19 Comments
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Paul Girard's avatar

Wow, tough crowd in the comments. Maybe some bot, propagandist agenda, or maybe someone too angry to see suffering everywhere deserves attention.

The author is not perfect - but I don’t read in his books and articles that he claims that status.

I do see empathy. It is abundantly clear Mr. Hedges is humbled by the utterly insane carnage of human folly. Can our government leadership from the past decades claim such ground?

susan cartwright's avatar

Thanks, Chris. You put the savage truth of colonialism into words.

Didn't Jews and Muslims live I peace before Israel was formed? Who wants a nation that is all one religion?

Myself, I would rather be the sinned upon than the sinner. The blood of the innocent does not wash off IMHO.

When Israel faces what it has done, there will be no need for terrorist attacks. It will deatroy itself and die out from corruption, guilt and shame.

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Dec 25, 2023Edited
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Yvonne Zarowny's avatar

Powerful. Thanks for your witnessing and testimony.

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Dec 25, 2023Edited
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Yvonne Zarowny's avatar

Ha! Ha! What threatens you about Chris's report that you have to be so belligerent?

Paul Girard's avatar

I just don’t think the propaganda agenda is going to affect how we feel about Mr Hedges. Of course his stance is an unpopular one if you aren’t willing to touch the third rail in American politics. I think he and Cornell West show great courage on this topic.

Feel free to go off on the pandemic and vaccine - many of us were misled there. But that doesn’t mean we should tolerate adding exponential war crimes on top of war crimes.....unless you are going to go with the playbook on war propaganda: ditch the truth and ditch the morals.

cathy's avatar

Baring witness to the atrocities of war is one of the bravest acts one person can do for their fellow man. The cost on the witness is a sacrifice I am indebted to because it is the capturing of truth that will help us move forward.

Kathleen Hillock's avatar

The first Amendment is held in high regard in this country, as it should be. So I will not tell the Pita brain in these comments to STFU. At what point do we allow our empathy to turn into proactive rage? Does overt unchallenged genocide justify an equal reactionary genocide? Jesus said, turn the other cheek, according to mainstream Christian doctrines. The only reason the satanic nazis succeeded in exterminating millions of innocents is because they didn't fight back. There are deadly ways to fight back that doesn't require even one loss of life. Even a dimwit old lady like me can see it.

Joy in HK fiFP's avatar

When is Enough Enough?

There are no Waters of Consolation

No Balm in Gilead

Where can salvation be found

When Death reigns from on high?

Buildings crumble

Bodies break

And bleed

In the dust

Pain fills a child’s pink shoe.

Beneath the twisted rubble

No humanity can be found.

Alan MacDonald's avatar

As my double-sided, ad-hoc, focus-group tested, and highly approved demonstration/protest signs, which I employ twice a week to folks in the streets of Portland Maine and Portsmouth NH. simply say:

WE MAKE

PLANS

GOD MAKES

STRATEGY

LOVE

OVER

VIOLENT

EMPIRE

DEMOCRATIC

SOCIALISM

vs.

CAPITALIST

CANCER

INEQUALITY

CAUSED BY

BILLIONAIRE

BASTARDS

ADVERTISING & MONEY IS THE POISON AND BANE OF OUR EXISTENCE — BUT LOVE IS THE SOLUTION.

Glenn Cratty's avatar

Thank you for being in the streets Alan. It takes some guts these days.

Harminon's avatar

Cried so much it took me 45 tries to read this.

Laine Gifford's avatar

I sent this to friends who replied, "it's too hard to read", toodepressing" etc.

THAT'S THE POINT!!! It is heartbreaking and it IS HAPPENING!

Please keep writing about it, those of us who are reading and listening need to know what you are telling us, and spread the news.

Your critics, one in particular, whose comments sound unhinged, don't deserve to be listened to.

John William Reitter's avatar

Thank you so much Chris and Eunice. You are among the poetic, powerful and persistent voices of the old human ethic that has never entirely died. A moral ethic that is on the verge of global collapse, as horrible catastrophes continue to expand into endless nightmares. You are among the few true journalistic and prophetic voices crying in the wilderness. You are both now a shining light of hope where there soon may be none left at all. It is up to all of us to share your wisdom, art and experience, and continue to carry the torch through our words and actions for peace on earth, no matter the cost. The alternative is unspeakable, even on this Christmas Day.

Glenn Cratty's avatar

When reading or witnessing such horrors how does one not end up hating the perpetrators? Yet we can not stoop to hate - there is already too much of that in this world .Hate is what allows humans to commit such atrocities against other humans. How do we love at times like this?

Thanks you Chris even though this was hard to read.

PD's avatar

I had to stop reading. It’s all too appalling.

Joy in HK fiFP's avatar

There must be a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, not with Palestinians suffering under oppressive conditions, but as a place where all live with peace and equality. It is time for Pope Francis to do more than talk. He must go to Gaza and make a stand for peace and freedom.

Please sign the petition and share widely.

https://chng.it/CRQ7qw4Gzn

Other petitions, including

Codepink:

https://www.codepink.org/cnngaza?utm_campaign=12_15_pali_update_alert_3&utm_medium=email&utm_source=codepink

Ceasefire Now:

https://www.change.org/p/sign-and-share-this-urgent-petition-calling-for-a-ceasefirenow-in-gaza-and-israel

Signing petitions is one small thing we can do. If we can do more, let us do more.

joe woolslayer's avatar

Thank you sir. Yes I actually believe that one day this will be a very famous piece.