The Hedonists of Power, By Chris Hedges

[Echo In Light]

The Hedonists of Power
By Chris Hedges

Washington has become Versailles. We are ruled, entertained and informed by courtiers. The popular media are courtiers. The Democrats, like the Republicans, are courtiers. Our pundits and experts are courtiers. We are captivated by the hollow stagecraft of political theater as we are ruthlessly stripped of power. It is smoke and mirrors, tricks and con games. We are being had.

The past week was a good one if you were a courtier. We were instructed by the high priests on television over the past few days to mourn a Sunday morning talk show host, who made $5 million a year and who gave a platform to the powerful and the famous so they could spin, equivocate and lie to the nation. We were repeatedly told by these television courtiers, people like Tom Brokaw and Wolf Blitzer, that this talk show host was one of our nation’s greatest journalists, as if sitting in a studio, putting on makeup and chatting with Dick Cheney or George W. Bush have much to do with journalism.

No journalist makes $5 million a year. No journalist has a comfortable, cozy relationship with the powerful. No journalist believes that acting as a conduit, or a stenographer, for the powerful is a primary part of his or her calling. Those in power fear and dislike real journalists. Ask Seymour Hersh and Amy Goodman how often Bush or Cheney has invited them to dinner at the White House or offered them an interview.

Continued:
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20080623_the_hedonists_of_power/

[Echo In Light]

1. ...

:kick:

[arendt]

2. Now that is writing. That has punch. That speaks truth to power. K&R n/t

[Echo In Light]

3. I find that the pm DU crowd responds more favorably to what I source here

Just an observation. I'll post something in the a.m. {for myself, it's akin to an interactive way of reading the morning paper}, and whatever it is often doesn't get many views/responses whatsoever. Then I'll kick it in the evening, even though I tend to not be online very much then, and by the next morning, it has many more responses.

Chris Hedges, however, isn't very well received here by some due to his spiritual beliefs.

[Javaman]

4. it's the coffee quotient.

most of us haven't even defrosted until noon. ;) lol

[arendt]

5. I have no problem w Hedges beliefs. He came by them honestly, he lives them openly...

he is demonstrating faith, not evangelizing.

A good man.

arendt

[intheflow]

6. Kick!

[OneBlueSky]

7. exceptional! . . . the last paragraph is a concise and accurate summary . . .

of our current reality . . .

"We confuse how we feel about courtiers like Obama and Russert with real information, facts and knowledge. We chant in unison with Obama that we want change, we yell “yes we can,” and then stand dumbly by as he coldly votes away our civil liberties. The Democratic Party, including Obama, continues to fund the war. It refuses to impeach Bush and Cheney. It allows the government to spy on us without warrants or cause. And then it tells us it is our salvation. This is a form of collective domestic abuse. And, as so often happens in the weird pathology of victim and victimizer, we keep coming back for more."

right on the nose . . .