Chris Hedges: Liberals Are Useless
Submitted by Michael Nystrom on Thu, 12/10/2009 - 00:13
A liberal friend of mine sent this article to me along with the words, "I fear I resemble these remarks. Sadly." The 'liberals' are waking up.
Liberals Are Useless
By Chris Hedges | Truthdig.com | December 7, 2009
Liberals are a useless lot. They talk about peace and do nothing to challenge our permanent war economy. They claim to support the working class, and vote for candidates that glibly defend the North American Free Trade Agreement. They insist they believe in welfare, the right to organize, universal health care and a host of other socially progressive causes, and will not risk stepping out of the mainstream to fight for them. The only talent they seem to possess is the ability to write abject, cloying letters to Barack Obama—as if he reads them—asking the president to come back to his “true” self. This sterile moral posturing, which is not only useless but humiliating, has made America’s liberal class an object of public derision.
I am not disappointed in Obama. I don’t feel betrayed. I don’t wonder when he is going to be Obama. I did not vote for the man. I vote socialist, which in my case meant Ralph Nader, but could have meant Cynthia McKinney. How can an organization with the oxymoronic title Progressives for Obama even exist? Liberal groups like these make political satire obsolete. Obama was and is a brand. He is a product of the Chicago political machine. He has been skillfully packaged as the new face of the corporate state. I don’t dislike Obama—I would much rather listen to him than his smug and venal predecessor—though I expected nothing but a continuation of the corporate rape of the country. And that is what he has delivered.
“You have a tug of war with one side pulling,” Ralph Nader told me when we met Saturday afternoon. “The corporate interests pull on the Democratic Party the way they pull on the Republican Party. If you are a ‘least-worst’ voter you don’t want to disturb John Kerry on the war, so you call off the anti-war demonstrations in 2004. You don’t want to disturb Obama because McCain is worse. And every four years both parties get worse. There is no pull. That is the dilemma of The Nation and The Progressive and other similar publications. There is no breaking point. What is the breaking point? The criminal war of aggression in Iraq? The escalation of the war in Afghanistan? Forty-five thousand people dying a year because they can’t afford health insurance? The hollowing out of communities and sending the jobs to fascist and communist regimes overseas that know how to put the workers in their place? There is no breaking point. And when there is no breaking point you do not have a moral compass.”
When I read "freedom is
When I read "freedom is slavery" in George Orwell's 1984, I never thought that humans could confuse the two concepts.
"Liberal" and "libertarian" are both derived from "liberty", and I think that classical liberalism and libertarianism are synonymous. What is now called classical liberalism was once called liberalism. When people say, "Liberals are useless." I don't think they are referring to liberalism; I think they are referring to socialism. But liberalism is to liberty as socialism is to slavery, so to me, "liberalism is socialism" sounds like "freedom is slavery".
Please excuse the rant, but reclaiming the word "liberal" for the side of liberty is a personal cause.
I'm with you Gatchaman.....
I just finished The Decline of American Liberalism, a wonderful read.
"America goes not abroad in seach of monsters to destroy" - John Quincy Adams
Great post
and comments. Much to think about.
Time to introduce Nader to Mises!!!!
Hedges says, he voted Nader and that means socialist???? That's the kind of "body snatching" that I see happening to Ron Paul.
It's also an example why I loath MSM, knowing if there is any "equal" time given to this, it will be from the neocon (socialist), not the thousands of Ralph Nader supporters who, have met the socialists (communists), know socialists and find there's as much sense arguing with socialists as there is with any religious zealot. The socialist pick Nader ONLY because they have no where to go and they think Nader's integrity rubs off on them. It doesn't.
I resent Chris Hedges "representing" Nader as a socialist because he's doing that to keep those on the right "feeling" confirmed that Nader is a socialist, so why read Nader?... Why read "Crashing the party" and learn how to take over a party with examples from 50 states and their loop holes and flaws to, beat them at their own dirty tricks? Chris Hedges doesn't need any conservatives doing that... Democrats blame Nader for Bush, so Hedges has no worries there
And he certainly wouldn't want anyone to read, "The Good Fight", why learn where corporate elections flaws and weaknesses are... why would anyone want to do that?
Seventeen Traditions... It's a great read about what it is to be growing up as a American, a CONSTITUTIONALLY ARMED AMERICAN. Who on the right could relate to that?
And now Nader has, "Only The Super Rich Can Save Us", I have not read the book yet, I'll just say.. if the super rich are socialists, I'm a monkey's uncle.
Nader the socialist has never belonged to any political party.
Nader the socialist is a multi-millionaire
Nader the socialist creates and establishes PRIVATE non-profit, non government funded organizations that take on government and the corporations who are upserping the US Constitution.
I have a Bill of Rights on parchment that Nader gave to me.. he said, "This is what will protect you from the Constitution"... he was reefering to how corporations have worked to make Constitution represent them.. but Nader made it clear... the Bill of Rights is for ME.
Nader has never taken government money.. so I don't see Nader the socialsit, fascist or communist.. I would like to see... Ralph Nader on Mises!!! That is what I would like to see... and I can see it.. I can see Nader going on Mises.. But I want the whole world on Mises.
The few times I met him, first, I asked him what his position was on hemp. He said, "I have never heard of it, please give my assistant what information you have and a contact".. Nader never did contact me.. instead, aboout 4 months later, Nader has Industrial hemp on his platform.. he was very excited, even exuberant about the possibilities and I saw dozens of cannabis hemp supporters climb on Nader's bandwagon.
I asked him about the RP dollar ,, and bottom line, Nader answered my question with a guestion.. "What does RP say?" And that's when I noticed RP didn't say anything. Edit here: UNTIL TODAY I just read RPs Free Competition in Currancy Act. AWESOME!!! As usual.
So I like Nader because he makes me think for myself. Democrats call Nader THE EGO... does that sound socialist???
Hedges: War is the force that gives us meaning.
I was against the war that was likely, as I watched the second tower being demolished. But I was alone, or so I thought. Had the world gone mad? The Internet which had been so helpful other ways was quiet.
Then I found Michael Moore’s web site. The ole home boy knew the score on war. Thanks for that Mike.
Then out of frustration one day I just typed www.antiwar.com and found Justin Raimondo. Was he for real? His articles were graduate courses in foreign policy and current events. It took me months to verify his veracity. Thanks Justin.
Then I caught Chris Hedges on C-Span talking of the book listed in the subject. The audience was spellbound as he unwound the webs of war in clear concise language drawing on history and myth. Thanks Chris.
Then I cried when Cindy Sheehan was cast in the role of Michelangelo's Pieta. http://stldesignworld.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/michelange...
She took a sword in the heart from the empire. Sorry Cindy, I still don't know how to stop the war madness. Thanks, for being a voice against war.
Ron Paul was a poster over at www.antiwar.com though I couldn’t fathom his politics. I vaguely remember his 1988 Presidential Campaign. But by April 2007, I had learned enough about free market capitalism and non interventionist foreign policy to find Dr. Paul’s new found Presidential Campaign compelling. Thanks Dr. Paul and Carol.
But the Daily Paul is a new kind promoting a free exchange of ideas. Suddenly I have a say, a chance to put my ideas out there and see how they sound. With individual freedom comes personal responsibility so not only is the morality of the message important, but its ethical effects on your visitors. Thank you, for Michael for you good efforts here.
You are not alone in your struggles. Here’s Chris Hedges at Rockford College. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAWMgYyAtHU
Text: http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0520-13.htm
Takes all kinds to make a world, it takes special kinds to build a viable culture.
All for freedom? Freedom for all!
Ron Paul for Speaker of the House 2010
PaulS... have you read Confessions of an Economic Hitman?
Let me know...
Meanwhile, join me in calling for a national and hopefully, annual summit meeting between Socialists/Progressives and Libertarians & Ron Paul Republicans... the idea here is that we are in a real way, when we do agree, we can unite and be very very powerful force united on that issue. The rest of the public is like distant cousins to us, yet we are like brothers and sisters in that we have deep Political Passions--hence we are of the same family, like it or not. Our distant cousins do not have the deep political passions that runs pure in our blood. And just like brothers and sisters, yes we strongly disagree and are surprised to find we do agree from time to time. So it is time, time that we come together and debate, (we both love that), philosophize (we both love that), explain our reasons, principles, and ethics, (we both love that), and most of all buy and sell our books to each other. YES, we must start reading each other. We both live in this echo-chamber ...where upon we truly do not grow and advance forward, no synthesis as some would say can come if do not meet. Perhaps we resist so strongly from meeting because it would mean the death to us in both camps, giving rise to something new and beautiful and unexpected.
An annual Socialist/Progressive & Libertarian/Ron Paul Republican summit would be a ROCKING affair. The best writers and speakers from both sides could attend. Bernie Sanders could attend, and so could Ron Paul could attend. It could be an intellectual feast for us both. We could buy each others books, and maybe learn a thing or two. One thing is for certain, the talks around the pool will go on and on into the night, because no-one likes solving the "worlds problems" like socialists and libertarians... ..lmao. While most people on the planet's eyes glaze over on such intellectually charged discussions, we brother and sisters of the same family, really get off on such passion arguments about politics.
But the best part would be the areas where we agree ... there, our non political cousins would here us in unison for once. We would not be at two opposite ends pulling on the big demographic middle. The big middle would follow our lead.
Think about, help spread the idea...and help make it happen.
In peace & liberty,
Treg
What better place to start than, "Freedom is popular"
Treg,
This is a good review of the history of the political parties.
http://www.dailypaul.com/node/118539
Liberty Belle and crew are working on a coalition action this weekend, give it a bump.
http://www.dailypaul.com/node/118337
Ron Paul's third party alliance with Principles to start with
http://www.ronpaul.com/2008-09-10/paul-baldwin-mccinney-nade...
http://thirdpartyalliance.net/vision
Dr. Paul is proven right with bipartisan support for the Audit the Fed Bill
I thought the NoParty Party might be a fitting name (Know Party Party)
They call Dr. Paul, Dr. Know : -)
PS I'll add Economic Hitman to my list. thanks.
PSS Check out John Steinbeck "The Moon is down." The Mayor's attitude reminds me of Dr. Paul's.
All for freedom? Freedom for all!
Ron Paul for Speaker of the House 2010
Thank you
For your post, friend.
We may be few, but we are not alone.