Chris Hedges: Mass politics must be rooted in class struggle
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- čas přidán 28. 05. 2024
- From the social upheaval embodied in Donald Trump’s presidency and the 2020 uprisings for racial justice to rampant corporate plunder and increasingly widespread labor unrest, the conditions for an organized mass political movement exist in the US. So, why hasn’t that movement come about yet? Is such a movement possible in the US today? If so, what role can the left play in mobilizing it?
As world-renowned journalist and activist Chris Hedges argues, “Part of the problem with the left [today] is that it’s too engaged in political theater, it’s not engaged enough in political organizing, and it often is not literate in the most important element before us, which is class.” In their latest interview for TRNN, co-hosts of THIS IS REVOLUTION Jason Myles and Pascal Robert speak with Hedges about the possibility of mass politics in our present moment, and about the hard work of building working-class solidarity. Chris Hedges is the former Middle East bureau chief of the New York Times, a Pulitzer Prize winner, and a columnist at ScheerPost. He formerly hosted the program Days of Revolt, produced by TRNN, and is the author of several books, including America: The Farewell Tour, American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America, and War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning.
Read the transcript of this interview: therealnews.com/chris-hedges-...
Pre-Production/Studio: Jason Myles
Post Production: Cameron Granadino
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"Revolutionaries never ask what's practical, they ask what's right," --Chris Hedges
And almost always end up in genocidal failure, oppression and death beyond your imagination. I wish you could reap what you sow, but then I would be forced to as well.
YES!! Everyone should be asking What is right!!
@@mikerentiers should we all be like you and fight for the 1 percent class of people that are ripping us off, turned democracy into Kabuki theater, and stolen our / our children's future?
Is that what we should be doing instead?
If you're a Bible reader, check out:
[Matthew 25:31-46].
Practical and what's right don't really have to be at odds with each other.
I mean it's not practical for our economy to be killing the ecology, nor is it right for it to do so.
So let's do what is right and model our economy after Cuba's sustainable economy.
@@cxg732 😳 Are you for real?
Hedges is one of the few people who gets it. What he says I’ve known for a while. The oligarchy has done a masterful job of dividing the working class. At the end Chris gave me some hope. A rare commodity these days. I’m white. I know what Chris Hedges knows, but trying to communicate that to most of my white relatives is like talking to a wall. Except for the young.
So if he is one of the few and YOU have known it for a while ... you must be a genius, right ?
Lots of people know what Chris knows. It's his ability to communicate and moral conviction that separate him
People know people just aren't willing to give up what they have to start a new. The people are going to have to walk out on this system.rrfusevto continue to make the rich richer and the poor poorer . No more! Enough is enough
Focus on convincing younger ppl.
Sadly, he does NOT get it about covid, the mandates, etc. Totally out to lunch. Just like the rest of the so-called "left".
"On Contact" is awesome, but "Days of Destruction, Days of Revolt" was also a Very Excellent show. Always great to get the teachings of Mr Hedges. Nice to see him back on RNN, too.
A masterful analysis! He puts
his immense reading,, education, cosmopolitan life experience, knowledge of other cultures and the impact of imperialism on the rest of the world and Americans themselves LIKE NO OTHER WHITE U.S. INTELLECTUAL CAN DO RIGHT NOW.
WE WANT MORE AND MORE
MORE, MORE OF HIS BRLLIANT ANALYSIS
Yes,but haven't you noticed? ... he's AWOL/MIA since the trucker convoy/protests began ...
Thousands are now following his advice to resist tyranny while he hides his head ... haven't you noticed?
What a beautiful soul this great human being Chris Hedges is. Much respect for Chris.
Ru people on crack?????
PLEASE ANYONE.... TELL ME ONE, JUST ONE OF PRESIDENT TRUMP ACTIONS THAT HE DID THAT WAS DONE IN ANY WAY OTHER THAN TRYING TO BETTER THE LIVES OF YOU AND I ???
UNLIKE UR SO CALLED BLACK PRESIDENT THAT DID EVERYTHING IN HIS POWER AND HIS POLITICAL PARTIES POWER TO DO AS MUCH HARM TO YOU AND I AS WAS ALLOWED BY THE LAW!!!! AND EVEN DID THINGS THAT HE WASN'T LEGALLY ABLE TO DO... AMNESTY... OBAMA CARE...
NOT PUT HILLARY IN JAIL FOR TAMPERING WITH AND ACTUALLY DESTROYING EVIDENCE THAT SHE WAS ORDERED TO BE TURNED OVER TO INVESTGATORS ???
SO WHY YOU TWO IDIOTS CRY RACIST. HOW IS THAT BUMBLING IDIOT THAT YOU IDIOT'S VOTED FOR DOING FOR YOU????? HOW IS THAT WORKING OUT FOR YOU?????
ILLEGAL INVASION AT OUR BORDER FROM THE PEOPLE FROM ALL AROUND THE WORLD ??? WITH OUT ANY WAY, OR WILL OF VETTING THEM. WTF !!!!!!
HOW RU OK WITH JUST ANYBODY COMING INTO THIS COUNTRY ILLEGALLY????
@@matthewpeters325 the people in this video are Marxist, you can't reason with them.
@@scot_irsh No, we are social democrats verses our single Business Party in the USA. The Democrat Party which is a far right Party and the Republican Party a fascist Christian Party.
@@joem1070 Agree 100%. Third and fourth party only way to vote
I love Chris hedges, thank you for this interview. I can get lulled by my own sense of hopelessness - it can happen a lot, though I do have ways of combatting that feeling on my own that are somewhat effective. Sometimes not. But listening to him talk, especially in conversation with good interviewers like y'all, is so invigorating to me. As someone on the Left who also has a spiritual aspect to my understanding or interpretation of the world, and who is so viscerally devastated by the ongoing assault of the evangelical church on its own people('s minds), as well as the flat refusal of much of the left to grapple or even respect the spiritual motivation of much of its own potential members, its so life-giving to hear him talk about the church as an entity that needs to be addressed and held accountable, but politically.
Chris Hedges is my hero.. 🙏 thank you
Mine, too!
When you hear one talk truth you realize how basic our problems are. We lie to ourselves and that is the first thing we must stop. Then & only then can you effect change.
Yes.
LOVE, LOVE ME SOME CHRIS HEDGES! It's been a long time since hearing from him! THANK YOU, GUYS, FOR HAVING HIM!
"if you want to know who rules over you, determine whom you are not allowed to criticize."
Uninown
Thank you for your efforts all. Quite a treasure of knowledge to be taken in.
Ngl, Hedges got my attention to sit down and watch this, but I'm going to watch through ALL This Revolution podcasts now! This was great 🙌
Thank you! (this is Jason, the host)
This Is Revolution is wonderful!
@@zoeywitz6884 THANK YOU!!
Chris Hedges. Ended his work at the biggest newspaper in the world to work in a prison and do plays with them so they can tell their stories of exploitation. There is no more principle than that. I have such immense respect for him, even if I don't see 1:1 eye to eye with him on theory, I like many who aren't even firmly on the left can see the integrity of this man. He is a true communicator of rot and despair. He has been right about literally everything for decades too.
Agreed. I need to reread all of his books which were so good although depressing
I went to high school with Chris Hedges (1965-9) in Alhambra , CA , USA.
Back then he was Chuck Fuller.
Back then , I was the foaming , frothing , hair-burning politically-preoccupied radical.
Chuck remained vapid , disengaged , and fundamentally disinterested.
Today ..... Chris leaves me in a cloud of dust.
Preach on , Brother CHRIS !!
At 46 minutes and 40 seconds about;
The statement saying black Americans near the best is completely wrong. No American Indians have been advocating unheard for an end to genocidal policies, known as scalping laws. There’s not only made it Leehom to hunt down and kill any Native American within the state of Colorado (and many other states) but also offered to pay bounty for every scalp. They weren’t completely indiscriminate they paid 15% less if it looked like it came from the head of a child under the age of 12 years old. And that policy was in effect for over 184 years, until August 17th, 2021. I know black Americans make up a larger ends a slightly more represented group but there’s still a very vocal minority of Native Americans that were and still are far more oppressed under any indication of measurement.
So glad TIR came to TRNN.
Love Chris Hedges.👍
Your work here today on this is like a course we need to take every week. So incredibly important. History, and the deep truths we absolutely do need to hear and will blast us forward as you do this for us! Cornell as angel. You-all are too. Our wise guys we need!
This was fantastic! I'm on old school lefty and I've been feeling lost and leaning right because of the neo-liberals and the shrill identity politics/ cancel culture. This helps me feel more sane.
You need to stop leaning and jump as far left as possible. Marxism is not what propaganda has misinformed you.
Chomsky and Hedges are the most valuable intellectuals America has to offer. Their commentary and analysis goes straight to core of America's rot.
also Richard Wolff
I really like Chris Hedges and Richard Wolff, but something about Chomsky kind of turns me off of him. I think it's the fact that Hedges and Wolff not only describe the problem as they see it, but they give well thought out ideas of where to go from here. Chomsky, by comparison, seems to be all complaining, self-flagellating, and lamenting about how horrible the West and the US is without ever speaking strongly about where to go and what a realistic alternative might look like. He's all melodromatics without offering anything truly actionable, and it causes him to come off like a bit of a contrarian and for lack of a better word, a bit of a do-nothing pussy.
Idk, maybe I need to keep reading, watching, and listening to more Chomsky to give him his due.
I do believe it’s more than 80 million that don’t vote
Chris mfing Hedges folks. One of the most important voices of our time.
Please keep these numbers in mind : 550 "representatives" and 330 MILLION citizens.
_“There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen.”_
― Lenin
The one and only Chris Hedges, nuff said
Keep fighting 👊😠
Mass politics must be class struggle!
Great interview/talk
We need a revolution every 200 years because all governments become stale and corrupt after 200 years. - Benjamin Franklin quotes.
The problem is what's next? You can always tell by what comes next. What are he next couple of sentences after your revolution? (this is why vast majority of revolutions end in tyranny and death).
@mikerentiers Agreed. Said revolutionaries need to be ready to subsequently take up the role of being the framers of the next government to replace the government they revolted against. People who are satisfied with simply destroying the present government with no answers to "What's next?" do a great disservice to those whom they revolted in support of by giving the advantageous Machiavellian types the opportunity to swoop in and fill up the power vacuum.
Apathy is why the slow down happened, that and the lack of cooperation of all protests to unite under one working class social justice revolution which needs to happen.
Bingo!
Apathy is scrolling through the comments
Your ability to get Chris Hedges on your platform is proof of your legitimacy. This was a good conversation. I would like to know where to go to see some organizing of the 'masses'. What I learned from this program is what Chris Hedges said and that is, "Resistance is a moral imperative." Huge meaning to me. Thank you for your work brothers. Please drill deeper into organizing the people.
Indeed, they needed a white intellectual to legitimize their stream 🤣. I kid but that's a weird comment to think that having Hedges on does anything to legitimize their stream, it doesn't. Their content stands by itself.
Resistance is a Moral Imperative .
Its not about what is practical but what is right.
- Chris Hedges
Unfortunatly if “whats right” isnt practicle it will always remain no more than a critique.
@@tmsphere There's things one can disagree with Hedges about, but as it turns out, the historical precedent backs him up. I encourage you to examine that history of revolutionary movement building in the socialist tradition in detail because there you'll see the same pattern play out over and over and over: the beginning of wisdom is accepting that there's no avoiding having to start out as a principled minority that is necessarily somewhat isolated. And funnily enough, in the course of time, it often turns out to be the most "practical-minded," the most "unity-minded" reformists and centrists (in the old Marxist meaning) who are the rankest sectarians uniquely talented in sowing discord. Even the current online left is recapitulating these behaviors that were there in days of Marx and Engels.
Also there's a very ahistorical phobia of "smallness" that's plagued the left for decade that has made it unable to grasp the causal mechanisms that created all those ineffectual microsects and splinter groups particularly from the New Left down to the present. But the flipside of that (opportunistically tailing the Democrats) hasn't exactly paid over either. What's missing, again, is what Hedges is talking about: you can't create a serious socialist politics cut off from the workers' movement. And rebuilding those ties has to be done in a serious and systematic way so the mistakes of the various clumsy "turn to industry" adventures made by the New Left in the 70s aren't repeated.
It's funny how fast you all believe the lies on this channel. You people are lost.
This malevolent being dances on the graves of 100 million innocent victims of what he espouses.ie Stalin Mao Pol Pot. But he has a right to his opinions. ONLY IN AMERICA.
A Century Ago, West Virginia Miners Took Up Arms Against King Coal.
THE BATTLE OF BLAIR MOUNTAIN IS ONE .
Jacobin contributor Arvind Dilawar recently spoke to Keeney about the 1921 labor uprising and 2011 preservation effort, both of which are detailed in his book, The Road to Blair Mountain.
@Diana Gwinn Are you advocating Taking Arms Against our sea of troubles?
@@NEMO-NEMO No I am not. Can't you read?
@@dianagwinn4335 Yes I can read.
Your post clearly advocates the reading of THE BATTLE OF BLAIR MOUNTAIN, which is a great idea.
Which means you believe that the material in that book is important in your opinion.
If not:
What are you advocating in that post?
Because this is not a Book Club channel.
@@NEMO-NEMO Censorship is counter-revolutionary.
@@dianagwinn4335 Censorship just delays it.
Once folks are hungry and living out in the streets, it’s on and poppin’..
you can’t censor the “Crowd”.
I do not own a TV either, not since 2016.
@32:40 the religious left {and i can speak to this first-hand as a pk (pastor's kid) and an atheist} does not mix faith and politics in the pulpit. never mind the spiritual, epistemological implications, but our agnostic and deist founder's did this for a reason; both for the protection of the church from the state... and for the protection of the state from the church. you are free to mix the two if you wish, but kindly revoke your tax-exempt status and pony up all the money that you are stealing from your congregations. thank you.
great interview. hedges and tir are the best lefties out there. thanks!
CHRIS, HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT ABOUT RUNNING FOR PRESIDEN? YOU KNOW DANG WELL WE GOT YOUR BACK!
The people on the left and right are coming together and this is scaring the shit out of the ruling elite. Hold the course.
Where in America is the right/ left coming together?
@@mantis-mike5882 Those of us that aren't in a constant histrionic fervor are trying to focus on similarities than all this divide and conquer BS
@@HextimusDuex I noticed you didn't answer my question...
Many of us on the right have been trying to find something, anything to meet in the middle on, but when the left are becoming so radical as to hate their own country, disrespects everything that makes us powerful while trying to implement this bizarre socialist/ sugar coated communist garbage, there is literally NOTHING to come together on.
@@HextimusDuex Please tell me, how is the modern left "looking for similarities" to come together on? Serious question.
@@HextimusDuex Crickets- just like I thought.
Sit down🦗🦗🦗
great broadcast!..........chris hedges as a guest makes a exceptional show easy! keep up the good work guys!👊🏾😡
This is fantastic! Thanks so much. Keep this! Very good! Big appreciation.
FANTASTIC discussion. You guys are the bomb. :)
this was a good podcast!!!
Great questions, Jason!
Great show, great interview. The more the working class comes together, the more the establishment will try to divide us. We can't fall for it anymore.
p.s. Jason Myles has the most beautiful, mellow-toned voice.
Hedges is a genius.
this made my day.
what a collaboration!
This is a awesome Conversation! Love all the information in this Conversation very well formed convo and such a great wealth of information ℹ️
Well done! Great guest! Keep going…
Count me in for mass politics
'For the algorithm.
Great conversation 👌
Guys what a great discussion... You can see why the MSM and corporates hate Chris.. He's one hell of an orator, brilliant thinker and has the capacity to demolish the hollow rhetoric of the MS political debate... A man full of wisdom, truth and real justice. Love the brother Chris.... As Choen said.... to stand with the oppressed and tortured of the world... and not let the tyranny of the practical get in the way of "doing what is right," Great brain food discussion. Solidarity guys.
@1:07:00 ~ Glad Jason asked Chris about "doom and gloom" vibe. I agree with everything Hedges lays out and could add a few more takes on how to scratch a liberal, but you don't build a movement by saying "hey, step up and get crucified."
🔥🔥🔥
Glad to see you all on the RNN!!
I alway appreciate hearing Chris Hedges' erudite take on the hot mess in which we find ourselves.
Thank you, Chris
Mr. Myles made an excellent point on where is the left in the church spaces and why has the right mainly filled those spaces. I have intellectual left friends and they get mad if I even bring up spirituality. Mr. Hedges made a great point totally missed by most churches:
JESUS WAS A MAN OF COLOR. I have black Jesus' artwork on my walls and hard to get anyone to talk about that issue.
Corporate religious orgs...
Who chose this amazing intro! Good freaking job!
Still one of the best interviews! Will surely watch again!
A very good podcast.
Every time I listen to Chris Hedges I get a little smarter. That was a great interview.
Chris hedges and Anand G. are my absolute favorites. They know the root of the problem and aren't afraid to say it.
I really wish we could hear Hedges and someone like Adolph Reed Jr. and/or Noam Chomsky on this issue of voting for Democratic candidates as a necessary evil while concentrating on grassroots organizing. One can listen to one side and feel like they make absolute sense before going to the other and feeling the same way.
Amen! Chris Hedges! From an individual perspective we each have to ask our self, "Who would I have myself be?"
Good stuff thanks y'all
Thank you - great show.
The fact that those who are striking and unionizing are both right and left wing makes the worker uprising far more powerful. When I want to get something done I try to form a left right coalition of people who agree on that single issue. We get results that way.
All three of you guys are great!
Well done Chris .
I completely believe in all that Chris Hedges says, except the last part. Doing something that has a 99.999% chance to fail just for the sake of doing it does not make you a courageous or smart man - in fact, it makes you the exact opposite (more like those you criticize that have magical thinking). If we believe in science and math, we need to honor it even if it tells are we are basically doomed. I adjusted my life trajectory accordingly to what will very likely happen (culture and climate-wise), not based on what I really really want to happen. I really appreciate the knowledge, but in the end, I think a better message would help us be more prepared for what's about to come, than futilely trying to reverse something that has been in motion for decades now. Save your remaining energy for something that can save you.
Thanks great content. So real. So revolutionary. I'm in
If it wasn't for Chris Hedges, and John Pilger, I would be in complete despair.
Bravo!!! This Revolution is one of the premier broadcast on the net today: Hats off gentlemen Bravo
Lol i love how this starts out with doom metal. Perfect soundtrack for a dark subject. 🤘🏾
Anyone know who/what the song was ?
@Trevor Robison good question, and i have no idea who the artist is.
2nd! Looking forward to this!
Thank you 3, thank you Chris Hedges, The Man!
Great work, all involved. Absolutely on point, and not just for the US.
51:06 the rootlessness is also done quietly in the purging of historical materials in our Public and University libraries.
A long war has been waged to acquire the points of control over the publication of new material and what shall be retained in archives.
Much of this done under the cloak of woke-ism by applying the standards of today to the material of the past, denying to the curious the context and nuance of the time or period researched.
Yep, it's sad
First time viewer. I saw my fav -Hedges- was on. Love the show. Chris right about the whole of our political history & what it is today!
Also learned Chris must be about my age (I was a kid in the 60s). So why am I not brilliant like he is?! Lol.
Will be back!
Excellent! Good Job!
Mr. Pascal made a good point about inferior junk food and its effect on people ultimately having enough get up and go to rebel.
Yo go Chris. Your critique of sanders is dead correct.
So glad I watched this intelligent interview. Chris is a treasure trove of history. I could listen to him all day.
Thank you Gentlemen
Like the wha-wha-wha 🎺
Great interview, I love Chris Doom and Gloom Hedges.✊✌️
A true leader of the people. Thank you, Chris Hedges for helping us find out voice.
"No one reads books anymore that's another problem". Truth speaking to reality.
THANK YOU GUYS FOR HAVIN HIM ON!!! YOUR WONDEFUL!!!
They were like flash mobs. People spontaneously rose up to protest the overwhelming oppression. The proverbial straw that broke the camel's back.
Where is Blac Bloc now
Black Box now has evolved into Antifa Revolution. A15 Action Network for Economic Blockade for Gaza.
Love Chris Hedges.
He is so easy to understand so impressed by Mr Hedges thank you!
Awesome 🤩 Love it
Dig the sludge intro. Really helps the message sink in.
Thank you! It's by Bitter Lake (the host, Jason's band)
We need people running the government who are ok with not being a billionaire
The dividing line is real estate--those with a mortgage side with capitalism since they obtain the privilege of power and the labor of others with it.
A declining number with rising home prices.
Thank you!
The Christian Right. It is terrifying. Hedges's allegiance to understanding history and social movements portends some scary times ahead.
Good Stuff here ! this is very encouraging as far as our Future portends !
Thank you south .africa ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
It's extremely important not to confuse class struggle with class warfare. Class warfare is what the wealth and power elites do to maintain the social order and structures of injustice and inequality of which they are the primary beneficiaries. Class struggle on the other hand is what those who are under conditions of subjugation and degradation in these systems wage to free themselves to be themselves, to advance the whole civilization, not merely personal prosperity and success, empower themselves, to affirm their human dignity and change their living standards, elevate the quality of social relations and general conditions from tyranny, poverty, political and economic, sometimes cultural forms of disempowerment, impoverishment and oppression.
I love this guy - he is amazing and a much needed voice. Great guest!
Hedges is a voice that I wish was more heard in the mainstream. Truth is ugly and It needs a voice it’s just too sad the average Joe’s and Jane’s refuse to listen because they won’t play politics. Little do they know how much politics play’s them as a norm but they see themselves making bad life choices!!
BTW, I’m not sure what the intro music was from but good god was that heavier than an Elephants bum!!! Reminded me of Godflesh.
funny you say that! The music is by Bitter Lake (Jason the host's band) AAAAAAND he toured with Godflesh in 2014 w/ La Fin Absolute Du Monde.
@ Redblitz Who do you think controls the mainstream?
@@LaFinAbsoluteduMonde I’m absolutely floored! I’ll definitely dive in deeper to what you all do, Cheers!
Coming from an old Punk Metalhead!!
If you could hear Hedges on mainstream media, I guarantee you that you would not like his message. #CaveatEmptor
@@tmmartinesq.6216 Do you like his msg?
Thanks
You can't change the world without eliminating those who oppose you, which is why there is so much Chaos in the world. Desire to change and save the world is itself evil, and no one who loves power is immune to it.