Nearly two centuries ago in the Communist Manifesto, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels defined the State, not as a neutral body standing above society with competing political parties, but as a political instrument of class domination, “a committee for managing the common affairs of the whole bourgeoisie.”
Nothing has changed.
As Vladamir Lenin noted:
“Bourgeois democracy, although a great historical advance in comparison with medievalism, always remains, and under capitalism is bound to remain, restricted, truncated, false and hypocritical, a paradise for the rich and a snare and deception for the exploited, for the poor.”
Agreed. I consider Marx a great philosopher who in his optimism over rated the human nature and imagined we all were marching toward an equal society with no class struggle. Tragically his dream never realized. Here in America, after a good start with our socialist and communist parties, we have been subjected to a series of political experiments which killed the dream: Neo Liberalism, Neo Conservatism, Compassionate Conservatism (Juk) and we reverted now to what I figure is Neo Feudalism, this time with kings and princes of industry regulating our lives.
The class struggle will continue even as we enter the Digital Dark Ages and what you aptly call neo-feudalism, an economic and socio-psychological state whereby hierarchy is calcified.
This is also called The Fourth Reich, by some.
But as Marx noted, the class struggle is the history of the human being and will persist.
My fear, and I think we see it, is that the new accumulation of capital model will be based on repressive capitalism at home and oppression and repression abroad.
Translated, this means that repressive capital accumulation is in the cards.
Thank you for the lead. I'm including the book in my list of next readings. I would be interested in learning what Professor Kotkin includes under bureaucracy because lower salaried officials are suffering the same than us the serves. The important thing is for us to be resolute in downing that racket.
Thank you for your kind comment. You are right, the words were spoken with a keen awareness and I too gained and learned quite a bit from reading them myself which is why I thought to share.
The Clinton neoliberal agenda -- which has near total control of the "democratic" party --has done more damage to the progressive movement (of which Hillary laughingly once claimed to be a part) than the neofascists. The "democratic" party apparatus tries to frame each election as a choice between neoliberalism and neofascism. Ultimately, though there are some differences and distinctions between the two , for all intents and purposes both keep the one percent (the ruling class) in near total control of the state, the economy, and the media.
The dual party duopoly of Red and Blue Parties continue a Disguised Global Crony Capitalist Racist Propagandist Criminal Ecocidal Children-Killing & War-Starting EMPIRE
I am old enough (91) that I need to slow the audio - whiich I can do on Youtybe easily - any chance of that option here?
Meanwhile - I am so ever-loving grateful for all your work, Chris! Without your beautiful writing and content I'm sure I could be mortally depressed at the state of this nation - which I fear has influenced the world. Your talent for this "preaching" is admirable - I'm sure Bill Coffin and Dan Berrigan are cheering you on from their Place, too! Please take care of yourself - that heavy blinking has had me concerned! Cheers - and do REST! Wish you could interview my dear friend Brother David Steindl-Rast, osb, (see: www.gratefulness.org) friend of Thomas Merton, Thich Nhat Hanh and the Dalai Lama, living in Vienna (now 97 - and back recently from 6 months in Argentina!) The Catholics could use a lot a help - tho'David is not any part of their problen, quite the opposite! Cheers! Love/peace (as
You're listening to a report that is being presented as podcast; not a blog. You may want to look up the differences to understand why his podcast is typically not accompanied by a transcript. Personally, I don't think it is cost effective to produce both (particularity for what you're paying to listen) nor do I think the medium is geared toward literary consumption. I think when Chris writes, he presents his literary thoughts accordingly...and exceptionally well. If you're strictly looking for his written work, then I think you can easily find plenty of good examples.
This podcast rightly calls out the Left on its disastrous political strategies, but I believe it has misconstrued many issues, including portraying the Right as largely a movement of fascistic, authoritarian-leaning, violence-prone bigots and irrationals, although those words were not specifically used. Yet there was a tone of contempt and horrified condescension that infused
the discussion that I have found, as an Independent to be all too familiar in characterizing the
Right. My own political leanings, to declare my biases, have traditionally been Left-leaning, but
I know many people who are more Right wing than I am who are fine people, and many of them
object to the kind of air of superiority the Left wing has in discussing the Right. Much as elements
of the Right can justifiably be considered intolerant and prejudiced, there are parts of the Left
that can be considered "Proud Libs" in their arrogant dismissal of the Right , and even violence-prone
if we look at the BLM and Antifa actions of the past 2 years. Neither side is morally above reproach, yet the Left tends to present itself as morally superior. This is incredibly divisive. Hubris usually portends a fall, and the Libs are likely to fall far in November.
Regarding the Roe decision, I think this was also a one-sided discussion. Although I myself tend to be leaning pro-choice, I think the pro-choice/pro-life antipodes are divisive and ignore the complexities of each position. There are legitimate arguments on both sides and breaking down the problem into on the one side the position of enlightenment and the other the side of ignorance is incredibly destructive. Dialectical processes need to guide the debate, free from emotional biases towards a synthesis that fuses the best elements of both perspective. So with regard to the abortion issue, I consider myself a fusionist, neither pro-choice, nor pro-life, yet I am clearly an outsider. I think the Left would see me as not sufficiently "woke" and the Right as not sufficiently moral". Yet most people actually don't really embrace these extremes entirely, and recognize the complexities of the questions implicit in abortion. It is so important in these divisive times that we steer our political conversation towards unity, and mutual understanding, especially when the population is under assault by mega-corporations, fueled by our own government as well as by the U.N., W.E.F., and W.H.O. Unless the people can come together we will never defeat these powerful opponents, who seek to rule and oppress us. Unfortunately, just demonizing the Left for its political miscalculations is not the solution. Instead, we must find ways of recognizing the majority as non-extremist, good human beings, and find ways of bringing the Left Center and Right Center together, to exclude those extremists, who use damaging language and violence to hurt their opponents. These dangerous minorities are not owned by Left or Right, but by both parties, and must be differentiated from the good people who make up the majority of our country.
I would acknowledge that many many people have been harmed by violent Right wing extremists. If it isn't clear yet, I will restate here than I condemn these people's acts. I also condemn genocidal vaccine mandates of toxic experimental vaccine products on fraudulently created and fraudulently publicized scientific ground, causing the unnecessary deaths of hundreds of children and tens of thousand adults not such morally defensible behavior either. I'm talking about Anthony Fauci and the Democrats here, for pursuing Trump's disastrous vaccine program, but also the Trumpists who in 2020 inaugurated this noxious pseudoscientific boondoggle on the people of this country, in the ultimate capitulation to corporatism. Both parties certainly deserve opprobrium for their roles in this
Your apparent balanced view of our politics is commendable. Though, I don't agree about your opinion on the Roe catastrophe which I consider the greatest abuse on our women and I see no way to morally justify it. But then, I'm an ignorant and for this reason I would appreciate your illuminating me about the "genocidal vaccine mandates" Where do you get this information? What is your source? Hope is not Fox News. Thanks
Hey, thanks for your response, Julio. I get my resources from the CDC, which reports on the OPENVAERS website, where it's vaccine adverse events are reported (https://www.openvaers.com/covid-data). This represents just a small portion of reports, so the deaths are likely much, much higher (https://www.globalresearch.ca/vaers-admits-fewer-than-1-vaccine-adverse-events-reported/5760046 ). Today's reports shows well over 30,000 deaths reported after COVID-19 vaccination. Of all people reported dead from COVID-19, 85-90% were preventable by appropriate treatment which was blocked by CDC and FDA (source; Peter McCullough, M.D. Book: The Courage to Fight COVID-19, with John Leake.
Regarding Roe v. Wade, I generally support woman's right to have an abortion, but the issue is more complex than a simple "Yes" or "No". If you read Birth or Abortion? Private Struggles in a Political World, it will inform you of the emotional complexities about the decision that affect different women in different ways. In general, I think modern culture tends to have too little respect for the natural world, and we tend to feel that if we have the technology to apply to a problem, there is no reason not to employ it. Downstream effects of using technology are kicked down the road for future generations to deal with. Hence we find ourselves in the position we are in, with a toxic environment, an over-reliance on technology and divorced from the natural world. Abortion should be a decision, in my view, couched in a respect for the natural world, and showing respect for the life we are about to take, no matter whether you consider it human life or other. Traditional societies would say grace to show gratitude for the living organisms that were sacrificed for their own benefit. Native Americans would show gratitude to the bison they killed before and after hunting and killing them. When doctors perform and abortion, or women have an abortion, what rites consecrate the miracle of life that was just sacrificed? There are none that I know of. I don't feel good about this. It almost cheapens life, as something to be disposed of if it is inconvenient. The miracle of reproduction is too special to be cheapened in this way.
This doesn't mean women shouldn't be able to get an abortion. We just need to find a way to sanctify life in the process, which is a point that the Right I think tries to make, however poorly it may be articulated.
I think a compromise solution would be to have a "No Questions Asked Free Adoption Services" sponsored by Right to Lifers, so that anyone contemplating an abortion, instead of facing a choice of raising the baby herself, or terminating the pregnancy, would have a third option, which is to have the baby and give it over at no financial cost over to herself to the adoption service. I think if Right to Lifers want to put their money where their mouth is, they should step up and create a service of this sort, and sign up to adopt unwanted children. They could call it "Save A Life Adoption Service" or something if they wanted. I think the Left wouldn't object since if you are in favor of choice, why not give women MORE choices?
People will always bring up the issue of rape, incest, or non-viable pregnancies. Hard to argue with this as a reasonable cause for abortion, but I still think there is nothing wrong with sanctifying the life that has been lost, nothing wrong with having a third option. These cases, from what I understand, comprise less than 5% of reasons for abortions. Financial and emotional reasons are much more commonly given. We as a society need to show more respect for the natural order, I think, by not making abortion too casual a thing, and without necessarily limiting women's access to it. It shouldn't be as simple as ordering a pizza delivery from grub hub on your cellphone.
Thank you, Mark. I will check on those websites later on. But I find very estrange that the CDC which delivers their monthly reports to my E-mail have never mentioned those deaths and always have supported the prevention measures in addition to the vaccines. Of course, science constantly changes its practices in light of new evidence.
About Row and respect for life, I think we all agree life has preference over potential life or no life. I focus on respecting the life of the mother and leave for them the decision of proceeding with the gestation or later surrender the newly borne baby for adoption. In any case, I don't consider myself in a higher moral level than anybody, and I do have full confidence that our grown up women have the intelligence to take those decisions and don't need a director for their lives.
It is indeed strange that the CDC isn't reporting these deaths. Might make you wonder whether they are captured by the pharmaceutical industry (they are).
Possible. Historically some money greedy scientists have twisted the truths. Remember those doctors who tried to convince us that smoking was not harmful? And this is the bind in which all of us find most of the time. Whom to believe? A president mocking the pandemic as the Kung Flue and not taking the urgent measures to ameliorate its impact? I assume that you didn't get the vaccine, but being an old frail man I didn't take any chances and got the buster vaccine. I had no ill effects and I got the needed confidence that I was protected. I don't gamble with what is left of my life and so I trusted the great majority of scientist that support the vaccine.
Cool down Mr. Carver. If somebody disagrees with you, that is not the anti-mater that has pop out to destroy you. You have the right to your opinions and so we all have to ours. You need to learn that there are not moral facts but moral interpretations of them. Please calm down and take care of your ulcers.
No rebuttal needed for this. You've effectively cancelled your argument by your own disrespectful rhetoric. I wish you luck convincing anyone of anything.
I think something that is missed here and often missed amongst people who are moral and intelligent is that this is by design and it is evil. As in literal evil. The devolution of the species and the direct assault on the Divine spark within all of us is the plan of the darker forces whom have co-opted most levers of power on Planet Earth right now.
I think two things happen to rational and reasonable people and it happens in this interview. There is a continuation of overlaying ideals and morality on what we thought was the better or the good and the lack of understanding of a moral reasonable person to really fathom the evil that is actively seeking to undermine the access humans by Divine right have to their own sovereign soul.
The extreme fascism on both sides is funded and coerced and manipulated to create an outcome for more control and the greater animalization of human beings. When a human being relinquished reason and chooses to become aligned to a greater degree with their animal nature they are less protected by Divine laws and can be used as servants and slaves.
Trump is a symptom not the problem. And our empire is on the way out.
So you think that when Religion was not a social club or a political party but the only reason of our existence and god affairs were in the minds of everybody all the time, things were not evil then? I'm talking of the middle ages of Europe when we descended to the lowest moral levels we could get. Think on the crusades, the pogroms, the Inquisition and the religion's wars that were perpetrated by the people's "sovereign soul" guided by their "Divine right". Recently we suffered a born again Christian who started another "cruzade", George W. who claimed to have received the mandate from the lord to invade another country that has not done harm to us and doing so became the most prolific serial mass murderer and torturer in our history. Well, as you see, I don't buy your sermon. But then It's only my opinion
I think we agree actually. I think the distinction is that yes evil has been around throughout all time. And how it redefines things creates these divisions which are not divisions. I am not referring to religion at all. Most religions like the Vatican are dark priests working for another God. However, inside religions you can still find those who are aware of the true divine connection.
Each cycle the darkness takes a spiritual evolution and attempts to twist its definition and meaning. The bastardization of Christian faith is a perfect example. Christ stood with the proletariat not the bourgeoise. By choice he turned away from the Pharisees and the Pharaohs and the early Mafia the Romans. Now today people hear soul spirit divine and automatically relate it to religion and the darkness surrounding the distortion it has become. The definitions and destruction of the pure example of Christ was intentional.
It was blasphemous what he did at the time. To directly defy the priestly class and the upper class. Yet he used the true laws when he spoke. And this is what I am speaking of. Not how the dark forces bastardized the Divine connection with their Divine right of Kings or even Kings anointing themselves as Divine. This was a false representation of the Divine. In fact, it was an intentional mockery. Those who are anti Divine work constantly at inverting the sacred life and make it a worship of death.
Much like what is happening today in politics the definitions have already been co-opted and redirected by forces that are not at all aligned with humanities upliftment. they in fact like 2 thousand years ago view most humans as merely talking animals and eaters. Hence the word consumers used often for the majority of human beings.
The language has been co-opted, the definitions, the words and the movements and the dark priests are laughing it up as we fight over divisions they manufactured. The Esoteric principles living within each sentient being is what I refer to as Divine. This is the true Divine right. The mockery of them that was the Crusades and little Bush’s war are anti divine. They are giant rituals of darkness that open gateways for demonic influence on our planet.
I'm glad we agree and the problem seems is in the language. What you call Divine right is what I understand as the spirituality that was endowed to us by millions of years of evolution and have nothing to do with religion. Nevertheless the historic trail of dogmatic abuses and crimes made me believe that religion itself is the source of immorality. After all, we should behave according to the laws of nature and not because there is a supreme being that will punish or reward us in another life like in the Santa story. A true moral person follows the nature commandments and not that type of dogmas. And so we meet virtuous good folks that happen to be religious too. A good example is another of our borne again Christian president's Mr. Cater that while in office did not start any war and that even today, at his advanced age, continues doing good to the world through the Carter Center. He is the opposite to the drunken criminal I mentioned in my previous comment. It seems that religion besides stirring the deepest passions among its followers, also augments goodness in good people and evil in bad people.
I wanted to clarify what “these ‘Times’ they are a-changing” had employed as a faux lede in this obviously contrived ‘war plan’ in attempting to achieve a level of unitive global control of our world, and a tip of the hat for exposing your own front page story as to how the ‘Times’ exceeded its own previous Pulitzer reporting records:
“Because of the “Quiet American Empire’s” success in luring and precipitating, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the continuing effects of the pandemic have hobbled countries around the globe, but the relentless series of crises has hit Europe the hardest, causing the steepest jump in energy prices, some of the highest inflation rates and the biggest risk of recession.”
If you aren't having fun listening to or reading Chris Hedges, then simply choose not to do it. This isn't Network...or Clockwork Orange. Besides, I'm not counting on you to save the world.
Your gripe had me thinking of Stanley Kubrick's scene where Alex is receiving aversion therapy from the "doctors". Since you missed the reference, I'll hit you on the proverbial head by adding that I don't think you're being subjected to the same type of therapy here. Network is an interesting movie to be sure, but unfortunately (for you) I have nothing to be mad about. Not only is being mad as hell unproductive (its better to work to improve your position) ... I am fine with reading whatever insight Chris has to offer. Redundancy is often a powerful tool of education.
BTW. If you can't take the heat, then I suggest you stay out of the kitchen.
Hey WWII, since you are so involved with my thoughts what do you think about work in progress that could inspire Chris to look for ideas for what we could do? https://suespeaks.org/saving-the-world. Am thinking how funny if you went from insulting me to falling in love with me.
The hopeful thing is that more people are becoming aware of the pickle we are in. The first step for an addict to recover is to realize that s/he is addicted. We are addicted to a way of life and a fantasy about how things operate, propagated by the mass media.
It is amazing that most young people don't seem interested in the issues. It is their future, but most seem content to watch movies and play video games. They have known nothing but security and can't imagine anything much different. By all means, talk to your grand-kids and give the some really straight answers. They need to understand!
"They" are assuming power by virtue of their money. Someone may have billions of dollars but they should have no more say about anything than anyone else. Also... the better off we are, the better off they are. They worship greed to the point it becomes a self defeating sickness....
Nearly two centuries ago in the Communist Manifesto, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels defined the State, not as a neutral body standing above society with competing political parties, but as a political instrument of class domination, “a committee for managing the common affairs of the whole bourgeoisie.”
Nothing has changed.
As Vladamir Lenin noted:
“Bourgeois democracy, although a great historical advance in comparison with medievalism, always remains, and under capitalism is bound to remain, restricted, truncated, false and hypocritical, a paradise for the rich and a snare and deception for the exploited, for the poor.”
Agreed. I consider Marx a great philosopher who in his optimism over rated the human nature and imagined we all were marching toward an equal society with no class struggle. Tragically his dream never realized. Here in America, after a good start with our socialist and communist parties, we have been subjected to a series of political experiments which killed the dream: Neo Liberalism, Neo Conservatism, Compassionate Conservatism (Juk) and we reverted now to what I figure is Neo Feudalism, this time with kings and princes of industry regulating our lives.
The class struggle will continue even as we enter the Digital Dark Ages and what you aptly call neo-feudalism, an economic and socio-psychological state whereby hierarchy is calcified.
This is also called The Fourth Reich, by some.
But as Marx noted, the class struggle is the history of the human being and will persist.
My fear, and I think we see it, is that the new accumulation of capital model will be based on repressive capitalism at home and oppression and repression abroad.
Translated, this means that repressive capital accumulation is in the cards.
Global fascism.
Thank you for the lead. I'm including the book in my list of next readings. I would be interested in learning what Professor Kotkin includes under bureaucracy because lower salaried officials are suffering the same than us the serves. The important thing is for us to be resolute in downing that racket.
Thank you for your kind comment. You are right, the words were spoken with a keen awareness and I too gained and learned quite a bit from reading them myself which is why I thought to share.
The Clinton neoliberal agenda -- which has near total control of the "democratic" party --has done more damage to the progressive movement (of which Hillary laughingly once claimed to be a part) than the neofascists. The "democratic" party apparatus tries to frame each election as a choice between neoliberalism and neofascism. Ultimately, though there are some differences and distinctions between the two , for all intents and purposes both keep the one percent (the ruling class) in near total control of the state, the economy, and the media.
The dual party duopoly of Red and Blue Parties continue a Disguised Global Crony Capitalist Racist Propagandist Criminal Ecocidal Children-Killing & War-Starting EMPIRE
Thanks Chris for confronting this damned EMPIRE
I am old enough (91) that I need to slow the audio - whiich I can do on Youtybe easily - any chance of that option here?
Meanwhile - I am so ever-loving grateful for all your work, Chris! Without your beautiful writing and content I'm sure I could be mortally depressed at the state of this nation - which I fear has influenced the world. Your talent for this "preaching" is admirable - I'm sure Bill Coffin and Dan Berrigan are cheering you on from their Place, too! Please take care of yourself - that heavy blinking has had me concerned! Cheers - and do REST! Wish you could interview my dear friend Brother David Steindl-Rast, osb, (see: www.gratefulness.org) friend of Thomas Merton, Thich Nhat Hanh and the Dalai Lama, living in Vienna (now 97 - and back recently from 6 months in Argentina!) The Catholics could use a lot a help - tho'David is not any part of their problen, quite the opposite! Cheers! Love/peace (as
Lynne Stewart liked to remind us!) Elizabeth
I'd rather read your blog than listen to it - please make this option available........thanks.
You're listening to a report that is being presented as podcast; not a blog. You may want to look up the differences to understand why his podcast is typically not accompanied by a transcript. Personally, I don't think it is cost effective to produce both (particularity for what you're paying to listen) nor do I think the medium is geared toward literary consumption. I think when Chris writes, he presents his literary thoughts accordingly...and exceptionally well. If you're strictly looking for his written work, then I think you can easily find plenty of good examples.
This podcast rightly calls out the Left on its disastrous political strategies, but I believe it has misconstrued many issues, including portraying the Right as largely a movement of fascistic, authoritarian-leaning, violence-prone bigots and irrationals, although those words were not specifically used. Yet there was a tone of contempt and horrified condescension that infused
the discussion that I have found, as an Independent to be all too familiar in characterizing the
Right. My own political leanings, to declare my biases, have traditionally been Left-leaning, but
I know many people who are more Right wing than I am who are fine people, and many of them
object to the kind of air of superiority the Left wing has in discussing the Right. Much as elements
of the Right can justifiably be considered intolerant and prejudiced, there are parts of the Left
that can be considered "Proud Libs" in their arrogant dismissal of the Right , and even violence-prone
if we look at the BLM and Antifa actions of the past 2 years. Neither side is morally above reproach, yet the Left tends to present itself as morally superior. This is incredibly divisive. Hubris usually portends a fall, and the Libs are likely to fall far in November.
Regarding the Roe decision, I think this was also a one-sided discussion. Although I myself tend to be leaning pro-choice, I think the pro-choice/pro-life antipodes are divisive and ignore the complexities of each position. There are legitimate arguments on both sides and breaking down the problem into on the one side the position of enlightenment and the other the side of ignorance is incredibly destructive. Dialectical processes need to guide the debate, free from emotional biases towards a synthesis that fuses the best elements of both perspective. So with regard to the abortion issue, I consider myself a fusionist, neither pro-choice, nor pro-life, yet I am clearly an outsider. I think the Left would see me as not sufficiently "woke" and the Right as not sufficiently moral". Yet most people actually don't really embrace these extremes entirely, and recognize the complexities of the questions implicit in abortion. It is so important in these divisive times that we steer our political conversation towards unity, and mutual understanding, especially when the population is under assault by mega-corporations, fueled by our own government as well as by the U.N., W.E.F., and W.H.O. Unless the people can come together we will never defeat these powerful opponents, who seek to rule and oppress us. Unfortunately, just demonizing the Left for its political miscalculations is not the solution. Instead, we must find ways of recognizing the majority as non-extremist, good human beings, and find ways of bringing the Left Center and Right Center together, to exclude those extremists, who use damaging language and violence to hurt their opponents. These dangerous minorities are not owned by Left or Right, but by both parties, and must be differentiated from the good people who make up the majority of our country.
I would acknowledge that many many people have been harmed by violent Right wing extremists. If it isn't clear yet, I will restate here than I condemn these people's acts. I also condemn genocidal vaccine mandates of toxic experimental vaccine products on fraudulently created and fraudulently publicized scientific ground, causing the unnecessary deaths of hundreds of children and tens of thousand adults not such morally defensible behavior either. I'm talking about Anthony Fauci and the Democrats here, for pursuing Trump's disastrous vaccine program, but also the Trumpists who in 2020 inaugurated this noxious pseudoscientific boondoggle on the people of this country, in the ultimate capitulation to corporatism. Both parties certainly deserve opprobrium for their roles in this
medical disaster.
Your apparent balanced view of our politics is commendable. Though, I don't agree about your opinion on the Roe catastrophe which I consider the greatest abuse on our women and I see no way to morally justify it. But then, I'm an ignorant and for this reason I would appreciate your illuminating me about the "genocidal vaccine mandates" Where do you get this information? What is your source? Hope is not Fox News. Thanks
Hey, thanks for your response, Julio. I get my resources from the CDC, which reports on the OPENVAERS website, where it's vaccine adverse events are reported (https://www.openvaers.com/covid-data). This represents just a small portion of reports, so the deaths are likely much, much higher (https://www.globalresearch.ca/vaers-admits-fewer-than-1-vaccine-adverse-events-reported/5760046 ). Today's reports shows well over 30,000 deaths reported after COVID-19 vaccination. Of all people reported dead from COVID-19, 85-90% were preventable by appropriate treatment which was blocked by CDC and FDA (source; Peter McCullough, M.D. Book: The Courage to Fight COVID-19, with John Leake.
Regarding Roe v. Wade, I generally support woman's right to have an abortion, but the issue is more complex than a simple "Yes" or "No". If you read Birth or Abortion? Private Struggles in a Political World, it will inform you of the emotional complexities about the decision that affect different women in different ways. In general, I think modern culture tends to have too little respect for the natural world, and we tend to feel that if we have the technology to apply to a problem, there is no reason not to employ it. Downstream effects of using technology are kicked down the road for future generations to deal with. Hence we find ourselves in the position we are in, with a toxic environment, an over-reliance on technology and divorced from the natural world. Abortion should be a decision, in my view, couched in a respect for the natural world, and showing respect for the life we are about to take, no matter whether you consider it human life or other. Traditional societies would say grace to show gratitude for the living organisms that were sacrificed for their own benefit. Native Americans would show gratitude to the bison they killed before and after hunting and killing them. When doctors perform and abortion, or women have an abortion, what rites consecrate the miracle of life that was just sacrificed? There are none that I know of. I don't feel good about this. It almost cheapens life, as something to be disposed of if it is inconvenient. The miracle of reproduction is too special to be cheapened in this way.
This doesn't mean women shouldn't be able to get an abortion. We just need to find a way to sanctify life in the process, which is a point that the Right I think tries to make, however poorly it may be articulated.
I think a compromise solution would be to have a "No Questions Asked Free Adoption Services" sponsored by Right to Lifers, so that anyone contemplating an abortion, instead of facing a choice of raising the baby herself, or terminating the pregnancy, would have a third option, which is to have the baby and give it over at no financial cost over to herself to the adoption service. I think if Right to Lifers want to put their money where their mouth is, they should step up and create a service of this sort, and sign up to adopt unwanted children. They could call it "Save A Life Adoption Service" or something if they wanted. I think the Left wouldn't object since if you are in favor of choice, why not give women MORE choices?
People will always bring up the issue of rape, incest, or non-viable pregnancies. Hard to argue with this as a reasonable cause for abortion, but I still think there is nothing wrong with sanctifying the life that has been lost, nothing wrong with having a third option. These cases, from what I understand, comprise less than 5% of reasons for abortions. Financial and emotional reasons are much more commonly given. We as a society need to show more respect for the natural order, I think, by not making abortion too casual a thing, and without necessarily limiting women's access to it. It shouldn't be as simple as ordering a pizza delivery from grub hub on your cellphone.
Thank you, Mark. I will check on those websites later on. But I find very estrange that the CDC which delivers their monthly reports to my E-mail have never mentioned those deaths and always have supported the prevention measures in addition to the vaccines. Of course, science constantly changes its practices in light of new evidence.
About Row and respect for life, I think we all agree life has preference over potential life or no life. I focus on respecting the life of the mother and leave for them the decision of proceeding with the gestation or later surrender the newly borne baby for adoption. In any case, I don't consider myself in a higher moral level than anybody, and I do have full confidence that our grown up women have the intelligence to take those decisions and don't need a director for their lives.
It is indeed strange that the CDC isn't reporting these deaths. Might make you wonder whether they are captured by the pharmaceutical industry (they are).
Possible. Historically some money greedy scientists have twisted the truths. Remember those doctors who tried to convince us that smoking was not harmful? And this is the bind in which all of us find most of the time. Whom to believe? A president mocking the pandemic as the Kung Flue and not taking the urgent measures to ameliorate its impact? I assume that you didn't get the vaccine, but being an old frail man I didn't take any chances and got the buster vaccine. I had no ill effects and I got the needed confidence that I was protected. I don't gamble with what is left of my life and so I trusted the great majority of scientist that support the vaccine.
Cool down Mr. Carver. If somebody disagrees with you, that is not the anti-mater that has pop out to destroy you. You have the right to your opinions and so we all have to ours. You need to learn that there are not moral facts but moral interpretations of them. Please calm down and take care of your ulcers.
No rebuttal needed for this. You've effectively cancelled your argument by your own disrespectful rhetoric. I wish you luck convincing anyone of anything.
I think something that is missed here and often missed amongst people who are moral and intelligent is that this is by design and it is evil. As in literal evil. The devolution of the species and the direct assault on the Divine spark within all of us is the plan of the darker forces whom have co-opted most levers of power on Planet Earth right now.
I think two things happen to rational and reasonable people and it happens in this interview. There is a continuation of overlaying ideals and morality on what we thought was the better or the good and the lack of understanding of a moral reasonable person to really fathom the evil that is actively seeking to undermine the access humans by Divine right have to their own sovereign soul.
The extreme fascism on both sides is funded and coerced and manipulated to create an outcome for more control and the greater animalization of human beings. When a human being relinquished reason and chooses to become aligned to a greater degree with their animal nature they are less protected by Divine laws and can be used as servants and slaves.
Trump is a symptom not the problem. And our empire is on the way out.
So you think that when Religion was not a social club or a political party but the only reason of our existence and god affairs were in the minds of everybody all the time, things were not evil then? I'm talking of the middle ages of Europe when we descended to the lowest moral levels we could get. Think on the crusades, the pogroms, the Inquisition and the religion's wars that were perpetrated by the people's "sovereign soul" guided by their "Divine right". Recently we suffered a born again Christian who started another "cruzade", George W. who claimed to have received the mandate from the lord to invade another country that has not done harm to us and doing so became the most prolific serial mass murderer and torturer in our history. Well, as you see, I don't buy your sermon. But then It's only my opinion
I think we agree actually. I think the distinction is that yes evil has been around throughout all time. And how it redefines things creates these divisions which are not divisions. I am not referring to religion at all. Most religions like the Vatican are dark priests working for another God. However, inside religions you can still find those who are aware of the true divine connection.
Each cycle the darkness takes a spiritual evolution and attempts to twist its definition and meaning. The bastardization of Christian faith is a perfect example. Christ stood with the proletariat not the bourgeoise. By choice he turned away from the Pharisees and the Pharaohs and the early Mafia the Romans. Now today people hear soul spirit divine and automatically relate it to religion and the darkness surrounding the distortion it has become. The definitions and destruction of the pure example of Christ was intentional.
It was blasphemous what he did at the time. To directly defy the priestly class and the upper class. Yet he used the true laws when he spoke. And this is what I am speaking of. Not how the dark forces bastardized the Divine connection with their Divine right of Kings or even Kings anointing themselves as Divine. This was a false representation of the Divine. In fact, it was an intentional mockery. Those who are anti Divine work constantly at inverting the sacred life and make it a worship of death.
Much like what is happening today in politics the definitions have already been co-opted and redirected by forces that are not at all aligned with humanities upliftment. they in fact like 2 thousand years ago view most humans as merely talking animals and eaters. Hence the word consumers used often for the majority of human beings.
The language has been co-opted, the definitions, the words and the movements and the dark priests are laughing it up as we fight over divisions they manufactured. The Esoteric principles living within each sentient being is what I refer to as Divine. This is the true Divine right. The mockery of them that was the Crusades and little Bush’s war are anti divine. They are giant rituals of darkness that open gateways for demonic influence on our planet.
I'm glad we agree and the problem seems is in the language. What you call Divine right is what I understand as the spirituality that was endowed to us by millions of years of evolution and have nothing to do with religion. Nevertheless the historic trail of dogmatic abuses and crimes made me believe that religion itself is the source of immorality. After all, we should behave according to the laws of nature and not because there is a supreme being that will punish or reward us in another life like in the Santa story. A true moral person follows the nature commandments and not that type of dogmas. And so we meet virtuous good folks that happen to be religious too. A good example is another of our borne again Christian president's Mr. Cater that while in office did not start any war and that even today, at his advanced age, continues doing good to the world through the Carter Center. He is the opposite to the drunken criminal I mentioned in my previous comment. It seems that religion besides stirring the deepest passions among its followers, also augments goodness in good people and evil in bad people.
I wanted to clarify what “these ‘Times’ they are a-changing” had employed as a faux lede in this obviously contrived ‘war plan’ in attempting to achieve a level of unitive global control of our world, and a tip of the hat for exposing your own front page story as to how the ‘Times’ exceeded its own previous Pulitzer reporting records:
“Because of the “Quiet American Empire’s” success in luring and precipitating, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the continuing effects of the pandemic have hobbled countries around the globe, but the relentless series of crises has hit Europe the hardest, causing the steepest jump in energy prices, some of the highest inflation rates and the biggest risk of recession.”
Great and insightful article re. Expunging Empire
Great show. Thanks, Chris and Paul.
Chris, don’t you have enough mad as hell not to take it anymore?
And this isn’t fun. I am for fun while doing anything, even saving the world.
If you aren't having fun listening to or reading Chris Hedges, then simply choose not to do it. This isn't Network...or Clockwork Orange. Besides, I'm not counting on you to save the world.
I was thinking Network. Maybe you should be mad as hell, too. And not be snarky here.
Your gripe had me thinking of Stanley Kubrick's scene where Alex is receiving aversion therapy from the "doctors". Since you missed the reference, I'll hit you on the proverbial head by adding that I don't think you're being subjected to the same type of therapy here. Network is an interesting movie to be sure, but unfortunately (for you) I have nothing to be mad about. Not only is being mad as hell unproductive (its better to work to improve your position) ... I am fine with reading whatever insight Chris has to offer. Redundancy is often a powerful tool of education.
BTW. If you can't take the heat, then I suggest you stay out of the kitchen.
Hey WWII, since you are so involved with my thoughts what do you think about work in progress that could inspire Chris to look for ideas for what we could do? https://suespeaks.org/saving-the-world. Am thinking how funny if you went from insulting me to falling in love with me.
The hopeful thing is that more people are becoming aware of the pickle we are in. The first step for an addict to recover is to realize that s/he is addicted. We are addicted to a way of life and a fantasy about how things operate, propagated by the mass media.
I did find some hope and a clear statement of how to explain things to people in the Jennifer Lawrence video. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=436903861617561&extid=NS-UNK-UNK-UNK-UNK_GK0T-GK1C&ref=sharing
It is amazing that most young people don't seem interested in the issues. It is their future, but most seem content to watch movies and play video games. They have known nothing but security and can't imagine anything much different. By all means, talk to your grand-kids and give the some really straight answers. They need to understand!
"They" are assuming power by virtue of their money. Someone may have billions of dollars but they should have no more say about anything than anyone else. Also... the better off we are, the better off they are. They worship greed to the point it becomes a self defeating sickness....
https://hcm.sungraffix.net/the-american-experiment-is-a-savage-nightmare/ | The “American Experiment” is a Savage Nightmare, Paul Street
This deserves a crown and I haven't even listened yet 👑