The war industry, a state within a state, disembowels the nation, stumbles from one military fiasco to the next, strips us of civil liberties and pushes us towards suicidal wars with Russia and China.
Such clarity - and the statistics to confirm the understanding - but how to break through the iron wall of censorship which exists. This should be billboard omnipresent - front pages of mainstream media outlets - print, radio/TV - other - but not so - the stranglehold of the military industrial complex and its servants is almost total - and yes - Hermann GOERING was right when he stated how easy it was to corral "the people" into supporting whatever war the "leaders" wished to promulgate. As well as to sideline as fifth columnist/traitors those wishing to stand up against the wars... Thanks, Chris Hedges!
First time I read a piece calling this fact out: The U.S. is run by its Military Industrial Complex. The U.S. is NOT a democracy. Not even close. This is immediately obvious if you follow the obscene amounts of money spend unproductively on military infrastructure, weapons, the quasi-socialist military/security-state personnel benefits AND the organizations (such as NATO) whose sole purpose is to feed ever more weapon order to the MIC. I am not a fan of C.H's flowery language, sometimes infused by medieval catholicism, but this piece is as true as anything he has written so far, imho.
We are seeing the end result of endless wars and endless colonization, including the 50 states of the USA that are colonies of Washington as the seat of empire. They are being cannibalized just as Western Europe has been by blowing up Nord Stream. Not only are leaders infantilized with their moral compasses shot to hell, so too are populations.
The tragedy is far from being merely American. It is global as this is WW lll at a time in history when a highly integrated over populated planet with immense challenges to be faced simply cannot afford war.
There are two options now: leave the US to just grind down to being an impotent failed state ( with great collateral damage to the rest of the world): or, the world community taking a much stronger diplomatic effort to let US know its belligerence is no longer allowed. The US has to been weaned off the idea that war is a solution and cannot be the only language speaks .
It is very unfortunate the UN is in Washington's hip pocket as it could be playing a much stronger role. As it stands the UN is going to end up like its predecessor the League of Nations, useless and abandoned .
The West really is its own worst enemy refusing to face the consequences of its own bad decisions and policies. Scapegoating Russia and China is utterly infantile and the delusional ambition of breaking up those countries is absurd at this point in history and utterly Pyrrhic.
We need good old common sense where there is none to be had. Statesmanship in America ended with FDR . The great decline began with the CIA, \ the Dulles brothers and the assassinations of JFK and others.
Getting a handle on reality starts with knowing history. It is who we are and where we are headed.
We’re like the children following the Pied Piper, a military drunk on its inflated power complex and its paranoid, desperate need to control. I wonder about the level of psycho- spiritual awareness among these people who must mirror some inner deficit in us. Otherwise why would we (be so blindly acquiescent with)put up with this madness that impoverishes us all? I cannot also help but wonder at what might be the lack of personal agency with which the majority of the citizenry live their lives that compensation is sought unconsciously in the military (and owning personal guns). And that the military’s track record is suggestive more of impotency feels terribly ironic. It seems the USA collective cannot accept some essential truth about life/death/life , existence. We allow ourselves to be run by the military and the empty fancy suits and Italian shoes corporate fraternity, the ‘ruling’ class.
How is it that the years long bombing campaign on Laos, eventually dropping 2 million tons of bombs on straw houses, a number equal to WW2 bombing in both Europe and the Pacific, doesn't rise to the level of My Lai massacre? One must assume as you go down the ranks you encounter greater morality. That the worst, the most immoral must be the President and their cabinet.
Yes, We know and have known now for more than a year. The appropriate question is, "What can we do and what are we doing to combat it?" Granted, there are organized doctors and lawyers, scientists, smart investigative journalists, a few courageous politicians, all working toward legal and political rebellion. It is like a get-together of chickens after the fox enters the hen house. What is really significant are the millions of people who have been awakened by aforementioned valuable professionals and explosive online videos (an estimated 32 million have seen "Died Suddenly"). To expect an awakened majority, given propaganda and years of dumbed-down education, is unrealistic and counter productive. As we approach the magical 25% figure for a "saving remnant" of civilization, we wisely must look toward outspoken massive dissent, the same type of activism that finally stopped the Vietnam war in the 1960's and 1970's. Of course, we must support outspoken scientists, lawyers, and medical professionals. They, in turn, must support a generation that responds to revolutionary sentiments and activities such as described at wisebird.com
CHRIS HEDGES IS THE GREATEST PROGRESSIVE AND HONEST WRITER OF THIS CENTURY. GOD BLESS HIM. AND WE ALL CAN THANK GOD FOR A CHRIS HEDGES. HE IS A TRUE PROPHET WITH AN AUTHENTIC SPIRITUALITY FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE FOR ALL ON THE PLANET. LIBERATION FOR ALL. ACCOUNTABILITY FOR ALL- FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC.
Of course, both Team R and Team D compete as to whose rhetoric is more rabid, whose aggression is more unhinged (this word is typically pronounced "tough") and both Team R and Team D look for any opportunity to paint the other as craven cowards.
It is astonishing that an entire generation of Americans has grown up with the country continuously at war somewhere in the world. This is passed off as normal, routine, and not subject to discussion or debate. Militarism on this scale is a sickness.
Imperialists used to call it the "white mans burden". At a time when it was a given that white people were superior. Mark Twain wrote an essay in 1901 called "To the Person Sitting in Darkness" describing Imperial hegemony and the spreading of "democracy". Twain serves a stinging ridicule that he does so well "Extending the blessings of civilization to our "brothers" who sit in darkness has been good trade and has paid well.....most of those people that sit in darkness have been furnished with more light than was good for them or profitable for us". "The blessings of civilization are all right, and a good commercial property; there could not be better, in a dim light, in the right kind of a light and at a proper distance, with the goods a little out of focus, they furnish the desirable exhibit.... LOVE, JUSTICE, LAW AND ORDER ,LIBERTY, GENTLENESS EQUALITY CHRISTIANITY, HONORABLE DEALING, MERCY, EDUCATION, TEMPERANCE, EDUCATION and so on. "There is it good? SIR IT IS PIE". "this brand is strictly for export...privately and confidentially, it is merely an outside cover, gay and pretty and attractive, displaying the special patterns of our civilization which we reserve for home consumption, while inside the bale is the actual thing that the customer sitting in darkness buys with his blood and tears and land and liberty. That actual thing is, indeed, civilization, but is only for export". At the time of his writing the Boer war, Spanish American war, the Philippine war and the Boxer Rebellion were raging. I will leave you with his example of war from a British Soldier from the Boar War. "we tore up the hill and into the intrenchments, and the Boers saw we had them, so they dropped their guns and went down on their knees and put up their hands clasped and begged for mercy. And we gave it to them --- with the long spoon ( a bayonet). A hundred and twenty years later the same maniacs' run the world!
We cannot blame the soldiers for the failures in our war efforts, or the engagement in everything since Korea just for politics and money. I served in the US Army from 1971-1983, did three years in the Korea forward area (forward area air defense--Hawk), three years in Germany (which included 9 weeks on Crete), and the rest of my time was spent at Ft. Bliss, Texas. My experience back then taught me a lot of lessons about what the motives were for various actions (with nothing really to win anyway) around the world, and even why so many of our weapons systems cost way so much more than they should. One of my sons served on the Pakistan border (FOB Salerno) and I learned from him so many things about the Afghanistan thing. The failures and totally inexcusable conflicts our government has encouraged and engaged in are the direct responsibility of top military leadership, Congresspeople controlled by corporate funding, and the complete lack of accountability for military-industrial profits and CIA actions. The American people have been led to believe there are reasons for where we are involved, and far too much of it is all lies.
If past is prologue, we don't have much to look forward to. Add in now-unstoppable covid and biosphere collapse ("climate change" for the soft-headed), and...what a show!
Chris, this mourning’s ‘Democracy Now’ included the truth of “The Quiet American” Empire’s insane death dance -- as Daniel Ellsberg clearly articulated from his dying plea to stop the “War-Ginning Insanity” as never before. We are faced with two presidential pawns in voting for either the Megalomaniac or the Empty Suit. Ellsberg detailed the insanity of more and more War since the ‘Silent Coup’ of Henry Wallace, FDR’s brilliant democratic socialist sitting VP -- who was torpedoed and physically blocked from taking the podium when over 65% of the delegates roared for his succession beyond April death of FDR.
Ellsberg, even dying from pancreatic cancer, is still, “The Most Dangerous Man in the World” against “The Quiet American” EMPIRE of War and self destruction by planned insanity of the War Gods in our name.
As reverend Wright said -- “Not God Bless America” -- but “God Damned America”
As my double-sided demonstration signs simply say with 90% favorability in Portland Maine and Portsmouth NH:
It was at least more honest when between 1789 and 1947 it was called The Department of War.
Such clarity - and the statistics to confirm the understanding - but how to break through the iron wall of censorship which exists. This should be billboard omnipresent - front pages of mainstream media outlets - print, radio/TV - other - but not so - the stranglehold of the military industrial complex and its servants is almost total - and yes - Hermann GOERING was right when he stated how easy it was to corral "the people" into supporting whatever war the "leaders" wished to promulgate. As well as to sideline as fifth columnist/traitors those wishing to stand up against the wars... Thanks, Chris Hedges!
First time I read a piece calling this fact out: The U.S. is run by its Military Industrial Complex. The U.S. is NOT a democracy. Not even close. This is immediately obvious if you follow the obscene amounts of money spend unproductively on military infrastructure, weapons, the quasi-socialist military/security-state personnel benefits AND the organizations (such as NATO) whose sole purpose is to feed ever more weapon order to the MIC. I am not a fan of C.H's flowery language, sometimes infused by medieval catholicism, but this piece is as true as anything he has written so far, imho.
We are seeing the end result of endless wars and endless colonization, including the 50 states of the USA that are colonies of Washington as the seat of empire. They are being cannibalized just as Western Europe has been by blowing up Nord Stream. Not only are leaders infantilized with their moral compasses shot to hell, so too are populations.
The tragedy is far from being merely American. It is global as this is WW lll at a time in history when a highly integrated over populated planet with immense challenges to be faced simply cannot afford war.
There are two options now: leave the US to just grind down to being an impotent failed state ( with great collateral damage to the rest of the world): or, the world community taking a much stronger diplomatic effort to let US know its belligerence is no longer allowed. The US has to been weaned off the idea that war is a solution and cannot be the only language speaks .
It is very unfortunate the UN is in Washington's hip pocket as it could be playing a much stronger role. As it stands the UN is going to end up like its predecessor the League of Nations, useless and abandoned .
The West really is its own worst enemy refusing to face the consequences of its own bad decisions and policies. Scapegoating Russia and China is utterly infantile and the delusional ambition of breaking up those countries is absurd at this point in history and utterly Pyrrhic.
We need good old common sense where there is none to be had. Statesmanship in America ended with FDR . The great decline began with the CIA, \ the Dulles brothers and the assassinations of JFK and others.
Getting a handle on reality starts with knowing history. It is who we are and where we are headed.
War is a defeat for humanity.
We’re like the children following the Pied Piper, a military drunk on its inflated power complex and its paranoid, desperate need to control. I wonder about the level of psycho- spiritual awareness among these people who must mirror some inner deficit in us. Otherwise why would we (be so blindly acquiescent with)put up with this madness that impoverishes us all? I cannot also help but wonder at what might be the lack of personal agency with which the majority of the citizenry live their lives that compensation is sought unconsciously in the military (and owning personal guns). And that the military’s track record is suggestive more of impotency feels terribly ironic. It seems the USA collective cannot accept some essential truth about life/death/life , existence. We allow ourselves to be run by the military and the empty fancy suits and Italian shoes corporate fraternity, the ‘ruling’ class.
How is it that the years long bombing campaign on Laos, eventually dropping 2 million tons of bombs on straw houses, a number equal to WW2 bombing in both Europe and the Pacific, doesn't rise to the level of My Lai massacre? One must assume as you go down the ranks you encounter greater morality. That the worst, the most immoral must be the President and their cabinet.
Yes, We know and have known now for more than a year. The appropriate question is, "What can we do and what are we doing to combat it?" Granted, there are organized doctors and lawyers, scientists, smart investigative journalists, a few courageous politicians, all working toward legal and political rebellion. It is like a get-together of chickens after the fox enters the hen house. What is really significant are the millions of people who have been awakened by aforementioned valuable professionals and explosive online videos (an estimated 32 million have seen "Died Suddenly"). To expect an awakened majority, given propaganda and years of dumbed-down education, is unrealistic and counter productive. As we approach the magical 25% figure for a "saving remnant" of civilization, we wisely must look toward outspoken massive dissent, the same type of activism that finally stopped the Vietnam war in the 1960's and 1970's. Of course, we must support outspoken scientists, lawyers, and medical professionals. They, in turn, must support a generation that responds to revolutionary sentiments and activities such as described at wisebird.com
CHRIS HEDGES IS THE GREATEST PROGRESSIVE AND HONEST WRITER OF THIS CENTURY. GOD BLESS HIM. AND WE ALL CAN THANK GOD FOR A CHRIS HEDGES. HE IS A TRUE PROPHET WITH AN AUTHENTIC SPIRITUALITY FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE FOR ALL ON THE PLANET. LIBERATION FOR ALL. ACCOUNTABILITY FOR ALL- FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC.
Of course, both Team R and Team D compete as to whose rhetoric is more rabid, whose aggression is more unhinged (this word is typically pronounced "tough") and both Team R and Team D look for any opportunity to paint the other as craven cowards.
It is astonishing that an entire generation of Americans has grown up with the country continuously at war somewhere in the world. This is passed off as normal, routine, and not subject to discussion or debate. Militarism on this scale is a sickness.
Imperialists used to call it the "white mans burden". At a time when it was a given that white people were superior. Mark Twain wrote an essay in 1901 called "To the Person Sitting in Darkness" describing Imperial hegemony and the spreading of "democracy". Twain serves a stinging ridicule that he does so well "Extending the blessings of civilization to our "brothers" who sit in darkness has been good trade and has paid well.....most of those people that sit in darkness have been furnished with more light than was good for them or profitable for us". "The blessings of civilization are all right, and a good commercial property; there could not be better, in a dim light, in the right kind of a light and at a proper distance, with the goods a little out of focus, they furnish the desirable exhibit.... LOVE, JUSTICE, LAW AND ORDER ,LIBERTY, GENTLENESS EQUALITY CHRISTIANITY, HONORABLE DEALING, MERCY, EDUCATION, TEMPERANCE, EDUCATION and so on. "There is it good? SIR IT IS PIE". "this brand is strictly for export...privately and confidentially, it is merely an outside cover, gay and pretty and attractive, displaying the special patterns of our civilization which we reserve for home consumption, while inside the bale is the actual thing that the customer sitting in darkness buys with his blood and tears and land and liberty. That actual thing is, indeed, civilization, but is only for export". At the time of his writing the Boer war, Spanish American war, the Philippine war and the Boxer Rebellion were raging. I will leave you with his example of war from a British Soldier from the Boar War. "we tore up the hill and into the intrenchments, and the Boers saw we had them, so they dropped their guns and went down on their knees and put up their hands clasped and begged for mercy. And we gave it to them --- with the long spoon ( a bayonet). A hundred and twenty years later the same maniacs' run the world!
We cannot blame the soldiers for the failures in our war efforts, or the engagement in everything since Korea just for politics and money. I served in the US Army from 1971-1983, did three years in the Korea forward area (forward area air defense--Hawk), three years in Germany (which included 9 weeks on Crete), and the rest of my time was spent at Ft. Bliss, Texas. My experience back then taught me a lot of lessons about what the motives were for various actions (with nothing really to win anyway) around the world, and even why so many of our weapons systems cost way so much more than they should. One of my sons served on the Pakistan border (FOB Salerno) and I learned from him so many things about the Afghanistan thing. The failures and totally inexcusable conflicts our government has encouraged and engaged in are the direct responsibility of top military leadership, Congresspeople controlled by corporate funding, and the complete lack of accountability for military-industrial profits and CIA actions. The American people have been led to believe there are reasons for where we are involved, and far too much of it is all lies.
If past is prologue, we don't have much to look forward to. Add in now-unstoppable covid and biosphere collapse ("climate change" for the soft-headed), and...what a show!
Chris, this mourning’s ‘Democracy Now’ included the truth of “The Quiet American” Empire’s insane death dance -- as Daniel Ellsberg clearly articulated from his dying plea to stop the “War-Ginning Insanity” as never before. We are faced with two presidential pawns in voting for either the Megalomaniac or the Empty Suit. Ellsberg detailed the insanity of more and more War since the ‘Silent Coup’ of Henry Wallace, FDR’s brilliant democratic socialist sitting VP -- who was torpedoed and physically blocked from taking the podium when over 65% of the delegates roared for his succession beyond April death of FDR.
Ellsberg, even dying from pancreatic cancer, is still, “The Most Dangerous Man in the World” against “The Quiet American” EMPIRE of War and self destruction by planned insanity of the War Gods in our name.
As reverend Wright said -- “Not God Bless America” -- but “God Damned America”
As my double-sided demonstration signs simply say with 90% favorability in Portland Maine and Portsmouth NH:
DEMOCRATIC
SOCIALISM
LOVE FOR
PEACE
Incendiary writing, and absolutely spot on. Will share widely.