The Chris Hedges Report: Struggle makes us human

The neofascist movements currently rising around the globe differ from the fascist movements of the 20th century. Fascism in the last century arose to break radical workers' movements, many organized by the Communist Party. But the current neofascists, figures such as Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil and Narendra Modi in India, do not need to focus on destroying unions, which have already been decimated by globalization. Instead, they can directly channel the anger of the unemployed and underemployed towards minorities and the vulnerable.
Vijay Prashad addresses these deformations-and explains how we can fight back-in conversation with Frank Barat in his new book Struggle Makes Us Human: Learning from Movements for Socialism. Prashad, an Indian historian and journalist, is the author of 30 books, including Washington Bullets, Red Star Over the Third World, The Darker Nations: A People's History of the Third World, and The Poorer Nations: A Possible History of the Global South. He is the chief correspondent for Globetrotter and a columnist for Frontline. He is also the chief editor of LeftWord Books. Joining me to discuss his new book, Struggle Makes Us Human: Learning from Movements for Socialism, is Vijay Prashad.
Chris Hedges interviews writers, intellectuals, and dissidents, many banished from the mainstream, in his half-hour show, The Chris Hedges Report. He gives voice to those, from Cornel West and Noam Chomsky to the leaders of groups such as Extinction Rebellion, who are on the front lines of the struggle against militarism, corporate capitalism, white supremacy, the looming ecocide, as well as the battle to wrest back our democracy from the clutches of the ruling global oligarchy.
Pre-Production: Kayla Rivara
Studio: Adam Coley, Cameron Granadino
Post-Production: Adam Coley
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/
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[@gregoryschmidt88]

Free Julian Assange, free Palestine and end all sanctions!! Keep that Fire Hedges!!

[@dabay200]

I always love hearing Prashad's point of view - another great interview from Hedges 😃

[@stringbean4693]

2 of my absolute favorites , Hedges & Prashad come together enlighten us. Vijay's encyclopedic knowledge is bewildering and not just memory but penetrating insights with compassion & empathy. The Society would be so much better if it's member's read hedges & Prashads rich quality of work. I'd appreciate it if Chris interviewed Morris Berman as well. God bless both of you. 💘 ❤ 🙏

[@MoMo-dv7xd]

Vijay and Chris in one show - fantastic

[@Walter-vi3vh]

Agreed!

[@antimattv]

I was going to write the same thing but I saw you already had!

[@cheri238]

Àgreed!!!!

[@umalaurenbowman7276]

"Struggle makes us human", what a great title! And yes I'm among the demoralized, so this interview hits home and is very helpful. Thanks for a great show with a great guest, as usual!🙏

[@BennCrader]

Thank you so much, Chris and Vijay, for speaking Sounds of Sanity and Humaneness in this world of insanity which is spinning out of control, faster and faster.

[@AudioPervert1]

🙄💩 tell that mantra (bogus) to a poor housewife who struggles all her life ... And always goes unsung ... This Vijay Prasad is a prime example of privilege and useless fxxking blahblahblah blahblahblah... Pathetic this mainstream media which never struggles a day to Dish out bullshit

[@cheri238]

Aren't Chris and Vijay are great together. 👍

[@mordantfilms]

The US has a vested interest in being the prime example of excess in the worst sense. It unfortunately will never change, at least in our lifetime. I appreciate people like Hedges, Greenwald, Blumenthal and Martin putting themselves out there as the voices of reason and truth. I just am afraid that the country is too far gone to be fixed.

[@MichelleHell]

While we should mourn the suffering we are all going through in this country, we should welcome the decline of American hegemony.

[@RemembranceRugGuy]

@@MichelleHell Yes. Looking forward to the day when we are no longer in a position to harm others.

[@raymundogonzalez6450]

US is declining , that can be good if the retractable us positive and that retraction overseas bring progressive and investment , but could become very negativ3 if that bring demagogues that pointed the fall if the Nation to " undesirables" like imigrant and disident and bring violence and Chaos!

[@BernieHollandMusic]

I agree with the first part of your comment, however, with respect to the conclusion you reach, it is apparent that you have clearly given up all hope - that is where I am compelled to part company with you. Just because the Empire has decided to commit suicide, that is no good reason for you to follow suit

[@Nine-Signs]

@@RemembranceRugGuy Sadly that will never be in our lifetime, but just maybe there may come a day where your nation no longer wishes to. Remote, but at least possible.

[@liztorres8167]

As usual Hedges is excellent at educating and informing. The same with Vijay. Thank you!

[@kittybrowneye3163]

Mostly bs

[@cheri238]

@@kittybrowneye3163 2 months ago!! You get an F for your class report.

[@roxannamarinak3156]

Loved your interview of Vijay Prashad. He is a very wise person and most acute to what is going on in our society. Thank you so Much!

[@nihleigleca6702]

When I lose hope, Mr. Hedges never disappoints!

[@mikey_gc8]

So glad to see Vijay so eloquently breakdown these concepts from a perspective of someone who has seen society in disarray. Chris’ work in Yugoslavia also allows for his interpretation to arrive at a similar conclusion. Simply put, Americans have America brain and cannot see our society for what has become.

[@OguzDemirelli]

Yep

[@albertplumer]

Of course humans are not sharing, rarely, ownership of property european style is disgusting and crushing , perhaps an precursor to dark age.. 😮

[@veronicavarela2041]

It’s so frustrating to know we could all be better off by taking care of all the people instead of dividing and choosing hate. I love to hear how simple life could be if we could only work together.

[@Rubylove48]

Vijay’s point about one extreme act of violence having a homeopathic effect in the direction of violence is such an astute one. love how this man can bridge high theoretical conjectures with really personal on the ground stories of humanity.

[@eagle-wingedturtle201]

This was easily the most important piece of media I have consumed this year. Thank you!

[@monatinnell4570]

Once again I salute you Chris for another amazing interview. It’s just unfortunate to hear again what’s ahead of us in a world that’s imploding quickly

[@jean6453]

Such an interesting conversation. I am definitely going to read Vijay Prashad's book : Struggle Makes Us Human: Learning from Movements for Socialism. Thank you Chris

[@terriej123]

Amazing as usual. Always a pleasure to hear from Vijay Prashad. Thank you so much Chris, for having him on & for the excellent questions.

[@Octoberfurst]

I read his book. It is outstanding! He is a brilliant author.

[@nataliewilliams9741]

I LOVE what Vijay says about how, globally, we've become mere spectators in events that touch every aspect of our lives. Indeed, my fellow earthlings, we cannot remain Spectators in the Question of Our SURVIVAL.

[@nathanjo1376]

Vijay has a weekly show : "Give the People What They Want" with Zoe Alexandra and Prasanth... Fridays... maybe check it out...

[@artcenterjo]

Peoples Dispatch channel...

[@robeson1231]

Is a great weekly news roundup 👍

[@athenakoios2418]

Well done real news for giving a platform to Chris .

[@howielisnoff]

Vijay Prashad raises some very concerning issues about violence in schools. The causes of school violence are as many as the causes of violence in general in the US. Virginia Tech, Sandy Hook Elementary School, and Columbine had many similarities. The latest shooting at Robb Elementary School seems different in that racism had an important part in forming a motive. Those bent of destruction seem to find that schools for many,. many reasons provide a target where the lethal forces that drive them is carried out. The far right wants to turn schools into fortified bunkers with school staff armed to the teeth. Insanity carried to an exponential level!

[@cheri238]

This just discussion just came on my cell phone this morning, it said a few hours ago, and now it says 5 months ago. This seems to be happening quite a lot. Apparently since my knowledge of technology is not that good, I rely on my intuition that I get news sometimes later than most. I do always appreciate Chris Hedges when he speaks, also Vjay. Integrity matters. Read many books, about American history on all sides, world histories, philosophy, religious divisions starting about 2500 years before Christ always challenged me to want to know more. Human nature 101. Thanks for this discussion between two men with intelligence that keeps one on a path of discovery.

[@joellis5915]

Chris Hedges, Vijay Prashad are rare Commodities critical needed in the tough time we face today. I thank you Gentlemen.

[@bradcaulkins7690]

Great convo by two from the top tier. I've long wished that this show was 60 rather than 30 minutes. Given Chris's stature and the quality of his guests/topics, it sure feels like it deserves it.

[@lolab56]

Thanks for hanging in there Chris -- you're back and we are all so glad to see you!

[@madpuppy1000]

An enlightening conversation between two highly intelligent people.

[@iart2838]

People feel hopeless and powerless, government became a monster perceived as impossible to tame.

[@tajnawab]

Vijay Prasad and Chris Hedge . Blessings and prayers 🙏❣️

[@mbutterfly110]

What an INCREDIBLY bright, intelligent, cultured and all around GOOD human being Vijay Prashad is... Thank you Chris Hedges for this interview and look forward to hearing your own take/ analysis on the Comic Relief show going on in the Capitol hill under the façade of "Saving the Democracy" by running a Dog and pony *January 6th hearing* spectacle.

[@jupitercyclops6521]

He was spot on most of the time with a very deep understanding, but then he was completely off on a few things. 1 example would be his view on our violence. Hes pretty close to right on. The state does encourage violence via policy & propoganda (he left out a huge factor in the states use of msm to promote violence) one thing he was off on was toxic masculinity & bullying being a contributing factor. I mean they can be in a way. but not the way he sees it as being (which is how msm wants it). They make bullying into something it's not to force policies that restrict our rights and cause division & frustration. To keep someone's feelings from getting hurt , they limit speech. This is extremely damaging to our society in multiple ways. Same thing can be said for this made up term "toxic masculinity ". What is toxic masculinity? There is no such thing. You can come up with a definition, but it's made up. It doesn't exist. By saying a boy who has naturally occurring masculine traits is somehow wrong is disturbing on many levels. It's OK for a boy to want to be a boy and to do things boys like to do! It's OK ithat there are girls who like to do those things to. It's OK that there are boys who don't want to do those things. It's not OK to deny boys of these things . It's a source of confusion and frustration that ultimately can result in violence. The kind of violence that can come out inappropriately in things like school shootings. False Narratives/ concepts such as these are part of govs plan and agenda. It's sad to see these guys fall for it. That being said, Chris and this guy are right more than they are wrong. Chris is definitely one of the best!

[@elizabethmcgauleysarfaty6154]

@@jupitercyclops6521 I have read all of Chris hedges' work - and now MOST of Vijay Prashad - (and you might really enjoy the book that is the centerpiece here - STRUUGLE MAKES US HUMAN.) Then re-read your own comments. These two men are my two MOST favorite sources for keeping my own eyes looking at what is and has been happening to bring us to where we are today - amid so much violence across the globe. they are a good match, each globally traveled and educated and aware of historic and geographic events that also have influence on the current situations. The main connector between these two wonderful humans, in my mind, through their commitment to the hard work they each do (for ALL, including themselves and loved ones) IS they are not afraid to be LOVING men - highly evolved persons who see EVERYONE as equal and deserving in every way, and so they live out that Golden Rule, don't DO to others what you wouldn't want done to you. And we are so fortunate to have them appear to inspire and encourage us to be our best selves. EnJOY! Love/struggle, Elizabeth

[@AudioPervert1]

at 5:39 what says Vijay Prasad about "Soviet Union... preserving of the Soviet Economy" What bogus false praise, Sort of baseless - When we read the details written by Alexander Solzhenitsyn in THE GULAG ARCHIEPELAGO. Where the writer accounts in great detail, how oppressed, how buttF88ked the working class war in Soviet Russia. How millions of russians were jailed or made slaves in the vast network of jails to work and produce, for free, for the communist regime. For more than 60 years. Pathetic this guy, always praising a vicious system while bickering about another equally vicious system. A Fraudulent bankrupt mainstream media hosting all this bullshit thru n thru.

[@eileenmc4746]

@@elizabethmcgauleysarfaty6154 I gotta read him aa I do listen but I read CH and listen for decade plus. Yes, both kind empathetic men. CH feels so deeply from what he has seen in life that he holds in with intellectual floodgate. I learned so much from CH. I wish more poor and marginalized could listen to CH as he connects to diverse poc versus just the white, highly educated thinkers. CH gets it and at young age elbow bumped with elites due to scholarships. Free Palestine

[@davidwright8432]

Such excellent and apparently 'obvious' points once spoken, it's a bit of a puzzlement why they're spoken by so few! Many thanks to you both.

[@gar915]

Humans have always been the same. This civilization as others before has come to its conclusion. Selfish greed brings mass extinction.

[@julieannmyers8714]

Thank you Vijay & Chris!

[@kkadkhoda]

Thanks a million for these unbelievably fantastic and educational programs !!!, full of real informed!!, honest!!, and extreamly inteligent !!! Both are my heros!!!

[@falsificationism]

I could have listened to an entire day of this.

[@radioaminjc80]

Agreed!

[@MaryBeth551]

Prashad's perspective is a breath of fresh air, he tells the truth, no punches pulled with him. His point about our public schools being the locus of American violence is profound. It's disturbing and incredibly sad, especially when you have kids and grandchildren in public schools just trying to survive!

[@pseudo_ra]

Thank you for introducing me to Vijay, Chris! I love authentic and honest intellectuals.

[@beesplaining1882]

Vijay raises a good point when he says we are now spectators in our democracy and that has allowed it to be undermined by vested interests. We have been convinced through subtle but persistent messages in our culture to accept whatever is going on because there is nothing we as individuals can do about it. Hence the rise of false hope that benevolent oligarchs can get something or other done.

[@ujean56]

In the West, if you went door to door, many people wouldn't even open the door. In the US many would reach for a gun before answering.

[@iart2838]

Outstanding conversation, two brave and brilliant thinkers

[@jasonlacroix6083]

25k views in two weeks. I love Chris's talks and interviews, he has a good perspective on things and dives into topics not heard elsewhere. These issues need to be more widely discussed. This was a very informative conversation about why we're where we are and where we're headed, what drives society to behave as it does and how that behavior is perceived. The structural violence in the United States is real, yet not understood by most of the population. Poverty, homelessness, hunger, disenfranchisement, marginalization, etc., are seen as a nuisance,as opposed to problems that require solutions, and are largely ignored or attacked. In my city, police sliced up the tents of the homeless and just made a bad situation worse. That's violence. Kids needing assistance for school lunches are not addressed adequately. And feeding the kids is just basic humanity, but we don't do it with any purpose. That's violence. Our veterans and military guys have been committing suicide to the count of 20 per day for 30 years now. It's rarely spoken of and is a national disgrace in my view. I'm not a supporter of our militarism, but for a nation that widely champions it, the suicide issue is just ignored. That's violence. I could list examples like these all day, hardly anyone would equate any of it as violence, but that's exactly what it is. We're actually pretty lucky that most suicide victims don't lash out first before their ultimate annihilation. But, we see plenty of episodes where someone does lash out. And the normal routine of thoughts and prayers, public debate over our gun dementia and within a day or two another act occurs. The routine of physical violence is being fed by a system of structural violence and nobody will acknowledge the possibility of that being true.

[@ruthpicon2203]

Sadly our working class has gotten divided further every year by racism, religion, sexism, homophobia, and anti-immigrant sentiment. The us vs them mentality has gotten stronger in the U.S. Now when our social safety net is cut back more each year, less people object. People really do believe that we cannot afford to give all public schools K-12, free lunches or forgive student debt or provide universal healthcare. But they hardly speak out against our obscene military budget.

[@HaHaHa-mt8di]

I read through the 30~40 comments and I am astonished - a unilateral support of the show and not a word against its content! Is it possible? Where are different points of view? Where is criticism?

[@patriciakhan3998]

Vijay and Chris ....just brilliant.

[@JosephDuvernay]

Again. Love must stay with the people. No more hurting one another! Even come to late, Thank you both!

[@thetruthhurtsthem2178]

When you hear sane arguments that accurately reflect what the nature of what is going on you realise that this kind of discussion is almost completely missing from regular television news. In the West, most governments' stance towards any country that isn't part of their `gang' is ruthless, judgemental and provocative from the outset so there is never any room for diplomacy. This approach is even used against countries that could wipe us all out at the touch of a few buttons. It is far from any kind of wisdom. They endlessly print more and more money and the players in the system partake in desperate practices to generate enough income to overcome inflation, which often does nothing but long term harm. We're at the end of this cycle of insanity and the results are going to be quite shocking, I think.

[@collin5052]

As a union member I can say don't join a union, but fight for solidarity with your fellow workers. Start co-ops, worker collectives, unions just prop up capitalism. China has a state union and it represses worker uprisings, just as American unions sell workers out for "harmonious relations" with management.

[@thomassciaroni6942]

My friend and I call psychiatrists "fascist" when they function as compliance officers for the pharmaceutical industry.

[@randallsmith5631]

Thanks Chris & Vijay

[@jimj2405]

Our first language is dance, the visual arts came about next, we made our icons and meaning, the pursuit of meaning brought about the spoken language developed words and critical thinking, hans you are having this talk! The visual arts always lead revolutions. The arts develop the personality of social thinking that have the power to bring about change. should humanity have and worthy roll, it is the stewardship of earth. i will realize this .

[@Rubylove48]

Sound and music came before dance.

[@TetaAsma]

Thank you Chris For interviewing one of my favorite logical, honest and humanitarian people, Vijay Prashad. The title of his new book Struggle makes us Human speaks for itself. I will be buying this book.

[@stephenelkington4971]

'The centre has moved rightward' - this may or may not be the case in other parts of the world - but in Britain this is NOT the case. Even many Tory voters accept that the water industry, for example, should be publicly owned and that privatising it has been a disaster. The NHS - the pinnacle of social democratic achievement in Britain remains hugely popular with the public who support NHS nurses and ambulance drivers who are now on strike. The British Conservative Party is miles behind the social democratic Labour Party in opinion polls and is regularly trounced in by-elections. The centre has moved leftwards in Britain and the social democratic tradition is very much alive.

[@craigwilson1144]

Thank you Chris and Vijay. For what its worth I bought a ticket and watched Ralph Nader's presidential campaign speech here in Portland Oregon in 2000. At one point Nader said something that sticks in my mind to this day. He quoted Louis D. Brandeis, former Supreme Court Justice, from a speech he made in 1933. Louis D. Brandeis declared: "We can have democracy in this country or we can have the great concentration of wealth in the hands of a few but we can't have both." To me this quote is as relevant today as it was during the progressive FDR Administration. However, after 60 years of the Republicans rolling back the New Deal, the labor movement, socialist and communist parties which had united to force FDR to make sweeping reforms for the people has all but disintegrated. Essentially FDR forced the wealthiest Americans to pay a 90% progressive income tax to finance the New Deal. For the sake of humanity, In my opinion workers of the world need to unite through whatever means necessary in order to save the planet and themselves from the grip of neo feudalism and corporatism, the growing inequality that empowers our capitalist masters to rule over civilizations like kings ruled over their fiefdoms during the middle ages. There will be a day of reckoning forcing the oligarchy to change their ways, or human civilization and all life on he planet will die whether it be through nuclear Armageddon or climate change..

[@ajoybaksi3654]

Well expressed, sir.

[@MichaelJoseph-id2lc]

Chris, Mr. Vijay reminds me of the days when the word "decency" defined what "being human" meant.

[@Rubylove48]

Thank you - have been asking for a Chris interviews Vijay show since before RT was disappeared!

[@smalltimer666]

Chris takes amazing interviews and interferes just the right amount.

[@jerrylee1682]

Learn a lot from these two intellectuals & great teachers 👍🙏🏻

[@joecaner]

The lockdown did not change my grocery buying habits because I purchase a lot of produce. There is a wide variation in quality on offer at the market so I prefer making those selections myself, and while I am there, I pick up whatever else I usually source from the market. I suppose if one fills their shopping cart with fabricated food-like product, one frozen microwavable burrito sourced from the same multi-national food conglomerate is much like another so online grocery shopping would be a viable option for them, but is it really food that they are purchasing?

[@henrywyman2458]

Vijay, good show, thanks.

[@juliegrimme]

Speaking as a former teacher from Wisconsin. Wisconsin public employee unions were ENDED and 10% of 5.5 million took a 22% pay cut in benefits and pensions. The supreme court was stacked, a right to work law was passed, abortion outlawed right now, and it was hell. I'll tell you something for all the decades I've read, marched, and been involved we didn't get the ATTENTION the storming of the Capitol did in Jan 6th. Killing people is wrong. So I didn't support it, but damn people noticed. People don't notice when we march. If it worked life won't be like it is. We need different ways.

[@YenkammaNe]

WHAT IS SPECIAL ABOUT BEING A HINDU? By Francois Gautier. *Diversity in Divinity and Unity in Spirituality.* 1) Believe in God ! - Aastik - Accepted 2) Don't believe in God ! - You're accepted as Nastik 3) You want to worship idols - please go ahead. You are a murti pujak. 4) You dont want to worship idols - no problem. You can focus on Nirguna Brahman. 5) You want to criticise something in our religion. Come forward. We are logical. Nyaya, Tarka etc. are core Hindu schools. 6) You want to accept beliefs as it is. Most welcome. Please go ahead with it. 7) You want to start your journey by reading Bhagvad Gita - Sure ! 8) You want to start your journey by reading Upanishads - Go ahead. 9) You want to start your journey by reading Purana - Be my guest. 10) You just don't like reading Puranas or other books. No problem my dear. Go by Bhakti tradition . ( bhakti- devotion) 11) You don't like idea of Bhakti ! No problem. Do your Karma. Be a karmayogi. 12) You want to enjoy life. Very good. No problem at all. This is Charvaka Philosophy. 13) You want to abstain from all the enjoyment of life & find God - jai ho ! Be a Sadhu, an ascetic ! 14) You don't like the concept of God. You believe in Nature only - Welcome. (Trees are our friends and Prakriti or nature is worthy of worship). 15) You believe in one God or Supreme Energy. Superb! Follow Advaita philosophy 16) You want a Guru. Go ahead. Receive gyaan. 17) You don't want a Guru.. Help yourself ! Meditate, Study ! 18) You believe in Female energy ! Shakti is worshipped. 19) You believe that every human being is equal. Yeah! You're awesome, come on let's celebrate Hinduism! "Vasudhaiva kutumbakam" (the world is a family) 20) You don't have time to celebrate the festival. Don't worry. One more festival is coming! There are multiple festivals every single day of the year. 21) You are a working person. Don't have time for religion. Its okay. You will still be a Hindu. 22) You like to go to temples. Devotion is loved. 23) You don't like to go to temples - no problem. You are still a Hindu! 24) You know that Hinduism is a way of life, with considerable freedom. 25) You believe that everything has God in it. So you worship your mother, father, guru, tree, River, Prani-matra, Earth, Universe! 26) And If you don't believe that everything has GOD in it - No problems. Respect your viewpoint. 27) "Sarve jana sukhino bhavantu " (May you all live happily) You represent this! You're free to choose, my dear Hindu! This is exactly the essence of Hinduism, all inclusive .. That is why it has withstood the test of time inspite of repeated onslaught both from within and outside, and assimilated every good aspects from everything . That is why it is eternal !!! There is a saying in Rigveda , the first book ever known to mankind which depicts the Hinduism philosophy in a Nutshell -" Ano bhadrah Krathavo Yanthu Vishwathah"- Let the knowledge come to us from every directions

[@catchow1]

Enlightening conversation, as one would expect from these two advocates of humanity.

[@laserbrain7774]

If there must be two different codes of justice, then those who have sworn and are compensated to make and enforce those codes should be held to the stricter set. And those who have and are not should get the more lenient one.

[@jann9507]

Thanks for hosting the talk; Absolutely fantastic perspective on violence and understanding the far right ideologies that take a toll on society

[@mrmuttley1]

I live in Quebec. We are a sovereign nation inside Canada's federation of sovereign nations. We are Benjamin Franklin's Deist Liberal Democracy where all are equal and institutions serve the body politic. Benjamin Franklin started our English language daily and he was fluently bilingual. He even organized the insurrection against the East India Company which owned the British Parliament in Montreal two days by coach from Boston. Those were not Indians that boarded the East India Company Ships in Boston Harbour to dump East India Company tea. They were Montrealers. Like Franklin I believe everyone needs to be their own moral agent but how can you believe you are a democracy? In a democracy you need philosophy, history, literature, music, and metaphysics. America believes only in magic.

[@Johnconno]

Struggle can also break a person.

[@tombryant52jumpscoach]

The quote at 29:00 is great. It makes me want to go out and do something positive.

[@Kavala76]

18:03 "...made us into more consumers than citizens, you know, more into spectators than actors" - Amen

[@rgzhaffie]

Fascism is ideologically highly compatible with neoliberal capitalism. The core of neoliberal capitalism is about empowering technocrats and disempowerimg the vast working class majority. Likewise, fascism is about elevating a cult of perfection and purity, based on genetic and national superiority, basically a modern retread of feudal ideologies of "noble blood*.

[@GladysAlicea]

Absolutely, and those old bloodlines that hold such treasure to the old, rich families still exist. They're of "noble blood," and believe they've still a right to determine everyone else's destiny in order to achieve their goals of world power. The rest of us are to be ruled by them, because the ultra-wealthy believe we are less than. Democracy was always an ill-fated idea, because it came largely from the British aristocracy who thought they had a better way, even through slavery and subordination of Native Americans. Few know that some transatlantic ships also held the poor and "white trash" of England (as they first coined it).We're headed to the "divine" place that's embedded in higher English society, who just can't seem to surrender their elite values. All these years, we were fooling ourselves. In such a world, democracy is impossible, especially when it's them, us and the other. Quite sad, really.

[@oshinoedan5666]

Back to back Vijay lives?! What a morning

[@minniewipster8130]

Brilliant interview. Thank you!

[@UtubeAW]

Bowling has become too expensive for even well educated professionals!

[@ruthpicon2203]

Great interview Chris and Vijay.

[@DC-wg1cr]

A great interview to catch after reading Fanon and Rodney!

[@isisroy2828]

I love Vijay he is such an inspiration, thanks Chris

[@splodgenessabounds150]

The euphemistic term for what Vijay is talking about at 5:11 is "Free Trade Agreement" (FTA) - see NAFTA (and countless others).

[@johnpurser2798]

Another outstanding piece of work.

[@neckozeusa]

What is a song on the very opening of a show....it is so mesmerizing I would like to know more about the author and background of the song. If someone knows ,please...

[@lunaridge4510]

Oh, I love this man. Both of them actually, superb thinkers. But it takes an Indian to mention homeopathy. Brava India! Bravo Vijay! I'll bet Hedges didn't get the analogy (just a very tiny, strategically applied amount of violence.) However, the homeopathic amount of violence would've cured the entire courtly of it.

[@ruthsoorley7039]

What's that song at beginning of show

[@clarkdavis5333]

Excellent piece

[@lisayoder5686]

I just read Vijay’s book mentioned here and it is in such stark contrast to a clip I just saw regarding Warren v Cuban, and fox news’ take on that. They were asking the question of ‘what ever happened to the ‘American’ ethic of ‘greed is good’ and to not only admire those who ‘worked so hard’ to take a larger than needed portion (even to be filthy rich) of the worlds wealth? We used to ‘admire’ that, and ‘strive to be that’, but now everyone just wants free…blah blah blah. I cannot believe that america has gotten so disgusting in their outlooks toward their fellow man! To admire someone for the sociopathic attitudes that it takes to hoard the wealth and to strive to be that person? Instead of striving to be in a healthy community?!?! Fox News (who I was beginning to not blame so much for our broken system) has shown, once again, how completely WRONG they are in their individualistic modeling of the perfect world. Thank GOD that people like Vijay are still here and perhaps we can rid the z and the generations of the future of that sickening Fox News mentality and start realizing that we truly are all in this together and for those left behind, freaking reach out your so-called ‘Christian’ hand to give a hand up to those who have been beaten down so badly that they no longer carry the will that it takes to individually climb out of that capitalist pig hole. Not everyone wants filthy wealth! Most of us just want to live our lives in a healthy society! And the fact that fox is preaching this to those who need the help more than repel it, is so far down the dispicable trail that I am losing hope that we can ever be saved from that (meant to have been bad but instead turned good in sick minds) ‘greed is good’ effing mantra!

[@zmscott2507]

This was a great and thought provoking interview.

[@alireid5874]

always a good guest.

[@klaytonpeterson]

Yes...Without Public Action/Citizenship...you cannot have a Functional Democracy!!

[@numbersix8919]

Thanks Chris, thanks Vijay!!!

[@RobertDrane]

Its such a relief to hear someone finally cut through the liberal and conservative bullshit on Americas spree killing problem. Firearm accessibility is a necessary but insufficient factor here. This is a deeply antisocial society organized around spectacle, the frequency of spectacular antisocial actions seems like it might be connected to that somehow.

[@klaytonpeterson]

Thank you Vijay and Chris...

[@lmcgready]

Thank you for the introduction to Prashad!

[@Bulovablan]

Even though I'm a poor ass white man with conservative values and anti personality traits, I do appreciate this point of view and the explanations presented.

[@La.Greca.41]

20 June 2022 ENGAGING EXCHANGE about present realities. I particularly liked Prashad's discussion of state violence, hence January 6 occurrence at Capitol. Hilary Clinton's 'deplorables, whose voices do not get heard. PLEASE CHRIS, WHY DON'T WE GET THE FULL TALK???? I deplore these random segments that are posted without further reference. Writing from Greece 🇬🇷.

[@olyseespotrun8799]

I love Vijay's body of work, but he and so many others mistakenly think that e-commerce causes a high carbon footprint. That's simply not true. If I want a pair of shoes and I drive all over town, from store to store, trying on various ones until I find something, and then drive back home; and if my neighbors are all doing the same thing re: other consumer products, you can see JUST how many vehicles are on the road going from store to store (this is the reality; you can't always find what you want, where you want it). If UPS or USPS is already driving by my house to go to neighbors' houses, it's FAR more efficient to have that single vehicle deliver to me and many addresses in my area, than have each person drive all over the place trying to find what they want. Further, often people will have to drive well beyond their own community, perhaps into a city an hour away, to get things they need (this was the case for me when I lived in VT and is sometimes the same here in the PNW). Plus, think of all the resources that go into maintaining a vehicle. If you consider that carbon footprint, it's much less waste to maintain a single delivery truck versus many vehicles. Too often people state things without actually thinking full circle.

[@zoofeather]

Pontification is tedious - rebellion takes the street - where are the leaders of change today?

[@dinnerwithfranklin2451]

A wonderful interview thank you.

[@desertportal353]

Excellent insightful interview. Thank you Vijay.

[@sgturner59]

Thanks for the. Would be great to hear more authors and and thoughts on the "dream deferred."

[@rp3875]

How was Uttarpradesh in India for the last 70 years and specially in the last 30 years, Vijay. I honestly want you to answer that question. Coming from that state, I am not sure about your take on this. Rest of the thesis has some validity.

[@missadventuresmotorcycledi2773]

Intro music by whom? Even if you have been allowed to use the music a credit is still warrented.

[@goodeye6373]

Weird thing is struggle leads to innovation.

[@allahdinosamo7654]

Enjoyed listening contemporary world's two greatest teachers in a situation where my civilization of 5000 years is bieng erased by the aggressive settlers and the colonized corporate culture .

[@tenaciousminion8753]

There's no need for anyone to struggle.