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In reply to the discussion: Chris Hedges: The Great Unraveling [View all]dreamnightwind
(4,775 posts)25. Good journaling of the crisis, almost nothing on what to do about it
Many of us know things are going to hell, without huge changes. It's why I will no longer support corporatists as the lessor of two evils.
His only remark about Sanders in this article (not that this is about Sanders, but electorally it is a choice we are faced with) is the following:
Democracy, especially in the United States, is a farce, vomiting up right-wing demagogues such as Donald Trump, who has a chance to become the Republican presidential nominee and perhaps even president, or slick, dishonest corporate stooges such as Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and, if he follows through on his promise to support the Democratic nominee, even Bernie Sanders. The labels liberal and conservative are meaningless in the neoliberal order.
He finishes the article with this:
Those of us who seek to create a world that has hope of viability have little time left. The neoliberal order, despoiling the Earth and enslaving the vulnerable, has to be eradicated. This will happen only when we place ourselves in direct opposition to it, when we are willing to engage in the acts of self-sacrifice and sustained revolt that allow us to obstruct and dismantle every aspect of neoliberal machinery. I believe we can do this through nonviolence. But I am not blind to the inevitable rise of counterviolence, caused by the myopia and greed of the neoliberal mandarins. Peace and harmony may not engulf the Earth if we succeed, but if we do not remove the ruling elites from power, if we do not overthrow the neoliberal order, and if we do not do it soon, we are doomed.
So nothing really, just overthrow the neoliberal order. I completely agree with that, by the way.
Our best chance, electorally, to make progress on this is to elect Sanders, not exactly the poster child of neoliberalism. Not a perfect vehicle, he has coexisted with our system for a long time, so some of it he has internalized, but by far the best realistic choice we have, and to some extent genuine vehicle for change.
We need a lot of others like Sanders or even more radicalized to win lower positions in government, I'm hoping the Bernie movement can begin that process, I don't think it's really about Bernie, and it would be a great step if the movement behind him is able to start cranking out candidates for other positions. The U.S. Green party has long shown itself incapable of effectively doing so, sadly, so maybe we need the umbrella of a major party to make it happen.
Apparently Hedges is advocating non-electoral revolution? I'm not sure that's his position but if so, that will go just great. I'm sure the large network of U.S. Marxists and anarchists have everything ready so they can roll out their new utopia when their uprising overthrows the U.S. government. Plug and play.
Seriously, what is his path forward? I agree with his diagnosis, and with the need to end neoliberalism, which as far as I understand it is basically about eliminating regulatory obstacles to corporate interests, to maximize profits in a system that doesn't subtract the externalized consequences of extraction and manufacturing from the corporate bottom line.
It is very dire. Hard to see a path to avoid the coming disasters. An awakening is happening, it is reactive though, and is behind the collapse curve when it needs to precede it.
There are groups like transition.us working to create viable small-scale local alternative systems, and I like (as does Bernie) expanding worker-owned businesses, though even there we need a mechanism that ties the greater interest of society (and more generally the greater interest of the biosphere) into the business model, not just the interest of the company's employees or stockholders.
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"The very word “drought” is part of the deception, implying this is somehow reversible. It isn’t." <
jtuck004
Aug 2015
#4
I have thought that this may be the last time to use our pitchforks at the voting booth.
libdem4life
Aug 2015
#44
"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible make violent revolution inevitable."
hifiguy
Aug 2015
#61
Never heard that one, but Amen to the wise JFK. That's why they took him from us.
libdem4life
Sep 2015
#109
Hedges just has to throw in a smear against Obama and Clinton using the same Trump broad stroke
Fred Sanders
Aug 2015
#9
I read the article as far as the part I quoted, isn't that enough to know for the purposes of this thread?
Fred Sanders
Aug 2015
#18
He's basically saying that the entire system is corrupt and beyond redemption.
PotatoChip
Aug 2015
#29
I completely agree with your post. I believe what Hedges says is right on the money.
rhett o rick
Aug 2015
#33
We are in a do or die situation. Moving to a third party is sucide. The Democratic Party
rhett o rick
Aug 2015
#37
Hedges doesn't believe we can win playing the Oligarchs game. Obama and Clinton play
rhett o rick
Aug 2015
#68
It's not a direct attack. The word IF - a big word - makes it conditional at best.
hifiguy
Aug 2015
#78
This is why I'm for Sanders, and why I'm tilting at this windmill one more time.
PatrickforO
Aug 2015
#12
Great post. I think there are a lot more like Sanders that are waiting to see if there really is
rhett o rick
Aug 2015
#40
The OP is an anti-Democratic party article that has no place on a Democratic board
muriel_volestrangler
Aug 2015
#43
Hedges believes in democracy, which is the most important thing to believe in...
Octafish
Aug 2015
#55
Hedges' point is not Sanders' point; Hedges has condemned Sanders
muriel_volestrangler
Sep 2015
#101
ill-advised decision to validate the Democratic Party by becoming one of its presidential candidates
muriel_volestrangler
Sep 2015
#105
I thought 'PUMA' was a crap idea in 2008, and it would be crap in 2016
muriel_volestrangler
Aug 2015
#58
As a Bernie Sanders Group host, are you happy with Hedges' remarks about Sanders?
muriel_volestrangler
Aug 2015
#84
"If" he has a legit criticism of Bernie I have no problem with it being discussed.
L0oniX
Aug 2015
#85
No, I don't hang out there; but I'm surprised at a Bernie Sanders supporter
muriel_volestrangler
Aug 2015
#88
Is there any proof that "Bernie is just a sheepdog to herd the gullible progressives"???
L0oniX
Aug 2015
#89
He represents the "Underground" faction of the Democratic party. I believe he does belong here.
corkhead
Aug 2015
#93
Hedges is not in any faction of the Democrats. He wants the party gone
muriel_volestrangler
Sep 2015
#102
So....you would go with Marx and Engels plan? Already tried that. Doesn't work either.
Fred Sanders
Aug 2015
#74
Used to be the uber-rich were content with just all the physical toys and the simple pleasures of money.
Fred Sanders
Aug 2015
#73
"He functions as a sheepdog to corral progressives, left-leaning progressives"
muriel_volestrangler
Aug 2015
#72
Funny how often the folks beseeching others to "read the article" have obviously not done so themselves.
Fred Sanders
Aug 2015
#75
On the contrary, I welcome folks educated in Marxist lore and revolutionary zeal, it is the ID of
Fred Sanders
Aug 2015
#87
Apologies to AOR poster for my dates of death....you make a valid point of surplus from labor. Capitalism
Fred Sanders
Aug 2015
#91
Gloom and doom is not for me! I remember 2008, for example. Remember that? I recall no time of economic perfection, but
Fred Sanders
Sep 2015
#108
People will get there on there own as material conditions dictate or they won't Fred...
AOR
Aug 2015
#92
I understand what you are saying, but a revolution, fascist or socialist needs one thing above all
Fred Sanders
Aug 2015
#94
Chris is correct, we must stop the neoliberalist march. Neoliberal = Nazi.
Dont call me Shirley
Aug 2015
#66