Chris Hedges on "Empire of Illusion"

Social critic and author of "Empire of Illusion", Chris Hedges talks about the end of literacy and the triumph of spectacle in American culture.

• Category

  Education

[geezzerboy]

As the late, great George Carlin put it, "It's called the American Dream, because you have to be asleep to believe it."

[Brett Murphy]

However, what I have come to learn is that my classmates are not the evil and cold people that outsiders often make them out to be (although some definitely are). Most are genuinely kind people that have no intentions of becoming a harmful force. They are simply products of a broken system and know not what they are doing (in the early years at least). What makes me nervous is that I don't know what will break the ingrained assumptions and beliefs of both my classmates and future generations.

[MegF]

"no longer distinguish between what real and what isn't", "magical thinking", "delusional thinking".... also describes religions. Seems when these delusional worlds clash that people turn mad and against each other. Lots of the world is not "operating in a reality based universe" and always has been this way and probably always will. If at least that delusion includes to be kind to each other and take care of our planet, then we might survive as a species and a world.

[freeusup]

search Tom Woods the-question-libertarians-can'­t-answer-part-ii/

[Joshua Hunt]

Does that comment come with Kool-aid? Well you are obviously one of those herd-minded people who are dying to let everyone know that you hold all the approved opinions, and that you have never soiled their empty mind with thoughts that were not pre-screened by the socialist Washington Establishment and the corporate network news media. Congratulations! You win the system whore of the week award.

[telebob]

Eh?

[canisfamilliaris]

Well obviously there are exceptions, I was talking about averages, which should be obvious.

When one talks about the masses, one means the general herd, and their general behaviour.

I'm sure your father didn't spend his time leaning against the bars of the cells, discussing Darwin, or Mozart with the average criminal, although he might have done with the odd one or two.

Get the idea, mean, median or mode. Look it up.

[henryVIIIification]

Maybe nothing will break the ingrained assumptions and beliefs of the present generation on the whole. But all it takes to turn a society around is the remnant. A few serious, concerned, devoted individuals developed into a group can change the world. It probably will not happen overnite but like most things in nature it has to go through a growth process. You get enough tuning forks vibrating at the same frequency and more and more vibrate to that note or frequency. So keep playing your note.

[jon fenick]

my father was a indiana state policeman. we listened to classical as well as rock and roll.,we went to the lake, we went to art museums. we listened to firing line with william buckley every sunday after church. he is the guy who would debate intellectuals,politicians,musi­cians, learned a lot.  i disagreed with some and agreed with others including bill. listening to those with an intensity for life..gave me, at the age of seven, a clear advantage over suckers like you.

[canisfamilliaris]

I totally agree.

[Jimmy Moller]

The working class didn't go to operas in the 50s-60s they went on family vacations. They were also able to purchase homes, food, vehicles without relying on government assistance. Most of what most today consider "working class" are working poor with no chance of any upward mobility.

[canisfamilliaris]

Why do I get the impression that he's a typical intellectual, looking back to a mythical time when people like him, and there vacuous opinions were held with more reverence?

The masses never cared for the hideous self regard of intellectuals, and still don't. Good for them. Sick of these people and their ridiculous idea that the working class used to go to the opera and listen to classical music.

Notice he doesn't use a syphalitic 20th century prositute as an example of a society gone wrong.