The Death of the Liberal Class

[Spanish Moss]

I've recently started watching and listening to journalist/author Chris Hedges more, and find this talk particularly fascinating (and plan on getting the book).  It's like 45 minutes, to warn you, but for those who bother to watch it - I'm just interested in your thoughts on his criticisms, the death of the liberal class in America, and (to liberals) what should be done going forward.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYCvSntOI5s

[Yelnoc]

I stopped listening when he attributed America's entrance to World War One entirely to the loans made by US banks to France.

[Spanish Moss]

I stopped listening when he attributed America's entrance to World War One entirely to the loans made by US banks to France.

Well, I think to be fair while certain things such as this can pop up, that doesn't "debunk" everything else he said.

[courts]

saw a couple years back. occasionally real news has something interesting in between all the boring leftie sj filler. have you heard morris berman lately? why america failed is somewhat along the same lines but far more interesting and professionally done imho.

[Spanish Moss]

saw a couple years back. occasionally real news has something interesting in between all the boring leftie sj filler. have you heard morris berman lately? why america failed is somewhat along the same lines but far more interesting and professionally done imho.

I'll check it out, thanks for the reference :-)

[AmericanNation]

I've checked in on Hedges occasionally.  He is the type of leftie guy I like because he can at least form a rational thought and is/believes he is being honest/moral to a point of virtue (he isn't totally addled or conspiratorial, ect -- to much vs total).  Christopher Hitchens was better because he made better arguments (he wrote better books as well).  I agree with many of Hedges criticisms of the Liberal class, they aren't new, I've been saying them for years.  If he understood more about how business, innovation, incentive, wealth creation, etc worked he'd be a full blown right winger.  His 'method of improvement/fixing' is weak/wrong/failed, but outside of that he is tolerable in small spaced doses.           

[© tweed]

Hedges is a badass.  he's my kind of apocalypticist

[Spanish Moss]

I've checked in on Hedges occasionally.  He is the type of leftie guy I like because he can at least form a rational thought and is/believes he is being honest/moral to a point of virtue (he isn't totally addled or conspiratorial, ect -- to much vs total).  Christopher Hitchens was better because he made better arguments (he wrote better books as well).  I agree with many of Hedges criticisms of the Liberal class, they aren't new, I've been saying them for years.  If he understood more about how business, innovation, incentive, wealth creation, etc worked he'd be a full blown right winger.  His 'method of improvement/fixing' is weak/wrong/failed, but outside of that he is tolerable in small spaced doses.           

It's always refreshing, left or right, to hear an honest voice that tries to back up a position more with rational thought than emotion, which is rare on either side.

[AmericanNation]

It's always refreshing, left or right, to hear an honest voice that tries to back up a position more with rational thought than emotion, which is rare on either side.

Rare indeed, especially on the left.  Something about the particular brews of feel-good-ism and demagoguery over there inevitably leads well intentioned people down irrational rabbit holes.  I mean look at hedges, he is kicking some of the feel-good: "we the Liberals are morally superior" habit because he was rational enough to study the groups actions/ results, but he still has problems with demagogic and conspiratorial thoughts.  It's sad when he says: "we confuse how we feel for knowledge" because he than goes on to show that he does that very thing regularly.