The Democratic Party had one last chance to implement the kind of New Deal Reforms that could save us from another Trump presidency and Christian fascism. It failed.
I completely agree with you: the parties are irrelevant. They are both corrupted by billionaire class, and lobbies. They don’t work for the people. Neither side.
Perhaps revolution will be necessary to remind them who they work for.
Lennon never had to fight oppression. He was working class, sure. But he was a white Englishman. Some people don’t have the option to say “count me out” because the consequences are death, subjugation or to flee.
I love the beatles - I was raised on their music - but they were never my bible.
Like so many blame Nader for Bush v Gore, Democrats use Trump/MAGA as an excuse. Gore and Clinton lost the election because of their policies. They drove working class people into the Republican's camp. Democrats had a window of opportunity to improve the situation in the past three years but. as usual, they fell well short. "Missed opportunity" should be the Democrat's campaign slogan.
No, I don't. I agree we need to get away from the two party system. I voted for Nader. I am just making the point that Democrats are lame and, I guess I should add that if they wanted to win, they would change their ways. Their true Masters and Corporate sponsors will only let them lean so far to the left. The Democrats will forever "want" to have Medicare for all, Abortion Rights, Union Power, Fair wages, but they will not be effective at making it happen. They have had opportunities to get these things done but they didn't.
Indeed, Biden's presidency has failed to rise to the historical moment. I generally agree with Hedges’ analysis, though I’d quibble over whether fascism is inevitable (as he suggests) or whether it has instead already been firmly established. As I wrote recently, bipartisan support for genocide indicates that fears of a fascist future charitably overlook the present, as well as the past. https://shahidbuttar.substack.com/p/fears-of-a-fascist-future-overlook
It is so sad but so true. We have never had any individuality as a nation, always either as a colony under Britain or as a colony under the control of the United States. It is time for us to stand up against a nation that can't chose between two old men.
There was a time where Canadians could be proud. Jean Chrétien refused to join the war on Iraq. He did not believe the evidence of WMD, and he refused, even when UK embraced it. THAT was leadership. We don’t have that anymore. We just have a PM who makes up words like « peoplekind » and can’t say or do anything at all for fear of upsetting a voter or an ally. How we have fallen.
It did…Jean Chrétien refused to join war on Iraq with the BS « WMDs » gaff. He didn’t believe it and refused to join. That’s some political leadership right there. Britain dove right into that war with the Americans, of course.
I think you need to start off with an intelligent person to have a strong leader.
I don’t think Justin got his father’s brains or leadership skills.
ummm...let me think...I can blame them! 50 years of REPUBLICAN economic policy that has harmed the electoral demographic that is the focus of this article, including tax cuts for corporations, corporate "personhood", deregulation...has seen as much as 50 trillion dollars flow upward to the uber wealthy and away from this aggrieved middle and working class. And how do they respond to this? By continuing to vote Republican. Now, not content to merely vote Republican, they have abandoned whatever moral compass they may have once had to support a rapist wanna-be dictator willin to collapse this country into chaos and violence. It is a disgrace. And your article blames the Democratic party because it has somehow "failed" to fully counteract Republican destruction. No mention of the fact that that Republicans vote 50-0 in the Senate AGAINST reforms that would help the working and middle class. The Democrats vote 50-0 (and suffered because of Manchin and Synema.) Mitch McConnell openly declared that he wanted to use the filibuster to block any and all legislation the Democratic party would try and put through during the Obama administration. But somehow this is all the Democrats fault. What a joke this article is so far off the mark.
Do we not want the deep state? Don’t many of us want a theocratic monoculture? A Harvard class full of Atheists is a theocratic monoculture. A legal system that changes hue entirely when you are rich is a deep state oasis. A culture that swears it is a vibrant democracy that generates wealth inequality that’d make Croesus blush did not happen by way of legislation. If the “government” is in thrall to corporations what are we? Not in thrall to corporations? Brave mavericks refusing big paychecks not related to what we produce, at all, but the number of people “under us” in the work place. How democratic would a real democracy be in a culture that fetishizes distrust of government? Skepticism sure, even dissent though the flies collect when one suggests the Genocide Joe has crossed my red line. 19% of wealth is compensation for the deeds performed that we call work. The wealthier the slimmer the percentage. Still it is the apex aspiration of most of us, the measure of success. Enough is not enough. If it were most of these problems would evaporate. “It is not in our czars, dear Brutus, but in ourselves, that we are underlings.
I don’t agree. There are simply not enough political options. The democratic system has become corrupted and it no longer works.
I think South Park put it brilliantly when they described the American voter’s options as being between « a douche, and a turd sandwich ».
It’s not just governments who are corrupted, media is too.
I think what you’re describing is the older generation. The boomers who took more than they earned and left a wake of destruction in their path.
The younger generation is different. It’s so noticeable. They are not driven by the same motivators as we were or our parents were.
Things change but change slowly.
I think there is reason to be hopeful. And certainly there is reason to truth seek, because it’s only from knowing the truth can we learn our mistakes. The same modes used to brainwash my generation and those before me with a sanitized history will fall on deaf ears on the next generation: they no longer trust institutions including schools. And they don’t much care about money or wealth accumulation.
Let’s call them, the incorruptibles. That’s our hope for change. The old guard can’t live forever.
Same comment as I wrote on the written piece. Does Chris know any Trump voters? I know many and NONE are Christian fascists! On the contrary they want more freedom for themselves and everyone else. They dont want the government getting into peoples private lives. Yes, some of them are okay with abortion bans, although most that I know think 6 weeks is way too early. They would feel more comfortable with 15 weeks or later, which would be similar to what European countries have in practice. Most Trump voters I know dont care much about abortion either way. And speaking of bodily autonomy, most Trump voters thought that covid vaccine mandates were wrong and. authoritarian. Fascist, one might say.... And let me finish by saying is that I do not like Trump and would only vote for him with great reluctance if the only other viable choice is Joe Biden, who is truly authoritarian ( fascist, one might say).
Ronald Reagan, a Republican, gutted regulatory agencies and social services, not the Democrats, although by now the Democrats are completing his work on American society.
Confirmation. Every homeless person I see confirms this. I can not avoid seeing people begging on many street corners in Oklahoma City. It is a painful reality.
A “temporary” pear US is building in Gaza is -- to export intentionally starved and utterly desperate Palestinians to, perhaps St. Helena or northern Pakistan – but out of Palestine. A Nakba-2 horror.
The ones who remain will – die, according to Nazi-dominated Israeli government.
US-Israel cabal is implementing Hitler’s “Final Solution” – we are watching it in real time on TV.
GENOCIDE DEFINES THE BOTTOM OF ALL HUMAN POWER OR MONEY, WHILE TRILLIONAIRE'S DEFINE AND RULE BY THE ARROGANT AND SELF-APPOINTED "MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE"
FEB/MAR 2024 FORBES COVER STORY -- BLACKSTONE'S CROWN PRINCE BY JONATHAN GRAY:
"THIS WILL BE A GLOBAL
PHENOMENON.
IT'S GONNA HAPPEN
HERE. IT'S GONNA
HAPPEN EVERYWHERE"
BOLD TITLE:
REMASTERING
THE UNIVERSE
THE NEW ERA OF PRIVATE EQUITY IS HERE:
NEVER ENDING, INDIVIDUAL FRIENDLY FUNDS.
BLACKSTONE SEES AN $80 TRILLION OPPORTUNITY.
IMHO, if this shit is literally believed by such insane money megalomaniacs --- God save the World if they actually rule the coming Global EMPIRE!
IMHO, Inequality is the greatest problem in the world:
"Negative Externality Cost" (NEC) lying and looting, needs to be replaced with a moral and extendable "Positive Externality Profits" (PEP) for 'we the people' --- the 'so-called' scams of SRI (socially responsible), and ESG ("What Is Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Investing? --- IMHO, a complete financial scam-job of putting 'powder on a pig'.
I am not sure based on what exactly thinks that a Trump presidency would be worse than the disaster we are in, brought to you by Pfizer, Genocide Joe and the Deep State? How exactly could it get worse? The Dems did to Trump what they said that he would do to them, dragged him through courts and I am almost sure they will try to Epstein him...
How can a Trump second term be worse than the worst presidency in the history of US - period?
I am FAR MORE terrified of a Demented Joe second term; chances are it will go nuclear.
As many others, Mr. Hedges suffers from Trump derangement syndrome; please get over it...
I am shocked that Mr. Hedges was expecting ANYTHING from the "democratic" side of the uniparty? Both presidents are emblematic for the current state of affair in the US:
> Trump is vulgar, failed businessman, born with a silver spoon but charismatic in his way
> Biden is an angry, disgusting, rabid, aggressive, impotent and senile old man...
This IS what the USA has become, metaphorically speaking; there is NO WAY OUT through elections.
It’s all about the deep state now
The parties are irrelevant except as a way to preen and put on a show
Tyrannical systems use parties either single or multi as a facade
It’s beautiful evil how America was captured by bureaucrats
And we have to pay for it as tax slaves and wage slaves
Cool
Our government was captured by corporate and billionaire power. Bureaucrats just serve power.
Totally agree. And how easily corruptible they are.
I completely agree with you: the parties are irrelevant. They are both corrupted by billionaire class, and lobbies. They don’t work for the people. Neither side.
Perhaps revolution will be necessary to remind them who they work for.
No, Mary, as John Lennon wrote, and sang:
"You say you want a revolution
Well, you know
We all want to change the world
You tell me that it's evolution
Well, you know
We all want to change the world
But when you talk about destruction
Don't you know that you can count me out"
However, Mary, I do believe, and would suggest to John that the last word of the first line of "Imagine" --- would be sung as:
"Imagine there's no Empire"
EG.
Imagine there's no Empire
It's easy if you try
No Hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people livin' for today
Ah, ah, ah-ah
Lennon never had to fight oppression. He was working class, sure. But he was a white Englishman. Some people don’t have the option to say “count me out” because the consequences are death, subjugation or to flee.
I love the beatles - I was raised on their music - but they were never my bible.
Yes, Mary, but —
Only oversight John Lennon ever made!
The last word in the first line of IMAGINE — should have been:
“Imagine there’s no EMPIRE”
Tell that to Mariane Antoinette.
Like so many blame Nader for Bush v Gore, Democrats use Trump/MAGA as an excuse. Gore and Clinton lost the election because of their policies. They drove working class people into the Republican's camp. Democrats had a window of opportunity to improve the situation in the past three years but. as usual, they fell well short. "Missed opportunity" should be the Democrat's campaign slogan.
This is ridiculous. Nader could have won but you stick to the same duopoly!
No, I don't. I agree we need to get away from the two party system. I voted for Nader. I am just making the point that Democrats are lame and, I guess I should add that if they wanted to win, they would change their ways. Their true Masters and Corporate sponsors will only let them lean so far to the left. The Democrats will forever "want" to have Medicare for all, Abortion Rights, Union Power, Fair wages, but they will not be effective at making it happen. They have had opportunities to get these things done but they didn't.
It was said at the time that Nader pulled votes away from the Democrats' candidate.
SO. .................and you continue to have a duopoly!
Indeed, Biden's presidency has failed to rise to the historical moment. I generally agree with Hedges’ analysis, though I’d quibble over whether fascism is inevitable (as he suggests) or whether it has instead already been firmly established. As I wrote recently, bipartisan support for genocide indicates that fears of a fascist future charitably overlook the present, as well as the past. https://shahidbuttar.substack.com/p/fears-of-a-fascist-future-overlook
Thank you for a neutral perspective trajectory displaying variables from the past..that impacted today… and what dictatorial dystopia will be.
This is very thought provoking and what big corporations bully intent is.
I fear the Canadian government will skip merrily along behind them. Canada stands for nothing now.
It is so sad but so true. We have never had any individuality as a nation, always either as a colony under Britain or as a colony under the control of the United States. It is time for us to stand up against a nation that can't chose between two old men.
There was a time where Canadians could be proud. Jean Chrétien refused to join the war on Iraq. He did not believe the evidence of WMD, and he refused, even when UK embraced it. THAT was leadership. We don’t have that anymore. We just have a PM who makes up words like « peoplekind » and can’t say or do anything at all for fear of upsetting a voter or an ally. How we have fallen.
Did it ever?
It did…Jean Chrétien refused to join war on Iraq with the BS « WMDs » gaff. He didn’t believe it and refused to join. That’s some political leadership right there. Britain dove right into that war with the Americans, of course.
I think you need to start off with an intelligent person to have a strong leader.
I don’t think Justin got his father’s brains or leadership skills.
ummm...let me think...I can blame them! 50 years of REPUBLICAN economic policy that has harmed the electoral demographic that is the focus of this article, including tax cuts for corporations, corporate "personhood", deregulation...has seen as much as 50 trillion dollars flow upward to the uber wealthy and away from this aggrieved middle and working class. And how do they respond to this? By continuing to vote Republican. Now, not content to merely vote Republican, they have abandoned whatever moral compass they may have once had to support a rapist wanna-be dictator willin to collapse this country into chaos and violence. It is a disgrace. And your article blames the Democratic party because it has somehow "failed" to fully counteract Republican destruction. No mention of the fact that that Republicans vote 50-0 in the Senate AGAINST reforms that would help the working and middle class. The Democrats vote 50-0 (and suffered because of Manchin and Synema.) Mitch McConnell openly declared that he wanted to use the filibuster to block any and all legislation the Democratic party would try and put through during the Obama administration. But somehow this is all the Democrats fault. What a joke this article is so far off the mark.
Do we not want the deep state? Don’t many of us want a theocratic monoculture? A Harvard class full of Atheists is a theocratic monoculture. A legal system that changes hue entirely when you are rich is a deep state oasis. A culture that swears it is a vibrant democracy that generates wealth inequality that’d make Croesus blush did not happen by way of legislation. If the “government” is in thrall to corporations what are we? Not in thrall to corporations? Brave mavericks refusing big paychecks not related to what we produce, at all, but the number of people “under us” in the work place. How democratic would a real democracy be in a culture that fetishizes distrust of government? Skepticism sure, even dissent though the flies collect when one suggests the Genocide Joe has crossed my red line. 19% of wealth is compensation for the deeds performed that we call work. The wealthier the slimmer the percentage. Still it is the apex aspiration of most of us, the measure of success. Enough is not enough. If it were most of these problems would evaporate. “It is not in our czars, dear Brutus, but in ourselves, that we are underlings.
I don’t agree. There are simply not enough political options. The democratic system has become corrupted and it no longer works.
I think South Park put it brilliantly when they described the American voter’s options as being between « a douche, and a turd sandwich ».
It’s not just governments who are corrupted, media is too.
I think what you’re describing is the older generation. The boomers who took more than they earned and left a wake of destruction in their path.
The younger generation is different. It’s so noticeable. They are not driven by the same motivators as we were or our parents were.
Things change but change slowly.
I think there is reason to be hopeful. And certainly there is reason to truth seek, because it’s only from knowing the truth can we learn our mistakes. The same modes used to brainwash my generation and those before me with a sanitized history will fall on deaf ears on the next generation: they no longer trust institutions including schools. And they don’t much care about money or wealth accumulation.
Let’s call them, the incorruptibles. That’s our hope for change. The old guard can’t live forever.
Fab. Yes lets call them that. And hope….
Same comment as I wrote on the written piece. Does Chris know any Trump voters? I know many and NONE are Christian fascists! On the contrary they want more freedom for themselves and everyone else. They dont want the government getting into peoples private lives. Yes, some of them are okay with abortion bans, although most that I know think 6 weeks is way too early. They would feel more comfortable with 15 weeks or later, which would be similar to what European countries have in practice. Most Trump voters I know dont care much about abortion either way. And speaking of bodily autonomy, most Trump voters thought that covid vaccine mandates were wrong and. authoritarian. Fascist, one might say.... And let me finish by saying is that I do not like Trump and would only vote for him with great reluctance if the only other viable choice is Joe Biden, who is truly authoritarian ( fascist, one might say).
Ronald Reagan, a Republican, gutted regulatory agencies and social services, not the Democrats, although by now the Democrats are completing his work on American society.
Confirmation. Every homeless person I see confirms this. I can not avoid seeing people begging on many street corners in Oklahoma City. It is a painful reality.
I think eventually everyone should learn that for years Americans lived 'the life' and didn't know anything about politics and didn't vote.
For a Democracy to have such a dismal voting record is egregious.
Thanks Chris.
As Dr. Strangelove’s end theme music sings:
We’ll meet again, don’t know where, don’t know when, but again we’ll meet again some sunny day!
Think about it – A Genocide in YOUR Name !!
A “temporary” pear US is building in Gaza is -- to export intentionally starved and utterly desperate Palestinians to, perhaps St. Helena or northern Pakistan – but out of Palestine. A Nakba-2 horror.
The ones who remain will – die, according to Nazi-dominated Israeli government.
US-Israel cabal is implementing Hitler’s “Final Solution” – we are watching it in real time on TV.
https://chrishedges.substack.com/p/israels-trojan-horse-read-by-eunice?utm_source=profile&utm_medium=reader2
TRILLIONAIRE'S
LIES & LOOTING
GLOBAL EMPIRE
INEQUALITY
GENOCIDE DEFINES THE BOTTOM OF ALL HUMAN POWER OR MONEY, WHILE TRILLIONAIRE'S DEFINE AND RULE BY THE ARROGANT AND SELF-APPOINTED "MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE"
FEB/MAR 2024 FORBES COVER STORY -- BLACKSTONE'S CROWN PRINCE BY JONATHAN GRAY:
"THIS WILL BE A GLOBAL
PHENOMENON.
IT'S GONNA HAPPEN
HERE. IT'S GONNA
HAPPEN EVERYWHERE"
BOLD TITLE:
REMASTERING
THE UNIVERSE
THE NEW ERA OF PRIVATE EQUITY IS HERE:
NEVER ENDING, INDIVIDUAL FRIENDLY FUNDS.
BLACKSTONE SEES AN $80 TRILLION OPPORTUNITY.
IMHO, if this shit is literally believed by such insane money megalomaniacs --- God save the World if they actually rule the coming Global EMPIRE!
IMHO, Inequality is the greatest problem in the world:
"Negative Externality Cost" (NEC) lying and looting, needs to be replaced with a moral and extendable "Positive Externality Profits" (PEP) for 'we the people' --- the 'so-called' scams of SRI (socially responsible), and ESG ("What Is Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Investing? --- IMHO, a complete financial scam-job of putting 'powder on a pig'.
I am not sure based on what exactly thinks that a Trump presidency would be worse than the disaster we are in, brought to you by Pfizer, Genocide Joe and the Deep State? How exactly could it get worse? The Dems did to Trump what they said that he would do to them, dragged him through courts and I am almost sure they will try to Epstein him...
How can a Trump second term be worse than the worst presidency in the history of US - period?
I am FAR MORE terrified of a Demented Joe second term; chances are it will go nuclear.
As many others, Mr. Hedges suffers from Trump derangement syndrome; please get over it...
I am shocked that Mr. Hedges was expecting ANYTHING from the "democratic" side of the uniparty? Both presidents are emblematic for the current state of affair in the US:
> Trump is vulgar, failed businessman, born with a silver spoon but charismatic in his way
> Biden is an angry, disgusting, rabid, aggressive, impotent and senile old man...
This IS what the USA has become, metaphorically speaking; there is NO WAY OUT through elections.
INEQUALITY
CAUSED BY
BILLIONAIRE
BASTARDS
LOVE
OVER
VIOLENT
EMPIRE
AMUSING
OURSELVES
TO DEATH
N. Postman
LIVE FREE
FROM EMPIRE
OR DIE
A. MacDonald
DEMOCRATIC
SOCIALISM
vs. CAPITALIST
CANCER
IT’S THE ECONOMY
STUPID
NO, IT’S THE
EMPIRE STUPID
NO, IT’S REALY THE
INEQUALITY STUPID
GLOBAL EMPIRE
AND THE CRISIS
OF HUMANITY
W. Robinson
WE CAN HAVE
WEALTH OR
DEMOCRACY
BUT NOT BOTH
VOTE FOR THE
ANTI-EMPIRE
LOVE PARTY
A. Mac Donald