Wages of Rebellion

No one expresses our current despair better than Hedges. [excerpts]: We live in a revolutionary moment. The disastrous economic and political experiment that attempted to organize human behavior around the dictates of the global marketplace has failed. The promised prosperity that was to have raised the living standards of workers through trickle-down economics has been exposed as a lie. A tiny global oligarchy has amassed obscene wealth, while the engine of unfettered corporate capitalism plunders resources; exploits cheap, unorganized labor; and creates pliable, corrupt governments that abandon the common good to serve corporate profit. The relentless drive by the fossil fuel industry for profits is destroying the ecosystem, threatening the viability of the human species. And no mechanisms to institute genuine reform or halt the corporate assault are left within the structures of power, which have surrendered to corporate control. The citizen has become irrelevant. He or she can participate in heavily choreographed elections, but the demands of corporations and banks are paramount. History has demonstrated that the seizure of power by a tiny cabal, whether a political party or a clique of oligarchs, leads to despotism. Governments that cater exclusively to a narrow interest group and redirect the machinery of state to furthering the interests of that interest group are no longer capable of responding rationally in times of crisis. Blindly serving their masters, they acquiesce to the looting of state treasuries to bail out corrupt financial houses and banks while ignoring chronic unemployment and underemployment, along with stagnant or declining wages, crippling debt peonage, a collapsing infrastructure, and millions left destitute and often homeless by deceptive mortgages and foreclosures. *** Our inability, as citizens, to influence power in a system of corporate or inverted totalitarianism, along with the loss of our civil liberties, weakens the traditional political vocabulary of a capitalist democracy. The descent of nearly half the country into poverty or near poverty diminishes the effectiveness of the rhetoric about limitless growth and ceaseless material progress. It undermines the myth of American prosperity. The truths are dimly apparent. But we have yet to sever ourselves from the old way of speaking and formulate a new language to explain us to ourselves. Until this happens the corporate state can harness the old language like a weapon and employ the institutions of power and organs of state to perpetuate itself. *** We have been captivated in the modern age by what John Ralston Saul calls 'a theology of pure power' built on 'organization, technology and information.' Our new priest, he writes, is the technocrat. 'the man who understands the organization, makes use of the technology and controls access to the information, which is a compendium of facts.' These technocrats have 'rendered powerless the law,' which is no longer used, as it was designed, 'to protect the individual from the unreasonable actions of others, especially those in power.' It is a weapon of injustice wielded by those who have married 'the state and the means of production.'

Chris Hedges is for me a reoccurring event. I first discovered him when following his pieces in the New York Times as a war corresponded in a region I knew something about, the Balkans. My impression: a man who understands what is happening; not a common occurrence in the media. He has never weaken that impression as he has moved on to other fields of inquire and other forms of publications, leaving he Times in 2003. He provoked me to try and find his roots and one of the most telling is time spent in Theology on the way to Journalism. My review of his Death of the Liberal Class calling him: The conscience of America and while (a few) others still play that role few are so relentless. He describes one cause of the crisis of our time the incompatibility of corporate control and democratic institutions and he issued a new introduction of Princeton University reissue of Sheldon Wolin’s Democracy Incorporated: Managed Democracy and the Specter of Inverted Totalitarianism, the power house who polished that theme. This work shows him further along dealing with the issue of what then? Things must change but how will they —Rebellion. Here he calls on his own lifetime observations of régimes in decay, the rich historic descriptions of empires in decline and a roster of revolutionaries successful and not; thought provoking, as all of his works. In his acknowledgments he list a class mate of mine from fifty years ago who also went into the field of Journalism – successfully -- Robert Scheer who shares Hedges contrarian nature and has also a checkered career. These gentlemen and men and women like them are the beating heart of what is left of the free press in this captured state: America. Support them when you can but you will need to go looking to find them. Less a case in Chris's case.

Chris Hedges is one of the most creative minds in America today. I don't always agree with him. I think he is too negative about the Democratic Party. However, he is right on target in seeing America and the world on a road to disaster if things don't change. I've read most of his books and his columns in Truthdig. The full force of Hedges scorn is directed at the U.S. liberal establishment. He even wrote a book about the "liberal class". Today, we are told that "everybody" in the Democratic Party "must support" Hillary Clinton, the favorite candidate of Wall Street and a leading cheer leader for going to war in Iraq. As Secretary of State Hillary was the leading advocate for America's disastrous military inventions in Libya and Syria. If the Democrats really do nominate Hillary, then Hedges may be right. Chris Hedges is an experienced journalist who was worked in key trouble spots overseas. Unlike Washington D.C.'s war mongering foreign policy "experts", he actually speaks foreign languages and understands foreign nations. Buy this book. You may not like a lot of what you read. But this is a creative mind. Hillary is now talking up restarting a new Cold War with Russia. Her key foreign policy advisor, Mr. Kagan, is a close ally of right wing neo conservatives. Iraq cost us $3 trillion and one million dead Iraqi citizens. Hillary's policies have already killed 300,000 in Syria. America needs more honest people like Hedges. Hopefully, his ideas can save the Democratic Party and the world from Hillary and other war mongers and plutocrats. I would also strongly recommend that people follow his column on Truthdig to keep up on current events. I would suggest for further reading a book Hedges frequently quotes from, Democracy Incorporated: Managed Democracy and the Specter of Inverted Totalitarianism. This shows how our civil liberties are being reduced by a ruling elite. Also check out Dirty Wars: The World Is a Battlefield by one of America's best investigative journalists about what American foreign policy is up to overseas. These books have a similar theme to Hedges work, the increasingly ruthless policies of the people at the top in a failing system.

While the world is burning -- literally, figuratively, politically, structurally and epidemiologically -- and human extinction is both ineluctable and imminent -- and we are experiencing the superimposition of a ubiquitous, mendacious (and psychotically toxic) establishment narrative through the whole ownership of the corporate media by the Schadenfreude-infused and omnicidal oligarchy gleefully responsible for this impending Apocalypse (the anthropocene extinction event) -- and, worse, nearly every other voice one hears (the few that aren't censored and suppressed) seems transparently to represent bought-and-paid-for controlled opposition, it becomes impossible to find someone to believe. The job of Diogenes seems to have been downsized, outsourced or rendered suicidal, and so one is in despair to find a truthteller, someone to beliieve. I believe Chris Hedges, because he's clear-eyed, brilliant, eloquent and possessed of deep and irrefragable moral conviction, and sustains no "mania for hope." Only truth. Sometimes to hear deepest truth unflinchingly expressed is the only consolation one can aspire to, while waiting for oncoming extinction. So I'm grateful for all of Hedges' works -- and his lectures and videos and pronouncements of what Eliot would have called, "the doom on the house." Chris is wryly conscious of his status. "If I sound like a seminarian," he once said, " it's because I was one." Read his work. Moral cores are hard to find, but Hedges unquestionably has one.

If Americans are to support true change in the way things are currently being done, there needs to be a concrete plan that they can rally around. Something that they can see will get them from A to Z. Below is an outline of such a plan. Without one, we'll never get support for the change that is needed. But first: I support a full scale revolution in this country, but a peaceful one. A peaceful revolution is the only one that could have a lasting affect, anyway - otherwise, its just the guy with more guns winning. How do you get a peaceful revolution? When the military and the police fully realize that they are backing the wrong horse. Until then, a revolution will be a bloody mess with violence winning, no matter which side. A peaceful revolution occurs when we're all on the same page - and then it will just happen, without a shot being fired. Therefore, the idea is to get the miliary and police to recognize that they are backing their own enemies. They're fighting their brothers and sisters to keep a vulgar, greedy, immoral, selfish, uncaring Ruling Class in power against their (police & military's) won interests The police and military, as well as everyone else, will need concrete goals to commit to - or they won't commit - a list of those goals follows below. But second: The general goals are what we've all been taught to want since we wore knickers (presuming we did wear them) It's the goals that we're told the American government (the good guys) have been championing against the forces of evil in the world (which, in reality, are anyone who threatens oil company profits at this point) Liberty/Freedom. Equality and Justice. As anyone who has been paying attention knows, we haven't had any of these in this country for a very long time - with the acceleration of the process coming with the election of Reagan A good set of operational definitions of these terms would help people focus For example, freedom is the ability not only to speak, but to be heard. It is also ability to not be under another's yoke (like an employer or a banker). Equality would mean having a good shot at achieving the American dream not the American nightmare (the nightmare, for example, being thrown into prison for nothing as is happening to so many now) Equality would also mean getting rid of a super wealthy ruling class - you can't achieve equality from only the bottom end of the spectrum Justice means just that, justice. You can't (or, to put it better, shouldn't,) be able to buy justice. Now for the plan: By the way, if this were really a free country, we would make coming up with the ideal plan a project for every single school child in America - as it is, this is a subject that is avoided like the plague in our schools I won't say that I would etch the following plan in granite, but I think it's pretty close to what it would have to be if we are to achieve our three goals. Government - Money cannot be a factor in elections - equal time in all media for all candidates, period. Cheaters are automatically disqualified - Two levels of goverment only - Federal and County. One Federal legislature, one county legislature per county, period. - Keep it simple folks - Four election days a year, all Federal hollidays - you get a tax credit for each vote you cast - let's not be naive about what will motivate many to vote . Also, everybody, including felons, vote. We won't go down the path of excluding a whole swath of people from voting because we throw them in jail. . And, of course, we will make it convenient for folks to vote. Anyone who obstructs, in any way, gets severely penalize - we're talking about real democracy here, not the sham creatures like Republicans try to distort the voting process into - Hear me out on this - I believe that we break down all of our laws into 36 categories (the number 36 will become clear in a minute) . Every six years, we vote on a competing group of full slates of all law pertaining to a given category - there will be three categories to vote on at each quarterly vote + There is a one page summary of the gist of the law followed by pages of t crossings and i dottings + You vote for the slate that appeals to you the most in that category - whichever slate wins is the law in that category for the next six years . Please note that three years earlier you voted for a candidate that will write up the law slate. He's got two and a half years to develop his version of the law - with the help of a bunch of assistants provided by the taxpayers + The top twelve vote getters get the privilege of writing the complete law for that category. + Two and a half years later, his/her proposed law gets published + Six months after that, the dozen proposals are voted on, you don't have to vote for the proposal created by the guy you voted for, but you probably will ==> Every four months, on your election day off, you will vote for a full slate of laws in three different categories, vote for proposal creators in three other categores, and get to review, for the first time, laws proposed in three other categories It's a busy day, but that's why you've got the day off And, by the way, no campaigning other than the totally equal media coverage that was afforded all of the candidates and proposals and that are available, in full, on line for your perusal ==> Also note, that we'll have to come up with a set of auditors of the process to make sure what's voted for gets implemented in a reasonable amount of time And, we'll need auditors of the auditors - Severe pentalties for those that don't comply - we're not fooling around here Taxes - We tax wealth, not income. . No one has an individual wealth greater than $25 million - this is not negotiable, it is impossible to have any degree of equality and justice in a society skewed by huge wealth inequality - for example, look at America as it sits now . Impose a sales tax to provide for ongoing government support - with the rate low for necessities and rising as the item falls further into the luxury end of the spectrum . Inheritance tax capped at $25 million per individual. If it puts the inheritee over $25 million, the excess will be taxed away at the end of the year . Everyone gets a $250,000 stipend from the government at age 25 - why should only rich kids get an unearned windfall in their lives? Basic Righs - "Free" Health care for all, co-pay based on ability to pay - Free education thru college for all - Affordable housing for all - Work for all - note that all will work - work will be available for all and workfare will be a requirement to get public assistance - those disabled will be obligated to contribute in what way they can - Food for all - no stomach left behind - Food stamps are a way to get this done Financial Institutions - No private financial institutions - State run banks, state run Insurance, state run Exchanges - It may be an overreaction, but I've had enough of private financial institutions Public Utilities - These will function pretty much as they do now - Power - Water - Postal Service - Internet - Roads - Police Departments - Military - Fire Departments - Sewer Services - Public Transportation - Prisons - Coast Guard Small Businesses - Businesses under 1000 employees will stay as they are - grandfathered in - No new business will have owners/employees - co-ops only Large Businesses As we've unfortunately seen, large businesses are a plague - size matters - the bigger you are, the more you distort everything around you - No business over 1000 employees, period . Either you break them up into smaller companies or, if that's not practical, turn each one into a co-op . When a small grandfathered owner/employee business gets successful, it will need to break up because it won't be allowed to exceed 1000 employees - or it can go co-op - It will be an official policy of the government to encourage entrepreneurism as opposed to now where it's discouraged (no one who owns the government wants more competition is why it's currently discouraged) - Incredibly enough, we'll teach students how to be entrepreneurs in schools rather than teaching them what's needed to work for others - The Government, which is our banker, will look favorably on providing loans to those with an entrepreneurial spirit (unless they repeatedly screw it up) Environment - Top priority - zero pollution - resource renewal - huge tax incentives to companies that help the environment, huge tax penalties to those that negatively affect the environment - no fooling around on this one Military - We'll have a draft - no exceptions The best way to stop the heinous activities of this country - at continual war with anyone who is any kind of a threat to oil company profits, is to put everyone at risk, not just the lower classes Incredibly, in World War II, rich guys like John F Kennedy were on the front lines - how far our country has devolved from those times! ==> Hopefully, this gives us a concrete foundation of what the future will look like with a peaceful revolution - it's been proven that the above cannot be accomplished with the current governmental and financial systems in place . Radical change is required - and a concrete plan is a must for getting Americans on board.

I'm a sociologist focusing my interests on social change. For fifty years I've been looking for a succinct, well researched explanation of what it takes to trigger a revolution, and the historical context for the data. This is it. Chris Hedges' knowledge is encyclopedic, his writing style is powerful as well as readable. His passion for justice is apparent, as is his attempt to be realistic about our chances of achieving it. His personal experience informs his storytelling, making the backstory and anecdotes in some ways the best part of the book. A blind man can see that his writing is done at least in an important way, on love. You don't dedicate your life to saving something (or someone) unless there is real love involved. Thank you, Cris Hedges.

This is a book everyone should read. I would have loved to have had this book as required reading in college. Lots of history, well documented. I always look for a good Index and bibliography. This book has all that and more. This is a book to be read not only by citizens of the US but the rest of the world as well. Chris Hedges is a highly respected author who researches his books thoroughly. Wages of Rebellion is no exception to that rule. The introduction alone will take your breath away. I'm buying more copies to send to friends and family. Congratulations to Hedges for an excellent book!

Will get your blood pumping, your chest thumping, and your mind racing. Powerful, moving, thought provoking, and passionate. More than ever, this is the time to rise, resist, and revolt! Not the kind of book you will want to read before going to bed, since you'll be more interested in strapping on your boots and hitting the streets instead. One very minor quibble: because the book was written a few years ago, Julian Assange's subsequent actions have stripped him of the right to any sympathy as far as I'm concerned. Still, that being said (Assange's portion is small), a great book that should be widely read by the Resistance.

"Courage my friends, 'tis not to late to make a better world." --Tommy Douglas It's the Right Thing To Do Review of Chris Hedges' "Wages of Rebellion" by John Riddell If you are an activist, concerned about climate change and the corporate state (the merging of corporations and governments), Chris Hedges in his new book "Wages of Rebellion" says ypu are in the right place. This Pulitzer Prize winning author says that without you, we are doomed. We are doomed because without you there would be no rebellion, no debate, no 'other' to confront the irrational decisions and behaviours of today's corporate state. Hedges gives us highlights from his interviews with the 'good guys' (rebels), from activist hackers to Edward Snowden & Julian Assange; to the Occupy Movement, to climate change activists and anti-oil coalitions. Hedges doesn't leave the corporate state ('bad guys') out. He includes sections on the wages of misdirected wars, the enormous (and very profitable!) prison system in the US; and the complete co-optation of the legal system. He maintains throughout the book that, with the merging of our legal systems into the corporate state, democracy exists in name only- worldwide, not just in the US. We see this, he says, reflected in the greed now inherent in corporate state austerity programs for what's left of the middle class; attempts to destroy or discredit unions; and the complete abandonment and disdain for those suffering in poverty-- not to mention the dismantling and redirecting of our public health care and educational systems into private hands... What's left? How much more can we take? Hedges says that mass movements are important now, more than ever. They are the right thing to do-- even though they will without doubt be confronted by police and/or military forces. Yet, he says that historically, the state has always collapsed before such movements when the police/military refuse to fire into protesting crowds; or when an interior coup d'etat occurs due to mass movement pressures. Hedges is not just an arm-chair critic. He stands in solidarity with activists in all walks of life. In 2014 he took the US government to court. Hedges vs. Obama concerned section 1021(b)(2) of the National Defence Authority Act. This provision permits the military to seize US citizens and hold them indefinitely in military detention centres without due process. The US Supreme Court refused to hear the case. "Wages of Rebellion" is essential reading- both a boot camp and a blueprint for rebellion, reflected through Hedges' lifelong experience- so well expressed in the examples and situations he offers. He argues for rebellion locally & globally, particularly the joining of groups together into common fronts. This potentially prize-winning book is alive with situations, information, and inspiration for us all. For me, it helps to ease the pain to know there are people like Chris Hedges in this crazy world. His is a voice of sanity, speaking out loud and clear for rebellion; for honouring our rebels for speaking out courageously against the irrational, irresponsible and dangerous behaviours of the corporate state. Without them we are doomed. We should all become rebels. It's the right thing to do. "Wages of Rebellion" is a cut above the rest. Read it. Live it! --Pass it on.

I have for some time suspected that capitalism is a flawed idea, and obviously, it's complex. But Hedges lays out a clear expose that allows you to follow from one torrid example of exploitation to another, until you begin to see the common threads. I highly recommend you read this book.

Hedges writes beautifully. This book is terrifying because Hedges has the courage and spirit to tell us what we don't want to hear. And yet it is book which gives hope, reminding us of the importance of rebellion and of refusing to submit to injustice. Everyone who lives within the empire should read this wonderful book.

A very well written and researched book on the process revolutions follow. Chris Hedges is one of America's leading intellectuals with deep practical experience as a journalist and war correspondent. While the book is mostly focused on the history of revolution throughout the world and what that portends for the west and particularly for America, I wouldn't be surprised to learn that the lessons and admonitions apply equally well in the East. The main difference, as Hedges points out, is that in the west change will come as disenfranchised service and information workers and college educated classes of unemployed, and marginally employed people seek to redress the reigning ideologies of neo-liberalism, while in the East the revolution will come from disenfranchised labor through unions, strikes and organizing against the capitalist systems that oppress and exploit them.

Wonderfully written, compelling and inspiring. Chris Hedges has a wonderful way with words, a must read for our current times....