How Democracy Dies: Lessons From a Master
Monday 11 October 2010
by: Chris Hedges | Truthdig | Op-Ed
(Image: Jared Rodriguez / t r u t h o u t; Adapted: Alun Salt, zphaze)
The ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes spent his life battling the assault on democracy by tyrants. It is disheartening to be reminded that he lost. But he understood that the hardest struggle for humankind is often stating and understanding the obvious. Aristophanes, who had the temerity to portray the ruling Greek tyrant, Cleon, as a dog, is the perfect playwright to turn to in trying to grasp the danger posed to us by movements from the tea party to militias to the Christian right, as well as the bankrupt and corrupt power elite that no longer concerns itself with the needs of its citizens. He saw the same corruption 2,400 years ago. He feared correctly that it would extinguish Athenian democracy. And he struggled in vain to rouse Athenians from their slumber.
There is a yearning by tens of millions of Americans, lumped into a diffuse and fractious movement, to destroy the intellectual and scientific rigor of the Enlightenment. They seek out of ignorance and desperation to create a utopian society based on “biblical law.” They want to transform America’s secular state into a tyrannical theocracy. These radicals, rather than the terrorists who oppose us, are the gravest threat to our open society. They have, with the backing of hundreds of millions of dollars in corporate money, gained tremendous power. They peddle pseudoscience such as “Intelligent Design” in our schools. They keep us locked into endless and futile wars of imperialism. They mount bigoted crusades against gays, immigrants, liberals and Muslims. They turn our judiciary, in the name of conservative values, over to corporations. They have transformed our liberal class into hand puppets for corporate power. And we remain meek and supine.
They want to transform America’s secular state into a tyrannical theocracy. These radicals, rather than the terrorists who oppose us, are the gravest threat to our open society.
The huge amount of taxpayer money doled out to Wall Street, investment banks, the oil and natural gas industry and the defense industry, along with the dismantling of our manufacturing sector, is why we are impoverished. It is why our houses are being foreclosed on. It is why some 45 million Americans are denied medical care. It is why our infrastructure, from public schools to bridges, is rotting. It is why many of us cannot find jobs. We are being fleeced. The flagrant theft of public funds and rise of an obscenely rich oligarchic class is masked by the tough talk of demagogues, themselves millionaires, who use fear and bombast to keep us afraid, confused and enslaved.
Aristophanes saw the same psychological and political manipulation undermine the democratic state in ancient Athens. He repeatedly warned Athenians in plays such as “The Clouds,” “The Wasps,” “The Birds,” “The Frogs” and “Lysistrata” that permitting political leaders who shout “I shall never betray the Athenian!” or “I shall keep up the fight in defense of the people forever!” to get their hands on state funds and power would end with the citizens enslaved.
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“The truth is, they want you, you see, to be poor,” Aristophanes wrote in his play “The Wasps.” “If you don’t know the reason, I’ll tell you. It’s to train you to know who your tamer is. Then, whenever he gives you a whistle and sets you against an opponent of his, you jump out and tear them to pieces.”
Our democracy, through years of war, theft and corruption, is also being diminished. But the example Aristophanes offers is not a hopeful one. He held up the same corruption to his fellow Greeks. He repeatedly chided them for not rising up and fighting back. He warned, ominously, that by the time most citizens awoke it would be too late. And he was right. The appearance of normality lulls us into a false hope and submission. Those who shout most loudly in defense of the ideals of the founding fathers, the sacredness of Constitution and the values of the Christian religion are those who most actively seek to subvert the principles they claim to champion. They hold up the icons and language of traditional patriotism, the rule of law and Christian charity to demolish the belief systems that give them cultural and political legitimacy. And those who should defend these beliefs are cowed and silent.
“For a considerable length of time the normality of the normal world is the most efficient protection against disclosure of totalitarian mass crimes,” Hannah Arendt wrote in “The Origins of Totalitarianism.” “Normal men don’t know that everything is possible, refuse to believe their eyes and ears in the face of the monstrous. ... The reason why the totalitarian regimes can get so far toward realizing a fictitious, topsy-turvy world is that the outside non-totalitarian world, which always comprises a great part of the population of the totalitarian country itself, indulges in wishful thinking and shirks reality in the face of real insanity. ...”
All ideological, theological and political debates with the representatives of the corporate state, including the feckless and weak Barack Obama, are useless. They cannot be reached. They do not want a dialogue. They care nothing for real reform or participatory democracy. They use the tricks and mirages of public relations to mask a steadily growing assault on our civil liberties, our inability to make a living and the loss of basic services from education to health care. Our gutless liberal class placates the enemies of democracy, hoping desperately to remain part of the ruling elite, rather than resist. And, in many ways, liberals, because they serve as a cover for these corporate extremists, are our greatest traitors.
Aristophanes too lived in a time of endless war. He knew that war always empowered anti-democratic forces. He saw how war ate away at the insides of a democratic state until it was hollowed out. His play “Lysistrata,” written after Athens had spent 21 years consumed by the Peloponnesian War, is a satire in which the young women refuse to have sex with their men until the war ends and the older women seize the Acropolis, where the funds for war are stored. The play called on Athenians to consider radical acts of civil disobedience to halt a war that was ravaging the state. The play’s heroine, Lysistrata, whose name means “Disbander of Armies,” was the playwright’s mouthpiece for the folly and self-destructiveness of war. But Athens, which would lose the war, did not listen.
The tragedy is that liberals and secularists, like Obama, are not viewed as competitors by the corporate forces that hold power, but as contaminates that must be eliminated. They have sought to work with forces that will never be placated. They have abandoned the most basic values of the liberal class to play a game that in the end will mean their political and cultural extinction. There will be no swastikas this time but seas of red, white and blue flags and Christian crosses. There will be no stiff-armed salutes, but recitations of the Pledge of Allegiance. There will be no brown shirts but nocturnal visits from Homeland Security. The fear, rage and hatred of our dispossessed and confused working class are being channeled into currents that are undermining the last vestiges of the democratic state. These dangerous emotions, directed against a liberal class that as in ancient Athens betrayed the population, have a strong appeal. And unless we adopt the radicalism held by Aristophanes, unless we begin to hinder the functioning of the corporate state through acts of civil disobedience, we are finished.
Let us not stand at the open gates of the city meekly waiting for the barbarians. They are coming. They are slouching towards Bethlehem. Let us, if nothing else, like Aristophanes, begin to call our tyranny by its name.
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Comments
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Especially on the
Mon, 10/11/2010 - 14:47 — Anonymous (not verified)Especially on the mark:
"There is a yearning by tens of millions of Americans, lumped into a diffuse and fractious movement, to destroy the intellectual and scientific rigor of the Enlightenment."
And:
"Those who shout most loudly in defense of the ideals of the founding fathers, the sacredness of Constitution and the values of the Christian religion are those who most actively seek to subvert the principles they claim to champion."
(...although the Christian religion has always been a tool of authoritarianism, since it first came to power in the Roman Empire...)
And, yes, liberals need to fight back with everything they've got. We are sliding, rapidly, toward corporate & religious fascism. This is an ideological fight to the death; those who don't understand that are doomed.
I would suggest the author
Mon, 10/11/2010 - 14:55 — David Barkin (not verified)I would suggest the author of this piece learn a little Greek History before making such comparisons as he does above. Clean was neither a dictator nor an Oligarch. He can fairly be called a "demogogue," but was a consistant supporter of Athenian Democracy. Aristophanes, was far more of an Oligarch then Cleon was. It was in fact the equivalent of the political left who created and defended the Athenian Empire.
And the forces that overthrew the Democracy came from the political right, who opposed Both Democracy and Empire.
The comparisons in his article are nonsense.
It's dead in the USA because
Mon, 10/11/2010 - 14:58 — Anonymous (not verified)It's dead in the USA because idiots keep voting for the same two parties. Gee, the Dems screwed us, time to vote Republican, again.
No true progressive or liberal can support Obama anymore.
"No true progressive or
Mon, 10/11/2010 - 15:07 — Anonymous (not verified)"No true progressive or liberal can support Obama anymore."
Absolute nonsense. It will be Obama or his right-wing challenger in 2012. Anyone who doesn't support Obama in that contest will be complacently bowing to the forces this article describes.
Obama himself certainly understands, after almost two years of further education, what he is up against.
Hedges' view of Obama is completely off the mark, even though the article makes some interesting comparisons and points.
Regardless, heed the call to
Mon, 10/11/2010 - 15:07 — Vic Anderson (not verified)Regardless, heed the call to defeat the tyranny of the trinity!
It isn't the Christians who
Mon, 10/11/2010 - 15:33 — Anonymous (not verified)It isn't the Christians who are to blame for this. It is the power-hungry wealthy elite who have adopted Christian language in order to draw the crowd. If they say the catch-phrases, those people will follow them anywhere. Even into hell.
Being a Christian means caring for one's fellow human being, sharing resources, giving to those in need, healing the sick and so on. What passes for Christianity today is anything but Christian.
Jesus said, "Blessed are the peacemakers..." not the warmongers..!
Dear David Barkin, Chris
Mon, 10/11/2010 - 15:41 — bruce (not verified)Dear David Barkin,
Chris Hedges was making the point that forces left unchecked can and will dismantle a democracy. He is absolutely right. The Tea Party may have some reasonable people and ideas, but with this group radical right wing ideas are the norm. The Tea Party is just the latest manifestation of pro corporate fascism to rock this country. The ruling elites have always understood that they will never outnumber us. Their only hope of maintaining power is to divide and pit middle class and poor groups against one another. The Tea party movement fulfills this mission well.
My only question is, what
Mon, 10/11/2010 - 15:52 — MR (not verified)My only question is, what examples of civil disobedience can the people do that are legal? I'm not sure sit-ins and protests will work, although I do believe a national "Sick Day" where everyone takes off work could work. Outside of Sick Day, I'm not certain what can be done.
As a nation, I'm not certain that we as a total people are a protesting group. We're not France, unfortunately, who doesn't take shit off their government. Sure, west coasters and others in larger cities stage protests more often but here in the south I have to say I've never seen one. But the south is too conservative (and ignorant) to do anything like that.
Vote !
Mon, 10/11/2010 - 15:53 — Anonymous (not verified)Vote !
I have to admit that, when
Mon, 10/11/2010 - 16:06 — MR (not verified)I have to admit that, when it comes to Christians, I am more militant against them. But as 20:33 — Anonymous put it so well, the ones who claim Christianity and Jesus don't really exemplify Biblical teachings and spirit. Much like these Muslim terrorist groups don't exemplify the spirit and teachings of the Quran.
I fail to remember many times that when I see some bigoted church-goer denounce gays, blacks, immigrants, liberals, they really aren't Christian. Just because one thinks they're a Christian doesn't make it so.
As the Bible says in so many words, many will approach the gate but only a few will enter. Those who are left outside IMO are the ones who only think they're Christians. Terry Jones, John Hagee, and so many other self-described men of god but really preach intolerance and hate in the name of God. Problem is they're highly influential, and the reason they are is because their congregations are normally white, straight, poorly-educated people. Which goes to another problem in our country - poor education systems that produce ignorant types that are ripe pickings for politicians and street preachers like this.
First, Obama is a
Mon, 10/11/2010 - 16:13 — Anonymous (not verified)First, Obama is a millionaire. Second, being the first half-black, non-african american president is such an achievement for him, that he has spent the last 2 years not making the slightest move that he thinks might lose him the approval that got him there. A more realistic angle of the situation is to view him as addicted to the optimism of the elections and unwilling to step out of the "you all love me" persona by doing anything antagonistic. Basically - it has all gone to his head.
And last but not least, a totalitarian regime needs the support of the army and the army is overwhelmingly to left of the center, in terms of policies and geo-strategic analysis, nevermind individual leanings. This means that if things got worse, they will eventually realize that Murdoch is a graver threat to national security than Assange, because he is effectively the one that sends them to Afganistan in the first place. That might still be the end of american democracy in its current form, but not necessarily worse or less democratic - just different. Or it might never come to this anyway.
Hedges is very talented. His
Mon, 10/11/2010 - 16:15 — Bayers Bees (not verified)Hedges is very talented. His work needs to cross into film and or music - somehow, someone. Isn't that what Frost wrote once, that "The aim was song?"
Hey boys and girls. I've
Mon, 10/11/2010 - 16:24 — Dwight Bobson (not verified)Hey boys and girls. I've been telling you this for over 30 years. You do not read history. The forefathers of this treasonous group of wealthy first got angry about the institution of the income tax, then madder with the New Deal, then came the Great Society and now Obama. They invested in the Heritage Foundation, CATO Institute, aligned with the religious Taliban of Robertson/Falwell, brought in Ralph Reed to grow their grassroots and now create and corporately fund them into facade organizations. Along come the Murdockian media empire and the Rush to make money off the disaffected and now its full blown, irrational, illogical, hypocritical class division with the lower class working against itself. And that's all I've got to say about that.
Obama is a right wing banker
Mon, 10/11/2010 - 16:41 — Anonymous (not verified)Obama is a right wing banker mole, recruited by the CIA. Why was his mother studying Russian in Hawaii? Then she moves to Indonesia to purse archeology? How else could an unknown "community organizer" suddenly raise millions of dollars to run for the Senate and then president.
They are smarter than you liberal/progressive wanna bees. Obama is spending 10% more on our military than Bush ever did.
The problem with
Mon, 10/11/2010 - 16:46 — Anonymous (not verified)The problem with Christianity is that its absolutist metaphysics trumps its ethical teachings. And the "god" Christians imagine is modeled on an Oriental tyrant.
Because of its righteous absolutism and its authoritarianism, Christianity will always be the enemy of a free, pluralistic society. Its demand for blind faith is, in fact, a recipe for fascism.
Forget ideals; look at the real thing through history, from the Roman Empire to the Crusades, the Inquisition, and the Conquest of the New World, right on down to today's Republicans. It ain't a pretty story.
Fascism has come to America
Mon, 10/11/2010 - 16:48 — livedlongenuftoseeithappen (not verified)Fascism has come to America - wrapped in a flag and waving a cross. Hitler and Mussolini and all their corporation friends who vaulted them to power would be proud.
Corporate donations to right-wing nuts seem to be working. Now we will soon be free - free to obey the political police - or else.
@20:53 — Anonymous (not
Mon, 10/11/2010 - 16:52 — MR (not verified)@20:53 — Anonymous (not verified)
Vote !
You do know what civil disobedience means, right?
It's ironic that those that
Mon, 10/11/2010 - 17:05 — Anonymous (not verified)It's ironic that those that perceive the theocracies of Iran and Saudi Arabia as evil want to have a Christian theocracy in this country. Living with the laws of Leviticus would be a learning experience.
"It will be Obama or his
Mon, 10/11/2010 - 17:47 — Anonymous (not verified)"It will be Obama or his right-wing challenger in 2012."
And the difference will be that the right-wing challenger will be telling the truth about himself, the interests he represents and the policies he favors.
Having grown up during WWII,
Mon, 10/11/2010 - 18:35 — Anonymous (not verified)Having grown up during WWII, and having always been a curious person, a lifelong question has plagued me: How and why did the German people let themselves be fooled by a tyrant? And how did Italians let Mussolini come to power? I'm afraid I have my answer. It's all around me, and yes, the real barbarians are at the gate. For the most part, we are a stupid, self-interested people who want someone else to do the work of citizenship. I 'm a little old now for civil disobedience. It will be at least interesting to see how it all turns out and I don't think it will take very long before the jackboots are on the stairs.
The theocratic tyranny of
Mon, 10/11/2010 - 18:43 — Fighter Jettson (not verified)The theocratic tyranny of Saudi Arabia is beloved by US power. Weapons are on the way!
Don't see how we overcome
Mon, 10/11/2010 - 18:47 — Melanie (not verified)Don't see how we overcome this given the state of our media. How in the world do we bust through the near blanket propaganda machine that it is?
Don't see a way to match that power.
In my opinion, that is the greatest obstacle.
@anon20:33. Being a
Mon, 10/11/2010 - 19:11 — Anonymous (not verified)@anon20:33. Being a christian means you'll believe anything. You'll believe in the "magical" creation of our universe, and, you'll believe the idiot republicans load of lies too. It seems its never very hard to pull the wool over the eyes of a christian, a non-thinking entity.
Voting for Democrats is a
Mon, 10/11/2010 - 19:24 — Anonymous (not verified)Voting for Democrats is a tactical, not a moral, necessity.
The Republicans are heading straight for unmitigated dictatorship. We need time to organize.
We need a labor-centric mass movement that has the guts to make demands and the numbers to make the demands stick. When this becomes a reality, we can tell the puppet-masters of both parties to go to Hell.
If you think your precious moral gestures are worth a damn without power and a list of demands, you are an idiot. Not even Gandhi--perhaps Gandhi least of all--would have entertained such a stupid idea.
Vote for whom exactly? In
Mon, 10/11/2010 - 19:31 — I think they're listening (not verified)Vote for whom exactly? In many states, it's a moderate war monger vs a "cleared by FAUX news" lunatic.
Mr Hedges finally gets
Mon, 10/11/2010 - 19:31 — Anonymous (not verified)Mr Hedges finally gets it!!
Where was his voice 10 years ago?
All you naysayers of his remarks are either deaf/dumb/blind or trolls of the barbarians Hedges is trying to warn us about.
BTW - Creon was a hand-wringing tool of the Oligarchs - much like OBushma.
The media machine Americans
Mon, 10/11/2010 - 20:04 — MG (not verified)The media machine Americans have grown up with is a primary cancer on our little republic empire. TURN OFF THE TV, it's a mind-numbing trap. It's wall-to-wall lies, and propaganda, sprinkled with just enough light entertainment to allow it to be swallowed. But make no mistake: it is poison.
This was a delight to read.
Mon, 10/11/2010 - 20:12 — WesRackley (not verified)This was a delight to read. The same difficulty developed for Clinton he opted also to compromise his progressive credibility on his way to the center even employing the Fox contributor Dick Morris to get him there. In my mind a compromise Bill Clinton will never live down.
EXCELLENT! To the person
Mon, 10/11/2010 - 20:16 — Anonymous (not verified)EXCELLENT!
To the person who said vote, I've got news for you--voting is a quaint democratic mechanism for choosing representatives that doesn't work under CORPORATE FASCISM. So, don't bother!!
Neither can there be nor
Mon, 10/11/2010 - 20:24 — Lavrenti Beria (not verified)Neither can there be nor will there be a remedy to this theft of our democracy though any parliamentary device or election. Things have simply gone too far. Only mass demonstrations and the general strike offer promise. It would seem as though we must pass through a fascist phase before arriving at a "pe0ples' moment", however. In that day both the filth that govern us and the johns that own them will see detention and public trial. We will then be in a position to begin again, this time from the bottom up, not the top down.
Great article. The only cure
Mon, 10/11/2010 - 20:26 — Anonymous (not verified)Great article.
The only cure for the kind of tyrannical nuts in power in this country is them-or-us all-out bloody REVOLUTION. History proves there is no other way. Kill or die enslaved. This is the reality of what Americans must face--again.
"It will be Obama or his
Mon, 10/11/2010 - 21:00 — jahf (not verified)"It will be Obama or his right-wing challenger in 2012."
Only if, as in all previous elections, voters do not permit themselves to vote for anything but an Elephant or an Ass.
Once again, with remarkable
Mon, 10/11/2010 - 21:00 — Liced-christs (not verified)Once again, with remarkable and exceptional brilliance, and tact, Chris Hedges manages to circumvent all the liberal garbage going around, especially on this site, and speak the actual acute and chronic feelings of the intelligent Left. Tea Party scum should take note.
Only need to know one thing
Mon, 10/11/2010 - 21:27 — Anonymous (not verified)Only need to know one thing going into the voting ...give the GOP what they have given us..."NO" in NOvember. Let them eat their own dirty words
I agree with 98% of what Mr.
Mon, 10/11/2010 - 21:30 — George (not verified)I agree with 98% of what Mr. Hedges says in the above article. It presents a long list of negatives, all true.
It's possible for one to write a long and concise article like Mr. Hedges', while depressing, that is packed full of truth. But does it give the whole picture and does it tell us what to do? Then put it aside for the moment.
Here's a thought experiment. Could we write another article, just as rigorously truthful, that would be positive about America today? I'm not sure one can. Perhaps, if we could, it might reveal some key tools we could use to correct the long list of negatives in Mr. Hedges' article.
The FBI, CIA, NSA, Homeland
Mon, 10/11/2010 - 21:34 — notamerica (not verified)The FBI, CIA, NSA, Homeland Scrutiny are all watching, of that you can be sure
We can take heart at what has happened in other countries away in the east ....
There, poor uneducated poorly armed local indigenous peoples have been fighting and repelling invading forces for 50 years ?
They have so far been successful in defending their home against vastly more powerful invading forces (who were full of confidence) in their magnificent state war machines
The weakness of huge bureaucratisms is their inertia and inflexibility
They can be brought down by manipulation of their own unbalanced structures
All that is needed is small dedicated/organized resistance
Mr. Barkin would be, I
Mon, 10/11/2010 - 21:51 — POB1663LosAlamos (not verified)Mr. Barkin would be, I think, perhaps just a bit ashamed of his ad hominem were he to become familiar with Mr. Hedge's actual CV - it's impressive. He does know his classics, you see.
But more to the point - there's little to be done - and the elite is doing a fine job all by itself.
Vote? Of course. It's drawing from a stacked deck, but it does no real harm - and one cannot expect to be called to jury duty if one does not vote. When the jury votes - ah! One man can let another go free! Isn't that reason in itself?
If only this country had
Mon, 10/11/2010 - 22:07 — Hawley Roddick (not verified)If only this country had more people as smart, perceptive, well educated, and articulate as Chris Hodges, we wouldn't be circling the drain.
"There's a moment when they
Mon, 10/11/2010 - 22:08 — Anonymous (not verified)"There's a moment when they believe we want it more, stronger and longer than they want to keep it from us. That's the moment we win." Cesar E. Chavez
Chris Hayes is a national
Mon, 10/11/2010 - 22:12 — Hawley Roddick (not verified)Chris Hayes is a national treasure.
this is all too depressing
Mon, 10/11/2010 - 22:47 — Anonymous (not verified)this is all too depressing and yet i am compelled to add my two cents worth
it ain't over until the fat lady sings
time to meet in Washington Oct 30th
it will not get media coverage so thinking out of the box...millions of digital cameras posting on utube might make an impACT
Mon, 10/11/2010 - 22:47 —
Mon, 10/11/2010 - 22:55 — bogglesthemind (not verified)Mon, 10/11/2010 - 22:47 — Anonymous
"And the difference will be that the right-wing challenger will be telling the truth about himself, the interests he represents and the policies he favors."
Ouch! But pretty much right on.
A great, inspiring piece.
Mon, 10/11/2010 - 22:57 — Kyle in Athens (not verified)A great, inspiring piece. The bit about fascism is dead on. That being said, the piece would have been a lot stronger if Hedges actually showed a correct understanding of the Greek history and old comedy he cites. David is absolutely correct in noting the numerous factual inaccuracies and poor analogies. In all honesty, because of these, what would have otherwise been an amazing piece sounded like a 500 word essay written by a ranting high-schooler for his government class.
Kyle
MA Student in Classical Languages
University of Georgia
A tad over the top and
Mon, 10/11/2010 - 23:18 — Staggo Lee (not verified)A tad over the top and incredibly alarmist, don't you think? The differences between Aristophanes' Athens 2,400 years ago and America today are vast enough that many vital issues cannot be bridged. They had slaves; slavery is intolerable today. Women were universal outliers back then; women have equality today. From the foundation of the first, most primitive, society, there has been the priviledged class. To alter this would require acts far more onerous than the conditions of today which cause Mr. Hedges to, well, freak out. Omitted is the fact that the greatest minds of antiquity--Plato and Aristotle, for example--emerged after Cleon's death. We ought not become so indebted to our fabrications that we throw up our hands in surrender and scream, "The sky is falling!"
I couldn't have said it
Tue, 10/12/2010 - 00:18 — Corpsman1 (not verified)I couldn't have said it better myself as I have been saying the same thing for years. The time for emails, and faxes, and phone calls, and letters and such to our elected representatives has passed. More drastic action must be taken to save the republic.
1) (for 20:52) civil
Tue, 10/12/2010 - 00:25 — Anonymous (not verified)1) (for 20:52) civil disobedience is supposed to be illegal -- that's what gives it its force.
2) (for 21:13) Although I have many complaints about Obama, it's worth remembering that he made his millions by writing a best-seller, not through inheritance or by fleecing the working class.
3) (for Staggo Lee at 4:18) Plato was opposed to democracy.
He cribbed from Sinclair
Tue, 10/12/2010 - 01:40 — Lauren from LA (not verified)He cribbed from Sinclair Lewis when he said: There will be no swastikas this time but seas of red, white and blue flags and Christian crosses. Lewis said, "When fascism comes to America, it will be waving a flag and wearing a cross." Otherwise, spot on.
Aaaah - finally a troll of
Tue, 10/12/2010 - 01:45 — Anonymous (not verified)Aaaah - finally a troll of trolls emerges - Staggo Lee
I'm not sure that the current working conditions, such as they are, do not equate to slavery nor would I say women have equality when their wages, on the average, amount to 80% of males holding comparable jobs.
Privileged classes changed when they got too greedy with the not=so=privileged
Above, a critique of the
Tue, 10/12/2010 - 03:38 — Anonymous (not verified)Above, a critique of the classical references is made. I cannot speak to what is correct about that.
What is, though, clear is this: There's trouble in River City.
Damn good article. A bit
Tue, 10/12/2010 - 07:54 — Anonymous (not verified)Damn good article. A bit scary, as well, when you read it and realize that the people have been oblivious to the fact that we've been blindfolded and made puppets of the elite and the corporations. They cover up the strings by which we're pulled like a marionette puppet with the American flag, the national anthem, and notions of 'patriotism' and 'freedom'. The people have been exploited by the erosion of our democracy and the rise of corporate power. Over the decades, the super-rich and the corporations have tested the water and found that they can have the people do their will as long as they show them images of the cross, or the American flag, or tell them it's the "American way". What the people need to do is WAKE UP and realize that THE REAL AMERICAN WAY is government "Of the people, for the people, and by the people", not of the corporations and elite, for the corporations and elite, and by the corporations and elite.
A recent poll showed that as
Tue, 10/12/2010 - 09:17 — TomThumb (not verified)A recent poll showed that as many as 2/3's of Americans may think that you can make it here if only you work hard and play fair. That is an example of what C.H. is talking about when he refers to wishful thinking and denial in Americans today.
"And the difference will be
Tue, 10/12/2010 - 09:23 — Anonymous (not verified)"And the difference will be that the right-wing challenger will be telling the truth about himself, the interests he represents and the policies he favors."
I suppose you still believe W was a "compassionate conservative."
To quote from another
Tue, 10/12/2010 - 10:08 — Anonymous (not verified)To quote from another classic, "There's something rotten in Denmark."
Good one, 14:23. Presumably
Tue, 10/12/2010 - 10:40 — Anonymous (not verified)Good one, 14:23.
Presumably the right winger in question also still believes that Bush, Cheney, Rummy, etc. were also telling the truth about Iraq?!?
One thing you can count on from the right wing is a steady stream of outrageous lies and then lies about the lies and so on ad nauseum.
Only three comments grasp
Tue, 10/12/2010 - 11:50 — Austin Loomis (not verified)Only three comments grasp the real nature of the problem: Dwight Bobson's pointing out the long game the corporatist right have been playing; Melanie asking how we break through the media fog; and MG pointing out the central necessity of any attempt to wake up the American people. Television must be destroyed!
@05:25 — Anonymous... 1)
Tue, 10/12/2010 - 13:37 — MR (not verified)@05:25 — Anonymous...
1) (for 20:52) civil disobedience is supposed to be illegal -- that's what gives it its force.
I know. My response was to the commenter who just said "vote!" Voting is a legal entity, ergo not an example of civil disobedience. That was the point I was making.
Right-wing tyranny,
Tue, 10/12/2010 - 13:42 — Erich Von Freemason (not verified)Right-wing tyranny, left-wing tyranny. Does it really matter which one we end up with? The only party working towards freedom is the Libertarian party, and it looks like it's been taken over by the Republicans.
Let's at least be honest: people (progressives included) don't mind tyranny as long as they perceive some benefit from it. It's easy to convince yourself that wealth redistribution isn't theft (or that the person being robbed deserves to be robbed) when you are the one getting a government check in the mail every month. It's easy to say that you don't believe in property rights when you think that your stock of property will increase as a result. So, shut up when they come to take your property and distribute it to the politicians, bureaucrats, and politically-connected bankers.
Libertarians way too readily
Tue, 10/12/2010 - 13:54 — Anonymous (not verified)Libertarians way too readily accept corporate and plutocratic tyranny.
It's all too easy to forget
Tue, 10/12/2010 - 15:11 — Anonymous (not verified)It's all too easy to forget that property rights necessitate a huge government apparatus -- laws, civil engineers, police, beaurocracy, notaries, etc. -- to enforce them.
What we're seeing playing out now is the result of an emphasis of property rights over human rights.
"property rights over human
Tue, 10/12/2010 - 17:33 — doubter (not verified)"property rights over human rights" this has been the confrontation in this country since day one. It is not resolved of course... but the bigger issue now is the specter of post Nov shifts in political power on the hill... it is very frightening. The question of GOP vs DEMS is moot, we can see they are ALL tools, I say Greens! (not libertarians) voting reform and public funded elections are our only hope politically (but congress will not do this on there own), we need lots of public civil disobedience!! UNITE!
Faxes and e-mails to OUR
Tue, 10/12/2010 - 21:05 — Anonymous (not verified)Faxes and e-mails to OUR representatives are going to save this country? WE, the PEOPLE don't have any representatives in government.
You ARE delusional!
"Plato was opposed to
Tue, 10/12/2010 - 23:35 — jahf (not verified)"Plato was opposed to democracy."
~Anonymous, Tue, 10/12/2010 - 05:25
Observing the state of mind and spirit of America's citizenry today, one can see why. I understand that some among the Founding Fathers of the U.S.A. shared this opposition.
"There's a moment when they
Tue, 10/12/2010 - 23:41 — jahf (not verified)"There's a moment when they believe we want it more, stronger and longer than they want to keep it from us. That's the moment we win."
~ Cesar E. Chavez
Not if they are *wrong* in their belief.
Tue, 10/12/2010 - 18:54 —
Wed, 10/13/2010 - 13:51 — Erich Von Freemason (not verified)Tue, 10/12/2010 - 18:54 — Anonymous (not verified)
"Libertarians way too readily accept corporate and plutocratic tyranny."
You can't be tyrannized by someone you are under no obligation to do business with. If you don't like WalMart, don't shop or work there.
Tue, 10/12/2010 - 22:33 — doubter (not verified)
'"property rights over human rights" this has been the...'
The right to use your property as you wish is a basic human right. There is no conflict.
"The right to use your
Wed, 10/13/2010 - 15:18 — Anonymous (not verified)"The right to use your property as you wish is a basic human right. There is no conflict."
Who says?
The first statement is a religious statement that makes many assumptions, including a premise of just what constitutes the meaning of the word property. The second statement is a direct result of this religious worldview that refuses to recognize how property rights are not the same as human rights, and how the former consistently supplants the latter in capitalism.
This sensibility is perfectly captured in a ruling by an Argentine judge who ordered the eviction of worker's who had taken over a textile factory to support themselves after the legal owners abandoned the factory: "Life and physical integrity have no supremacy over economic interests."
"You can't be tyrannized by
Wed, 10/13/2010 - 19:25 — Anonymous (not verified)"You can't be tyrannized by someone you are under no obligation to do business with."
Tell that to Gulf Coast residents in the wake of the BP oil spill catastrophe. As just one example.
Another is the fact that corporations are currently buying our government, in part thanks to Citizens United. True plutocratic tyranny there.
Also, note the repetition of the Supreme Court's error of equating corporations ("someone") with people.
RE-VO-LU-TION
Wed, 10/13/2010 - 21:01 — Anonymous (not verified)RE-VO-LU-TION
A good article (and I'm more
Thu, 10/14/2010 - 20:10 — Susan (not verified)A good article (and I'm more depressed than ever after reading it), but I disagree with two points (that the U.S. is a "secular state" - because we long ago left behind any pretense of secularism - and that liberals are our greatest traitors [*thank goodness* for liberals!!]).
Thu, 10/14/2010 - 00:25 —
Fri, 10/15/2010 - 15:12 — Erich Von Freemason (not verified)Thu, 10/14/2010 - 00:25 — Anonymous (not verified)
Me:"You can't be tyrannized by someone you are under no obligation to do business with."
"Tell that to Gulf Coast residents in the wake of the BP oil spill catastrophe. As just one example."
I am a Gulf Coast resident. BP has not tyrannized me. Harm, even criminal harm, is not tyranny. If anything, we've been tyrannized by the federal government, which offered BP a $75 million dollar liability cap in exchange for BP's drilling in deeper water. Does anybody think that that had no influence on the way they ran their rigs?
So the mask is off at last.
Wed, 10/20/2010 - 15:07 — Frances in California (not verified)So the mask is off at last. We've been wondering who's been paying you to be such a nasty person, Erich. BP; no surprise.
You're right, Hawley, Chris
Wed, 10/20/2010 - 15:15 — Frances in California (not verified)You're right, Hawley, Chris Hayes IS a national treasure and Chris Hedges is no less a national treasure. Would that there were more of them, and fewer Trolls.
OK, Hawley, now I'm
Wed, 10/20/2010 - 15:19 — Frances in California (not verified)OK, Hawley, now I'm wondering if you're doing this on purpose or maybe your Spell-Check is hacking your e-mail or something? Chris Hodges is exceptional, too (along Chris Hayes and Chris Hedges), for his jazz!
Anonymous on 10/11 at 19:58
Wed, 10/20/2010 - 15:28 — Frances in California (not verified)Anonymous on 10/11 at 19:58 - I am a Progressive and I'll thank you NOT to tell me what to do, nor whom to support.
Wed, 10/20/2010 - 20:07 —
Fri, 10/22/2010 - 12:16 — Erich Von Freemason (not verified)Wed, 10/20/2010 - 20:07 — Frances in California (not verified)
"So the mask is off at last. We've been wondering who's been paying you to be such a nasty person, Erich. BP; no surprise."
Me, nasty? What have I posted that's nasty? If anything, I'm being way too polite to those who are being nasty towards me. Re-read some of your own posts to see what nasty looks like.
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