the scenes regarding the pandemic. The 6 week "stay at home order" back in March 2020 essentially was too late, the virus was already wide spread. If you do a little research on how public health officials deal with disease outbreaks, your perception of what happened over the last 2+ years might make more sense. I don't blame you for being critical of the CDC and how they handled things. Mistakes were made.

[@douglascarlson9006]

@@jimperdue6166 Did you read my comment or merely glance at it ... I said nothing about the CDC - nothing .... My comment was critical of Hedges ... many, many times he has urged to resist tyranny, but now that tyranny is in our face, he's MIA ... If I ever ran into Chris Hedges in the parking lot you can bet the ranch I'd have a few choice words for him ... he does not respect you and he is using you ...

[@michaeldamato9466]

For some reason we put greedy idiots in charge of our lives..... and then we complain.

[@shereerabon8551]

How refreshing to listen to real genuine perspectives, dialogue and ideas for the future of America. Maybe we can postpone the ‘hand baskets to hell.” Thank you.

[@lewstherintelamon1377]

I think it's a highway, at this point.

[@danielhutchinson6604]

The involvement of Nelson Rockefeller in construction of the WTC along with his participation in Vietnam affairs since 1960, indicate that influences that a major Capitalist purchaser of Politicians can direct? After supervising a overview of the CIA becoming involved in US Domestic affairs, and the results of the Valarie Plame affair, we begin to notice a trend? The CIA appears to be the muscle that the Military Industrial Complex uses and they prepare the scene for the arrival of the actual industrial profits that the US Military Machine needs.

[@jimperdue6166]

Would you like to expand on your thoughts? Sounds interesting.

[@danielhutchinson6604]

@@jimperdue6166 John Perkins does a very good job of describing CIA efforts to deliver profits that the IMF and World Bank enjoy associating with. He does a better job than I can, but the Rockefeller Bros involvement in Foreign Affairs since being involved in The Eisenhower Administration, indicates they enjoy the ability to associate with complicit Foreign Leaders that accommodate US demands for low cost products. From the financial support that started Hank Kissinger as their Lackey when he assembled the "Prospect for America" that was as abused by Congressmen who appeared to desire to make South Vietnam our Colony, to the appointment of Paul Bremmer as the First Arch Duke of Baghdad, they were involved in Foreign affairs. The Operation Condor that delivered Military Leaders to Georgia for training in the art of oppressing Nations for profits, to hosting the Shah of Iran when He was in town, or getting him into the Mayo Clinic for Cancer treatments, they were involved in providing accommodations that suited Foreign Dignitaries. Even after losing the entire Enchelada in Nam the Chase Manhattan bank branch went to having 5 offices across Vietnam today, The nice folks at the Rockefeller Family Bank who enable a lot of Foreign Trade to become a profit for the Family even after the War was a failure. Like I say Perkins Books explain the effects better than I can over a few cups of Coffee..... The authorized Rockefeller Family Biography does a pretty good job of describing the methods and effects of the Family traditions the US State Department now embrace. The US Government at one time the Business of Standard Oil Company and their practices were condemned by the Government that discouraged Monopoly as a form of exploitation of Consumers, today the concepts that made old JD Rockefeller into the first Billionaire are employed by the US State department. Good luck going down that Rabbit Hole...... Like Alice, it can open your eyes.....

[@stutzbearcat5624]

yes this

[@PKVeteran]

Leap of logic too far. Hard to follow

[@danielhutchinson6604]

@@PKVeteran If you are unaware of the Rockefeller Bros manipulation of Government since WW2, I guess you might be confused? The History of the Family and their investments is revealing.

[@murphy8449]

Our glorious national mission has been, is, and will continue to be the assurence of prosperity and power of the Western military-industrial-governmental complex.

[@philobetto5106]

Pat Buchanan on Suicide of a Superpower

[@johnburns8660]

Now we can include the Elections Industry in that complex.

[@brindlekintales]

@@philobetto5106 Buchanan's a right-wing, christo-fascist devil himself.

[@happyd8526]

Beautifully stated. We all know that Eisenhower warned us against this and yet we all our leaders to persist, continuing to re-elect the same.

[@happyd8526]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/fmSbq4eep72Xo9U

[@theoaerts1951]

Chris I have great admiration for your skills in dissecting US society and especially its leaders as well as your warnings you send through social media. Thank you for all this as well as for your writings .

[@andrewgumra852]

DONT forget Peace is NOT PROFiTABLE

[@lloydguenther6102]

I departed when the blame was placed on Russia for the Ukraine war and it's horrific loss of life. It ignores 2024 and the role of the US. I lose all hope when I hear the view that what the US and NATO have done is justified.

[@dariasacharovskaja99]

Yes. He probably was afraid to speak the truth, he needed to protect his job by saying this "mantra". The US, CIA, NATO have done so much efforts in Ukraine since the fall of the USSR to sparkle the anti-Russian sentiments to the point of hatred by reanimating and supporting the notoriously criminal movement, the Ukrainian Ultra-Nationalism, the followers and admirers of such historic figures, condemned by history, WW2 war criminals, mass murderers as Bandera and Shushkevich. The final contribution to that was the 2014 coup, that brought these thugs to power in Kiev and started all this horrific mess. Putin's huge mistake was not to deal with them right away, before they brainwashed masses and masses of people, esp. young people in Ukraine. Falsification of the history books, school textbooks were phenomenal, such dark fairy tails, a complete work of sick fiction, that had completely screwed young people's head. The all indoctrination of the people of Ukraine is very much resembles of the Nazi Germany of 1930s. Additional push to this critical situation was Zelensky's speech where he mentioned the intent to acquire a nuclear weapon somehow, and use it against Russia.

[@joelpettlon9650]

I think you mean 2014, but yeah. I still watched the rest though. Being horribly wrong on one part doesn't mean he won't have good insights elsewhere.

[@davidtoorchen6513]

Britain stood ALONE against the Nazis? You forgot the USSR Andrew

[@user-bg6lk7zv9f]

for david toorchen: You're right Sir. Besides, at that time (when the Second World War took place), the British Empire still existed.

[@hollyw9566]

Yes. That was quite the horrendous oversight, was it not?

[@DavidGBlair]

No. For over a year, May 1940 to June 22, 1941, the USSR was a de facto ally of Germany, at best neutral. Look up the Molotov-Ribbentrop treaty. The USSR joined the war only when Germany broke the treaty and invaded the USSR.

[@dc7370]

Absolutely. The huge influx of weapons into an area where there is an abundance of nuclear reactors is dangerous. Done for greed.

[@anselmdanker9519]

Colonel Bacevich wishing you a Happy Veterans day. Thank you for your service.

[@1337Frederick]

I found a quote print hanging at the Colonel's house in his garage, where the boys ( Colonels, Generals, and the like, probably some CIA/DIA as well ) would go at parties to smoke. It said, "We the unwilling, led by the unqualified, have been doing the unbelievable, for so long, with so little, we now attempt the impossible with nothing."

[@erikhai1]

I think there has been some variation on this in every place I've worked at.

[@1337Frederick]

@@erikhai1 Exactly! That is my point.

[@CharlieBoy360]

Gotta love all these "retired" Army Colonels who suddenly find their voice when they have no way to affect change.

[@nancyk7954]

Naaaa, I doubt the most of them have much of a voice prior to their retirement. But more thank likely, there's probably plenty of group think.

[@clntmagee]

It works this way everywhere. People make their bags and then transition to whistleblowers while making a brand new bag. Two sides of the same coin.

[@jimperdue6166]

You listened. What can you, or me, do to make changes? I think the subject has to do with the State Dept., the Pentagon, the White House. What do you think a Colonel can do? What kind of influence would he or she have?

[@timmccarthy982]

It's the military what are they going to change? Colonels jump out of their seats when a General arrives and salute and say yes sir, yes sir, . Just like a private to a captain.

[@johnburns8660]

I prefer that serving senior officers keep their personal views to themselves. irrespective of whether I agree with them or not.

[@bellakrinkle9381]

Bacevich's first KZbin video, on the Iraq War really removed my blinders. I had no interest in US Foreign Policy, or Politics in prior years yet, I persisted in research that confirmed everything he discussed in that video. Andrew Bacevich is an outstanding American, working constantly after his military retirement to enlighten the naive MSM crowds.

[@zoktoberfest]

The point of my comment was that Bacevich stated a cause and effect that runs contrary to geopolitical reality, both past and present. NATO/US has been pushing Putin further and further, into a corner that inevitably forced his hand and his only option. Since this grave misconception could have resulted in a nuclear exchange, I think its important to set the record straight.

[@sportsfanivosevic9885]

If people united to protest the power of unelected entities and the corporatocracy of their 'democracy', hundreds of billions in military spending would be freed to improve the living standards for most American's. The goal of those in power is to keep you distracted with domestic issues and local politics and through the obscene propaganda budget they keep you disinformed, ignorant and blinded with unjustified patriotism. Do not be distracted, be more cynical and focus strongly on the establishment if you want a better America and a more peaceful world.

[@susanmercurio1060]

5:35 Col. Bacevich, that statement by Madeleine Albright was one of the baldest assertions of American exceptionalism that has been made in English! You don't need to apologize for singling her out. P.S. I think that the ordinary people of the United States (if their minds aren't warped by propaganda) share similar and very good ideas of what the common good is. It's just that our government has gone off the rails. 28:40 The only part of your statement about the Ukraine war with which I can agree is the last part: we could have avoided it if we had used diplomacy.

[@lewstherintelamon1377]

The ordinary American is so exhausted after struggling to barely make ends meet, that even if he has the time he doesn't have the energy to read up by himself. That's one of the reasons that mass-media has been so effective at manufacturing consent for a build-up to war with both Russia and China. And agreed.

[@nnenne4]

I can't wait to hear his perspective

[@AbeldeBetancourt]

I can't hear to wait his perspective.

[@1danacom]

The moment you said the words .” Climate change” I was out of there

[@zulqadarrrashid6201]

Thank you for an Excellent presentation 👍 Stay blessed Fan from Pakistan 🇵🇰 Former Pakistan Air Force 🇵🇰 Veteran

[@thomascasby182]

Great interview. Empires rise and fall, sway back and forth across the earth but the all have one thing in common, at some point they over reach,usually because of illusions of greatness and invincibility. America is no different. Let's hope the best of the US leadership comes to the fore in time to prevent a wholesale slide to the abyss, for all our sakes, before its too late. Sadly from my observations this is unlikely, the rot in US society especially at the top is too deep.

[@2CHACHOUU]

AMERICAN EXCEPTIONALISM,lol the first time I heard that Garbage,I said to myself since they KNEW Bush was to DUMB to pronounce that word they left it for OBOZO.

[@williamhiles7404]

You can thank the Freemasons. And I don't care if you don't understand what I am saying. Look it up, research for yourself what I mean. You can't stop it, but you can be prepared, sort of. LedHed Pb 207.20 🎶 🎸 🎹

[@neonsamurai1348]

American exceptionalism goes back right to the very beginning when the US fooled itself into believing they (easily) beat the biggest empire during the revolutionary war, when they fought largely mercenaries because England could hardly be bothered to deal with such small upstarts as the colonies (they were too busy having yet another war with the French).

[@feynmanschwingere_mc2270]

Yup. Also, word on the street is the British were thinking of ending slavery as early as 1776. Coincidence that Jefferson and Washington and co decided to split from the empire around that time? I think not.

[@lucianomezzetta4332]

@@feynmanschwingere_mc2270 you are a foolish woke revisionist

[@Brianbeesandbikes]

@@feynmanschwingere_mc2270 Gerald Horne speaks on that very thing: Prof Gerald Horne Detailed Exposé on 1776 Counter-revolution kzbin.info/www/bejne/eWiUdXyohNKeeK8 Gerald Horne on Haitian Revolution kzbin.info/www/bejne/qF7NiX2DYt2Lqpo Dr. Leslie Alexander Fear of the Black Republic: U.S.-Haitian Relations in the Aftermath of the Haitian Revolution kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z5PGaouAib17p6c

[@feynmanschwingere_mc2270]

@Dr. Octogon Typical whataboutism. Hitler murdered 6 - 10 million people. You: "So? Stalin killed twice that number." When you have a real point, let me know. Also, last point: slavery and racism are both subsumed under the superstructure that is capitalism. Capitalism is the real disease. AMERICA is still engaging in Slavery. We just call it the Prison Industrial Complex now. Check out the Netflix Documentary "The 13th," it will open your eyes.

[@thorinbane]

America tried 3 times to assimilate canada, including by benedict arnold when he was a hero to the usa.

[@suetipping4841]

I wonder if the author is aware of just what those in power in America did in Ukraine from 2012 through 2016? And does he know what America's State Dept did to US citizens left behind in Afghanistan when a group of Americans attempted their rescue? Do these people realize the absolute horror we have ahead of us?

[@Zemlchka357]

Thanks you, gentlemen for talking about America truthfully. God bless America Godly leadership 🙏🏻 🇺🇲🙌

[@bobleclair5665]

14:45, what made the establishment nervous was when Trump mentioned cleaning out the swamp

[@lewstherintelamon1377]

He did drain the swamp. . . and found his cabinet at the bottom.

[@antoniescargo4158]

2014 regime change in Kiev.

[@user-bg6lk7zv9f]

for Antonie Scargo: "F**k the EU!" 😉

[@josephfigueira813]

Chris Hedges you're awesome ,with the great selection of people who you have on your program 🤔🤔👏👏👏👏

[@philobetto5106]

Pat Buchanan on Suicide of a Superpower

[@kipwonder2233]

When the algorithm sends me ANYTHING related to Chris Hedges, I immediately drop what I'm doing and watch👍

[@AbeldeBetancourt]

The algorithm is king. Long live the sacred algorithm!

[@annoloki]

Aye, the algorithm is yours to make of what you wish... you ever see someone else open youtube, see what the algorithm feeds them, and struggle to not lose some respect for them? hahaha "OMG, you must watch some real crap on here!"

[@troybailey9666]

And as for 'Democracy Failing,' comment, its not that Democracy is at the point of failing, it is that Democracy is failing to listen to what the people are saying; It is that democracy is failing to adapt and that the citizens are demanding that democracy be accountable to the benefit of all people, not just a few. That is where democracy is failing; it has nothing to do with the people who are demanding accountability, and everything to do with those in power who refuse to be accountable.

[@daverdal1]

Drain the SWAMP !!

[@50_Pence]

... And keep the slime

[@jaykline8550]

The honest truth about WWII is that we helped the Russians win the war. We did not. ourselves, win the war.

[@dariasacharovskaja99]

Yes, it is truth.

[@nieskeolinga4556]

By all honesty Russia won the WW2 and every know's it...

[@rykson161]

My Business teacher failed one of my papers because he had never heard the term “ source of supply “ before and couldn’t understand what it meant and said it made no sense ! I was 12 years old at the time ! How dumb some teachers are !!

[@donald2665]

The common Bond that tied our People together was once the Following: The Rights and Freedoms protected against Governmental intrusion & infringement, as well as the Right to Property and a Trial of Peers under the Law Equally. My Father who was born in 1930 would often say that the Rights of the individual were paramount.

[@matthewdolan5831]

Certainly describes the UK 'leaders' too...

[@anthonyjwhelan]

Great job as always Chris

[@tammykoble236]

I recently saw a bankster talking about other countries trying to start a new currency and how ridiculous an idea it is because "everyone" knows the new system will be made in the USA and he could not even fathom the idea that other coiuntries might not WANT the US in control and making up the rules in their "rules based order".anymore. Your guest is correct - this sounds INSANE when you hear it put so clearly.

[@MatthewCalza-fm9yy]

"it's not useful to dispatch with one set of distortions by replacing them with another set of distortions." *Well, we'll do another show on that." Chris Hedges is really funny! Take that,Lee Camp!

[@moriyokiri3229]

I very much appreciate both Chris and The Real News Network for these videos and the work they do.

[@leonardmccannon3136]

This analysis is a little bizarre to me. I almost don’t know where to begin with the choices of emphasis. All the talk of the ideological mindsets and the prevailing mythologies of US exceptionalism seem like so much fluff. We are supposed to believe these are the elements driving current actions militarily and economically? They are just self serving rationalization. The myths are there to defend the actions - not to provide the impetus for the actions. Empire has the same logic it always has. When nations become stronger than all other opposition, they simply see the whole world as a place to be systematically looted. It just becomes a question of what is the most effective and orderly way to accomplish that. In post WW2,:the US found an excellent ways to exploit its advantages economically, and has expanded its military massively to ensure its dominance. The rest is just the debates among the powers brokers for best strategies - which is so well elaborated in discussions of geo politics. US empire is at that dangerous crossroads where it’s internal contradictions, and diminishing ability to impose its will give way to bitter infighting about the future. It raises the real possibility of extremely reckless actions to shore up the full spectrum dominance it has assumed for itself. Other nations in the west have very difficult choices since their own economies and security are deeply entwined with the current global order. They rightly fear a power vacuum which makes their attempts to manage a precarious global order even more unmanageable, and makes hot wars much more likely . So far, most can’t imagine choosing to cut and run. But hey, let’s talk about the 1619 project and the exceptionalism, and any other ideological signalling. If we change that in the right way,,we all live happily ever after. But let’s not boil it down to some fundamental realities of nations now lining up to oppose the US and its vassal states. That’s the really serious sea change right before our eyes.

[@dinnerwithfranklin2451]

You make a good argument here. Thanks

[@yvonneyork1263]

Yours is a trenchant commentary. I was a little surprised to hear AB's exalted exceptionalism " fluff" coming towards the end of a thoughtful conversation. "Bizarre " was my reaction as well. Seems like the guest is a bit too entrenched in the collective myth of a superior western civilization- he didn't quite compare the Western civilization to a beautiful garden, but speaking of finding their "exhaltation" again after centuries of brutal colonialism was disturbing.

[@dinnerwithfranklin2451]

@@yvonneyork1263 I had to look up 'trenchant". New word for me. Wonderful!

[@truthhertz1319]

This explains why the Quincy Institute called for pre-emptive sanctions on Russia before their intervention in Ukraine, February 2022. Sanctions only hurt the working and poor, but in this case they only hurt the working poor of everywhere but Russia. Nice job Andrew.

[@ciara5867]

Brilliant discussion. Thank you Mr. Hedges + Real news network for broadcasting this interview with Mr. Bacevich. It's Important work you do. ♥️🇮🇪🍀🇵🇸👏

[@anonymous-rj6ok]

Chris Hedges is the only reason I'm still subscribed to this channel. That "Ukrainian and Russian panel" video was an absolute disgrace.

[@fs127]

PAR and Rattling The Bars both are still good, honest conversations on RNN. I'm still astounded that they managed to land Mr. Hedges.

[@jimmybutler1379]

And laws against self defense is to help the criminals; not the citizens well being, or the keeping of any laws which gives forth lawlessness ! take back our nation from the criminally minded, so we all can walk freely without worrying about any one giving us a problem we can not solve on the spot !...

[@thorinbane]

Nonesense post

[@jimmybutler1379]

@@thorinbane Yes your is none sense post seems like you like being a outlaw !...

[@Ricardo-hp8gj]

Great interview of course, so far as it went, and it seemed to begin to touch on modern times with the current US/NATO hot-war against Russia, but without the historical context and reality that this is just a continuation of the cold war that was started by the U.S. at the end of WW2 and continued until now because of our desire to be the new empire that rules the world. Chris I wish you could have brought Conl Bacevich to address the reality that the U.S. has been funding and instigating the Bandera Nazi movement in Ukraine since the end of WW2, and how this is a classic example of an empire that attacks the population and its culture to serve the interest of our empire. Today's conflict which did NOT begin in 2022, is in reality a revival of the German Nazi's Eastern Front against Russia, with of course the US/NATO joining the side of the nazi movement that we have sustained and fomented since WW2 until we could activate it and attack Russia, as we have now done.

[@lewstherintelamon1377]

Hedges is one of those intellectuals who claims to oppose Not Z ism, while also opposing those fighting it.

[@williamhiles7404]

Demonic. Masonic, the real Shotcallers. LedHed Pb 207.20 🎶 🎸 🎹

[@markszawlowski867]

Not blaming you, you understand, but I've a lot of work to do, and I can't stop listening intently to your channel. Brilliant stuff.

[@michaelgnit8476]

Here goes my amateur thought process we need to get rid of these leaders but somehow violence seems to ethically defeat some of the purpose yet violence appears to be the only way to remove them as they will not magically go away no matter how much we wish it. So the question for me can we remove these people without violence and evolve past humanity's past and violence or are we doomed to use violence to depose those that are socio and psychopaths' and are so self absorbed they can no longer function in any capacity when it involves other people?

[@grb1969]

Remove power, not people.

[@Brianbeesandbikes]

The 1% use violence. We need to build for peace AND recognize that any violence from the left is IN RESPONSE to defend ourselves. Turn the state and media's narrative "liberals need to control their 'antifa radicals' " back on the state stating that antifa only shows up IN RESPONSE TO state and state protected vigilante violence.

[@michaelgnit8476]

@@Brianbeesandbikes I agree but we need to find a large majority of people who believe that to make it happen.

[@jonathanbailey1597]

This was an excellent exchange.

[@odis-edgardavidsonthefamilyof]

Keep up the good work Chris thank you for an excellent documentary

[@govindagovindaji4662]

You mean interview~? He does do some good documentaries, though, too.

[@johleby8048]

Thank to you for this great discussion. 🙏❤️🙏

[@SmeeUncleJoe]

I wonder if your guest has entertained the arguments of Prof. John Mearsheimer on who bears the responsibility for the Ukraine war. ... or Ambassador Jack Matlock, for that matter ?

[@lewstherintelamon1377]

Or Douglas MacGregor. Or Scott Ritter. Or many, many others. But Hedges is on the "Putin Bad" bandwagon, so you won't see any of them here.

[@SmeeUncleJoe]

@@lewstherintelamon1377 I'd love to see a video of his reasoning while confronting the history of US State Department meddling including alliances with NAZIs to overthrow elected Presidents, the slaughters in the Donbas of ethnic Russians, broken promises not to expand NATO and on it goes. I'm sorry and surprised if he blames Russia for this war.

[@SmeeUncleJoe]

@@lewstherintelamon1377 I just went and had a quick look and I'm not getting the impression at all the Hedges is on the "Putin is bad bandwagon". Can you tell me where you got that idea ?

[@jarichards99utube]

Colonel Andrew Bacevich - one of my (few) Favorite Military Minds. ALWAYS worth listening to..! : ) -StayWell Everyone -70SomethingGuy

[@hollyw9566]

You'd do better to listen to Scott Ritter and Douglas MacGregor.

[@kp6215]

My dad officer in WWII refused to allow his son my brother to be drafted by military because he informed our Senator.

[@Clone42]

A critique of history that hinges on a text's "usefulness," rather than its supporting evidence, really sets the tone of the conversation between these two ideologues.

[@charleskesner1302]

Thanks for this excellent discussion.

[@therock8475]

I sure hope this one's better than "Voices of Ukraine and Ukraine"

[@anonymous-rj6ok]

That video was an absolute disgrace.

[@lewstherintelamon1377]

No kidding. That was awful.

[@yogabearmobil]

Just imagine how much that could be done if the “climate hysteria” would be removed from the equation…..

[@xanderarena]

Tell the 2k+ ppl that were mass murdered by controlled demolition that ‘those mistakes don’t matter’….

[@deansawich6250]

Thanks. An Interesting interview. The Ukrainian situation was not started in 2022 though, 2014 coup by the US was a key point but the US was planning to use Ukraine as a tool against Russia even before then. Nuland mentioned $5 Billion invested prior to the coup to get it to happen. So to say this is all Russia's doing is far from the truth.

[@stevemitchell1454]

😅😅

[@doritomorito]

Someone needs to learn the difference between a coupé and a coup.

[@deansawich6250]

@@doritomorito Thanks, I missed that. All correct now.

[@doritomorito]

@@deansawich6250 You're welcome - looks like you've still missed one to me

[@danishaffer934]

How do you talk about world war 2 without mentioning the soviet union? Where's the history in that?

[@lynnebarnes3840]

Yes, people don't know that 27million Russians died fighting Nazis? Now they do it alone. Respect.

[@danishaffer934]

@@lynnebarnes3840 You are aware that the Soviet Union no longer exists right? And that the current Russian government is a far right Neo-fascist regime? If you're a supporter of the Soviet Union it makes no sense for you also to support modern Russian Imperialism (imperialism as defined by Lenin). I'm sure you already knew these things though lets make sure they appear on the forum. Welcome to WW3, this time every country is fascist.

[@lynnebarnes3840]

@@danishaffer934 of course I am they are an oligarchy, just like the US. More stable though.

[@lynnebarnes3840]

@@danishaffer934 US are also imperialists and terrorists and fascist, government and big business working together to screw the citizenry.

[@pmullins1495]

Stalin initially partnered with Hitler, even invaded Poland. Murderous Stalin was NOT trustworthy.

[@africanherbsman9488]

It's puzzling how such a great nation with so much great people fail to elect a humane individual time and time again. You have to realise it's in your interest to change,the world is sick of America thanks to your dangerous leaders. They've made America the greatest threat to world peace.

[@jo9732]

Ineptitude of government. That right there is why we are where we are.

[@karenangelisashaw7347]

Jeffrey Zaiser thanks for saving me the time of watching the podcast.

[@muatagarai1593]

I stopped at the 21 minute mark. I heard enough of this "exceptional" bs. But reading the comments I see it gets worse.

[@JosephNine]

THIS GUY DOES THE SAME THING AS MY OLDER BROTHER, WHEN YOU ASK HIM A QUESTION. HE WILL ANSWER YOU WITH WHAT HE THINKS YOU WANT TO HEAR, I TRY TO TELL HIM IT'S WRONG PEOPLE WANT THE TRUTH NOT A WATERED DOWN VERSION TO MAKE ANYONE, FROM EITHER SIDE LOOK BETTER.

[@andreschavolla8220]

Thinking that failures should not be taken seriously will land you in the spot that you find yourself in... today

[@alfredstaggs9137]

When you disenfranchised you bring an end. People don't learn.

[@peterpark3656]

Please read "Extending Russia," published by the Rand Corp. U.S. engineered the Ukraine Russia war.

[@Yikum24]

I loved the topic being discussed and the book sounds great. Im glad it came out before Ukraine because his take is a bit whack espevially when considering his #2 statement that other nations INCLUDING the US to provide the wherewithal (weapons) to a civil war that the CIA instigated beginning in 2014, but honestly even decades before. Yall should look into operation gladio and how it ended up in Ukraine after WWII. Anyways, seeing as he had Vietnam perspective onthe brain ao much of the interview, i am surprised he doesnt see the parallel's in the sense of the CIA genocidal meddling but also because je just got done talking about being the indespenable nation concept! How about we stop dispensing weapons to war zones we create! He is a smart old guy cause he is right. This world police shit was INGRAINED IN US. Look at it! A more honest version may not be more possible than thia gentleman from that generation.

[@zoktoberfest]

Absolutely...well said. We are on the same page in this regard. Americans are either ignorant or apologetic about the dark legacy of their own country. Look how many of the respondents bypassed Bacevich's inverted interpretation as to whom the protagonists that provoked the Ukrainian/Russian military conflict truly were. If he gets this wrong than everything about his geopolitical perspective is suspect -- and Chris did not correct him. The dems rationalized their failures, as a party, by fabricating Russiagate and demonizing Putin. Besides being neoliberal corporatists, they have assumed the obvious, NWO inclinations of the neocons. So many establishment apologists and myoptics on this thread, reflecting the attitudes of society as a whole.

[@lewstherintelamon1377]

Hedges wants to condemn war period. And that means that even as he claims to oppose Nazism, he also opposes those fighting it. The people you're looking for exist; Hedges just won't bring them on.

[@Yikum24]

@@lewstherintelamon1377 The military man was saying America should be able to send weapons to whomever. Likely Hedges wasnt expecting it as it is so at odds with the book... Eh, I wouldnt assume that of Hedges myself. Any particular reason you have for thinking Hedges wouldnt bring on someone who would push back on antiwar?

[@mikehayne538]

I think it is the plot of 1984 by Orwell. "The problem for Students for a Democratic Society was they became professors."

[@62gkm]

"An evil man will burn his own nation to the ground to rule over the ashes." ~ Sun Tzu

[@williammartin9783]

How does this guy miss the back story behind Russia's SMO?

[@thorinbane]

Willful ignorance

[@lewstherintelamon1377]

Academia is quite the walled garden.

[@stephensciara2397]

I think the more important discussion is capitalism as something that has proven to be untrustworthy of regulating itself in a decent manner.i just can't agree with him.

[@nikkiarana]

What is a moral alternative? I don't disagree with you but don't really agree with socialism or the mob rule of democracy.

[@mikemccarthy1638]

@@nikkiarana - As Dan Rather used to say, “It’s enough to gag a maggot!”

[@mikemccarthy1638]

Capitalism is the best political system ever devised - no better gov’t has ever existed on the face of the earth.

[@nikkiarana]

@@mikemccarthy1638 lol, well unfortunately we don't have true capitalism. Not when pharma and companies like Amazon were direct beneficiaries of government tyranny. The working class is drowning in all of this garbage nonsense. Capitalism as it is, isn't working. It seems to me that when people say, " it's just not being done right." It echoes the exact sentiments of communism. Ron Paul was right, IMHO.

[@thorinbane]

Then why is the most capitalist country have so much poverty?

[@irabraus9478]

Mr. Bacevich needs to explain how the racism foregrounded in the 1619 Project significantly differs from that "justifying" the history of European colonialism on virtually every continent, before and after 1619.

[@gregorystarks2514]

Our oligarchs use the strenght of the country to defend their own interest first and by propagating the idea that the interest of the nation is at stake everytime that it suits them . Therefore they are adamant on confusing their OWN interests with that of the nation like any dictator does !

[@RTYRWARRIORS]

Please do another show on that!

[@costakis1954]

The S-300 missile that hit Poland had its self-destruction system deliberately turned off in order to enlarge its otherwise limited 75-km range to about 100 km. So this is evidence that UA on purpose tried to set up a false flag (source: Vesti)

[@richardbland9079]

American should be First, should be a leader and not a tool for other Nations. We MUST stand for American Values and not be "Slaves" for OLIGARCHS bring values to their pockets while having empty pocket. We should stand and voice against wrongs carried out against the weaker Nations. YES we may act slow but when we must act we must act to win when we do.

[@stuarthamilton3832]

I always LOVE hearing Professor Bacevich ( His take on the 1619 project notwithstanding. 😁.)

[@Brianbeesandbikes]

This was one of the few points I agreed with this guest re 1619, bc to exclude class warfare in the narrative us an overreach that will divide the 99% on whether they agree or don't with the project. The use and abuse of Black people numerically and economically overshadows other 'groups' IF ONE REMOVES the use and abuse of women, esp nonwhite women and girls. Intersectionality is ESSENTIAL to growing the coalition to curb the 1%'s control.

[@peggycornute2231]

Our history is messe ...but it is true...can not hide the truth because you don't like it...until we own up to our wrong doing this country will never be right..

[@brijpalbhandari7887]

One evil leads to another .

[@ernestomontoya1447]

Pointing to Albright's notorious defense of the 1990 sanctions on Iraq, during which she said that the death of 500,000 Iraqi children was "worth it," observers speculated about someone else who may end up in that "special place."

[@yourmomsdaddy9130]

My opinions differ from Hedges' once in awhile but I always want to hear what he has to say. Likewise, any historian, activist, political type, or important voice Hedges interviews have added to my resources. Mr Bacevich seems very astute, with the exception of his comment on Putin and the war in Ukraine.