I am sorry that Daniel Hale is imprisoned for telling the truth. Thank you, Chris Hedges, for keeping Hale in the public’s eye for it is terribly unjust what is being done to him.
Reading this my mind sprang to Buffy Sainte Marie’s song, Universal Soldier. “His orders come from far away no more”. Daniel Hale is one who understood those words and is living them, but at such a great cost. (I’d like to know if he can receive mail).
We’re all living the ‘soft’ tyranny of our soft age. As I sit in my warm comfortable bed reading this fine piece, one of such a long line of them from the great Mr. Hedges, I’m aware that I probably won’t do much about it.
Fifty five years ago I did. In Washington and New York and Berkeley. We marched then to songs from Dylan, Tom Paxton, Ochs and Buffy. Ellsberg went free and Nixon was chastised, and 1984 was far in the future. I won’t ask “What can I do”, because I know what I can do, but will I do it? Will you? We can, you know.
Poignant comment. Unless US citizens are directly harmed or potentially harmed by a US government action, policy, law, etc., they don't protest, agitate, get arrested, etc. Most recently, six justices on the supreme court tossed out approximately fifty years of legal precedent of a women's right to choose and yes, there were protests, but in the end nothing changed. The House and Senate didn't vote on a bill overturning the decision. And those that protested were mostly women. Where were the men in abstentia that should have supported their daughters, wives, girlfriends moms and sisters?
The government is well aware that unless it affects the citizen directly they won't protest, strike, etc. Prima facia is when Nixon disbanded the draft. Poof! Since that day, America's eighteen and nineteen year olds have not protested in mass any war that we've been engaged in.
Yes, as citizens we can do something but due to apathy and in particular the drone warfare program not affecting probably anymore than ten thousand US citizens directly we won't.
The US government is no more likely to bring about reform than the police departments is to say “Hey let’s stop killing people and treat citizens with respect.” Neither institution can be changed from the inside, and as Emma Goldman said 100 years ago: “If voting made any difference they’d make it illegal.” But as Ralph Nader frequently points out it only requires one in 100 people with drive and focus to organize an bring about change. I can’t vouch for that number, but Nader is a great man and understands these things as well as anyone. One in 100, think about that.
What, exactly, can we do, though? The elites laugh at protests they don't crush. Our every communication is monitored. I don't think we can do anything.
Absolutely. Look at how they have completely delegitimized the BLM protests. No legislation, nothing came of it, and police are back to killing as usual. If anything, it strengthened the police, due to the “defund the police” smear that no leftists actually called for, which the right -wing fund raised off of. It did nothing but feed racism, the opposite of its intended effect.
GREAT reporting by Mr. Hedges. Makes me ashamed of my membership in the Republican Party for years. Thank God I've become a democratic socialist thanks to you and so many other voices of the Left. Thank you for saving me from our corrupted capitalists who valued profits over people.
Good thing Jesus forgives sin.
Keep up the great reporting and preaching, Mr. Hedges. You are a prophet for our troubled time.
To show how immoral and backward this society is, we imprison the people who publicize war crimes, and honor people who commit them. Nothing else to say here really.
In our country heros and truth tellers such as Daniel Hale are sent to prison while those who commit war crimes such as Bush and Obama are not only free but are rewarded. I doubt that the drone program significantly improves the the security of Americans: The real security risks from pandemics, drugs, gun violence, inadequate healthcafe, poverty and global warming are not adequately addressed resulting in hundreds of thousands of deaths each year. We live is a dysfunctional country where lives particularly those who are poor and people of color are not valued.
"...Hale’s imprisonment is a microcosm of the vast gulag being constructed for all of us. "
Wow! Thank you (again) Chris for writing truths most others choose to avoid, deny or bash with blither/lies. I ordered the book , The Assassin Complex.." mostly to support this testimonial.
This article would have more power having been written before the day when the profession of journalism turned to crap. Now, because the news media is just a weaponized persecutor of people on the wrong side of politics, and leaks of restricted government information is lauded when it supports the favored side and lambasted when it does not... I no longer care. Leak it all or don't leak any. It really does not matter. Except for rays of hope like Substack (a source that I expect to be soon acquired by the same Wall Street owners of the rest of the media) journalism is dead and we are better off just turning it off.
Thank you for bringing putting a spotlight on Daniel Hales’ heroism against the War Pigs. Although I am an atheist, I greatly prefer your anti-war reporting to the anti-Christian tirades.
We are in dark times that are only going to get darker. It is difficult to believe that our country has come to this, that Obama who said what he said about what he believed when he ran for president became what he became. I think of him dancing at that stupid birthday party on martha's vineyard and this man sitting in a supermax for actually upholding the constitution and am appalled at the hypocrisy. For the first time, I truly begin to wonder, seriously so, if this time America will find its way. Increasingly, I suspect it will not.
Obama's election (I cannot bring myself to say, "Obama broke ...") broke forever the barrier to electing a person "of color" to that office, much as Kennedy's did to electing a Catholic to that office. He was then and remains presidential in looks and speech and the look of his family.
I voted for him in 2008, although, because I thought his record at that point was pretty lackluster (and it was), with the idea that he might at least be holding the spot open for someone who would accomplish more.
That was over the week after the election at the photo op with his economic advisors. Everyone who put the economy in a freefall were there and none of those who warned us were there. I was deflated and felt betrayed at that point but there was time, to hope for better.
But it just went downhill, the added troops, the drones, both combined with the "peace" (pieces?) prize, so cynical. Even Michael Brown, almost nothing but a little bit of photo op for his AG but otherwise nothing worth talking about.
Obama's administration never stopped going just a bit lower each time. And, even now, he gets applause when anyone just mentions his name. As if Obama were some sort of great leader.
So, my cynicism about how shallow "we" can be when evaluating anyone's performance.
yes, it was heartrending to watch and to realize he was just the same old problems with a different face. One of the things that has become ever clearer the past 40 years is that skin color or biological sex don't mean anything really. I would rather have 9 thurgood marshalls on the supreme court who are white or who are women or who are black or who are hispanic or a mix; it doesn't matter to me. what does matter is the content of their character (as king had it), their belief in the constitution, their support for the least powerful in our country, their belief in the bill of rights and their willingness to be honorable. Focusing on skin color instead of character has only brought us clarence thomas, on biological sex amy coney barrett. obama broke a lot of hearts and led directly to trump when those he abandoned simply gave up and decided to break the system.
Thank you for sharing this story. I stand in awe of the bravery it takes to expose the cancer we quietly mask and look away from.
Has the espionage act ever been challenged as unconstitutional? I just can not believe that such a draconian law. that insulates federal/state powers is allowed to remain entrenched in our current climate. It threatens the very essence of what America once stood for.
Yes, Rev. Hedges, God does ordain journalists — and fishermen, and tax collectors, and linguists (Mr Hale), and spies to inform His family of what is being done in our name. S/He has Her people everywhere, and the secret-keepers no longer can contain them.
I am sorry that Daniel Hale is imprisoned for telling the truth. Thank you, Chris Hedges, for keeping Hale in the public’s eye for it is terribly unjust what is being done to him.
Daniel Hale is a hero. Thank you for reminding us of the grave injustice that has been done to him.
Yes, and to all of us as well.
"By the time he left office, Obama had presided over 563 drone strikes that killed approximately 3,797 people, many of whom were civilians."
Winner of the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize: Barack Obama
Reading this my mind sprang to Buffy Sainte Marie’s song, Universal Soldier. “His orders come from far away no more”. Daniel Hale is one who understood those words and is living them, but at such a great cost. (I’d like to know if he can receive mail).
We’re all living the ‘soft’ tyranny of our soft age. As I sit in my warm comfortable bed reading this fine piece, one of such a long line of them from the great Mr. Hedges, I’m aware that I probably won’t do much about it.
Fifty five years ago I did. In Washington and New York and Berkeley. We marched then to songs from Dylan, Tom Paxton, Ochs and Buffy. Ellsberg went free and Nixon was chastised, and 1984 was far in the future. I won’t ask “What can I do”, because I know what I can do, but will I do it? Will you? We can, you know.
Sera,
Poignant comment. Unless US citizens are directly harmed or potentially harmed by a US government action, policy, law, etc., they don't protest, agitate, get arrested, etc. Most recently, six justices on the supreme court tossed out approximately fifty years of legal precedent of a women's right to choose and yes, there were protests, but in the end nothing changed. The House and Senate didn't vote on a bill overturning the decision. And those that protested were mostly women. Where were the men in abstentia that should have supported their daughters, wives, girlfriends moms and sisters?
The government is well aware that unless it affects the citizen directly they won't protest, strike, etc. Prima facia is when Nixon disbanded the draft. Poof! Since that day, America's eighteen and nineteen year olds have not protested in mass any war that we've been engaged in.
Yes, as citizens we can do something but due to apathy and in particular the drone warfare program not affecting probably anymore than ten thousand US citizens directly we won't.
The US government is no more likely to bring about reform than the police departments is to say “Hey let’s stop killing people and treat citizens with respect.” Neither institution can be changed from the inside, and as Emma Goldman said 100 years ago: “If voting made any difference they’d make it illegal.” But as Ralph Nader frequently points out it only requires one in 100 people with drive and focus to organize an bring about change. I can’t vouch for that number, but Nader is a great man and understands these things as well as anyone. One in 100, think about that.
The real enemy is ennui.
What, exactly, can we do, though? The elites laugh at protests they don't crush. Our every communication is monitored. I don't think we can do anything.
Absolutely. Look at how they have completely delegitimized the BLM protests. No legislation, nothing came of it, and police are back to killing as usual. If anything, it strengthened the police, due to the “defund the police” smear that no leftists actually called for, which the right -wing fund raised off of. It did nothing but feed racism, the opposite of its intended effect.
'fun-sized terrorists' -- we are such a broken people.
Thank you for bringing this back to our attention. This kind of story has a tendency to vanish. Sharing the story is the least we can do for Hale.
GREAT reporting by Mr. Hedges. Makes me ashamed of my membership in the Republican Party for years. Thank God I've become a democratic socialist thanks to you and so many other voices of the Left. Thank you for saving me from our corrupted capitalists who valued profits over people.
Good thing Jesus forgives sin.
Keep up the great reporting and preaching, Mr. Hedges. You are a prophet for our troubled time.
Jamal Kgrisghoggi does not belong in this group. He was working for the CIA.
To show how immoral and backward this society is, we imprison the people who publicize war crimes, and honor people who commit them. Nothing else to say here really.
In our country heros and truth tellers such as Daniel Hale are sent to prison while those who commit war crimes such as Bush and Obama are not only free but are rewarded. I doubt that the drone program significantly improves the the security of Americans: The real security risks from pandemics, drugs, gun violence, inadequate healthcafe, poverty and global warming are not adequately addressed resulting in hundreds of thousands of deaths each year. We live is a dysfunctional country where lives particularly those who are poor and people of color are not valued.
"...Hale’s imprisonment is a microcosm of the vast gulag being constructed for all of us. "
Wow! Thank you (again) Chris for writing truths most others choose to avoid, deny or bash with blither/lies. I ordered the book , The Assassin Complex.." mostly to support this testimonial.
And thank you Daniel Hal.
This article would have more power having been written before the day when the profession of journalism turned to crap. Now, because the news media is just a weaponized persecutor of people on the wrong side of politics, and leaks of restricted government information is lauded when it supports the favored side and lambasted when it does not... I no longer care. Leak it all or don't leak any. It really does not matter. Except for rays of hope like Substack (a source that I expect to be soon acquired by the same Wall Street owners of the rest of the media) journalism is dead and we are better off just turning it off.
Thank you for bringing putting a spotlight on Daniel Hales’ heroism against the War Pigs. Although I am an atheist, I greatly prefer your anti-war reporting to the anti-Christian tirades.
We are in dark times that are only going to get darker. It is difficult to believe that our country has come to this, that Obama who said what he said about what he believed when he ran for president became what he became. I think of him dancing at that stupid birthday party on martha's vineyard and this man sitting in a supermax for actually upholding the constitution and am appalled at the hypocrisy. For the first time, I truly begin to wonder, seriously so, if this time America will find its way. Increasingly, I suspect it will not.
Obama's election (I cannot bring myself to say, "Obama broke ...") broke forever the barrier to electing a person "of color" to that office, much as Kennedy's did to electing a Catholic to that office. He was then and remains presidential in looks and speech and the look of his family.
I voted for him in 2008, although, because I thought his record at that point was pretty lackluster (and it was), with the idea that he might at least be holding the spot open for someone who would accomplish more.
That was over the week after the election at the photo op with his economic advisors. Everyone who put the economy in a freefall were there and none of those who warned us were there. I was deflated and felt betrayed at that point but there was time, to hope for better.
But it just went downhill, the added troops, the drones, both combined with the "peace" (pieces?) prize, so cynical. Even Michael Brown, almost nothing but a little bit of photo op for his AG but otherwise nothing worth talking about.
Obama's administration never stopped going just a bit lower each time. And, even now, he gets applause when anyone just mentions his name. As if Obama were some sort of great leader.
So, my cynicism about how shallow "we" can be when evaluating anyone's performance.
yes, it was heartrending to watch and to realize he was just the same old problems with a different face. One of the things that has become ever clearer the past 40 years is that skin color or biological sex don't mean anything really. I would rather have 9 thurgood marshalls on the supreme court who are white or who are women or who are black or who are hispanic or a mix; it doesn't matter to me. what does matter is the content of their character (as king had it), their belief in the constitution, their support for the least powerful in our country, their belief in the bill of rights and their willingness to be honorable. Focusing on skin color instead of character has only brought us clarence thomas, on biological sex amy coney barrett. obama broke a lot of hearts and led directly to trump when those he abandoned simply gave up and decided to break the system.
Thank you for sharing this story. I stand in awe of the bravery it takes to expose the cancer we quietly mask and look away from.
Has the espionage act ever been challenged as unconstitutional? I just can not believe that such a draconian law. that insulates federal/state powers is allowed to remain entrenched in our current climate. It threatens the very essence of what America once stood for.
Yes, Rev. Hedges, God does ordain journalists — and fishermen, and tax collectors, and linguists (Mr Hale), and spies to inform His family of what is being done in our name. S/He has Her people everywhere, and the secret-keepers no longer can contain them.