It’s a tragedy that will unfold over the centrist years.” Hedges’ observation about the centrist years, and the tragic fate of the liberal class, has been playing out in the 2024 Democratic National Convention. The convention, a spectacle of manufactured consensus, failed to galvanize the base and failed to represent the needs and demands of working people. The convention’s lack of authentic representation was evident in the speakers.

The liberal class, once a bastion of progressive values, has seemingly abandoned those values in favor of neoliberal policies. This shift is evident in the Democratic Party, which has become increasingly aligned with the interests of corporations and wealthy individuals. This alignment is exemplified by the contradictions in Kamala Harris’ campaign and the media’s coverage of it.

Dore’s political views have shifted from a “Bernie or Bust” stance to a more radicalized position. This shift is attributed to the perceived decline of the progressive movement within the Democratic Party. **Detailed Text:**

Dore’s political journey has been marked by a significant shift in his views.

The summary provided is a transcript of a podcast episode where the host, Chris Hedges, discusses the nature of political governance. He argues that the political class, instead of governing, entertains. This is a form of control, manipulation, and a way to maintain power.

It is a system of influence, not of representation. This system of influence is built on the foundations of secrecy, power, and money. It is a system that thrives on the ability to manipulate public opinion, to control information, and to silence dissent. It is a system that has been used to advance the interests of the powerful, at the the expense of the public good.

This passage highlights the ethical concerns surrounding the fashion industry. It argues that the industry’s pursuit of cheap and trendy clothing often comes at the expense of workers’ rights and environmental sustainability. The passage emphasizes the exploitation of sweatshop labor overseas and the lack of income tax payment by fashion companies.

The 2016 Democratic Convention was a spectacle of unity and hope. It was a celebration of diversity, a testament to the power of the people, and a call to action for a better future. The atmosphere was electric, with a palpable sense of optimism and excitement.

Well Bernie used to start every speech with saying, “sounds like you’re ready for a revolution, right?” And he stopped saying that in 2020, but back then we were and it felt like we were going to have a revolution. And so inside and outside the hall, it felt great. People were, there was a lot of friction. People were talking about policy differences. People were talking about big things, and it gave me hope, and even though Bernie eventually bent the knee, it felt like there was a movement of people and that we would eventually take over that party. That’s what it felt like. It felt like the momentum was on our side, and that we’re going to get this party back to being a party of the workers and away from the corporations, which is what Bill Clinton ushered in.

He just let them go. This is a very important point because it reveals a lot about Bernie Sanders’ political philosophy and his approach to power. It shows that he believes in the power of grassroots movements and the importance of non-violent resistance.

It was like the whole vibe was different. There was this tension, this kind of, like, I don’t know, a feeling of being watched. It was weird. The whole convention felt like it was a place where people were trying to be themselves, but there was this pressure to be something else.

That’s just a system of control. It’s like a puppet show, where the puppet master pulls the strings, and the people are just the puppets. This statement reflects a common critique of democracy, highlighting its potential for manipulation and abuse.

They’re just a bunch of puppets. This statement, made by a prominent political commentator, highlights a significant concern about the US election process. The commentator’s argument revolves around the influence of wealthy donors and their potential impact on the Democratic Party’s primary elections. Let’s delve deeper into this claim.

The 1 percent, the billionaires, the mega-rich, they’re not just a bunch of guys with money. They’re a powerful force that’s shaping the world. They’re not just buying things, they’re buying influence. They’re buying power. They’re buying access. They’re buying the future.

And how many air conditioners do you think he has in those houses after he made his trip to Africa and told people that “you all can’t have air conditioners because the planet’s going to overheat.” And then he goes back. So it’s just a joke. I mean, Barack Obama and Michelle Obama came into the White House without millions of dollars, and they left with millions of dollars, $80 million and now they’re worth, like, $180 million and Michelle Obama charges $750,000 a speech. That’s the last time I checked. So, yeah, you were left with stuff like that, and you’re left with Oprah on stage talking about racism, sexism and income inequality and saying how she’s been a victim of it. Now, that might have been true at some point in her life, but my entire adult life, she’s been a very powerful, high-paid celebrity, given her own television shows, and now she’s a billionaire who owns more acreage in Maui than there are acres of Central Park in New York.

So, yeah, it’s like some kind of bizarre Kabuki theater of all these billionaires and millionaires pretending they’re working class people, and what they really are is just tools of the military industrial complex and the establishment, and they have no class critique whatsoever, and they don’t really care about workers. And so, I mean, I think we’re at the end of the republic. I read your book, and that was a while ago now, and it’s only way worse. So, yeah, it’s honestly depressing. “It’s like some kind of bizarre Kabuki theater of all these billionaires and millionaires pretending they’re working class people, and what they really are is just tools of the military industrial complex and the establishment.”

He’s a radical. He’s a socialist. He’s a communist. He’s a fascist. He’s a dictator. He’s a traitor. He’s a liar. He’s a criminal. He’s a hypocrite.

They were doing it. This is a powerful statement, and it’s a powerful statement because it’s a statement of hope. It’s a statement of hope that we can change things. It’s a statement of hope that we can make a difference. It’s a statement of hope that we can end the war.

This is a common sentiment among many people, and it’s a very real problem. The Telecommunications Act of 1996, often referred to as the “Telecom Act,” fundamentally changed the landscape of the American media industry. It deregulated the industry, allowing for mergers and acquisitions to occur freely.

This quote highlights a key concern about the potential for financial institutions to manipulate global markets and exacerbate geopolitical tensions. The quote suggests that powerful financial institutions like Vanguard and BlackRock, through their investment strategies and influence, could potentially contribute to the fragmentation of a nation, similar to what is happening in Ukraine. Let’s break down the quote and analyze its implications:

But the Obama playbook is a playbook for the Democrats. It’s a playbook for the establishment. It’s a playbook for the media. It’s a playbook for the people who want to maintain the status quo. Hedges argues that the Democrats are using identity politics and race as a tool to distract from the real issues facing the country.

It’s the exact same plan they used for the Spring Fund Drive. The Council for Nonprofits’ (CNP) Fall Fund Drive is back and has been running for a few weeks. The drive, aimed at helping nonprofit organizations adapt to the changing world, is using the same strategy as its Spring Fund Drive, a long-term funding model focused on sustainability and resilience. The drive is centered around a series of workshops and webinars.

The summary provided focuses on the potential of a young girl named Sarah to learn to skate. It highlights the following points:

* Sarah’s age and experience with other activities. * Sarah’s physical attributes and potential for learning. * The importance of encouragement and support. * The potential for Sarah to excel in skating.

They’ll cut off funding, and they’ll say it’s for the greater good. They’ll say it’s for the economy. They’ll say it’s for national security. They’ll say it’s for the environment. They’ll say it’s for all these things. But it’s all a lie. It’s a way to silence the truth. It’s a way to control the narrative.

This is a clear example of the media’s tendency to be biased and to promote narratives that serve their own interests. This is not a new phenomenon, and it’s something that we’ve been seeing for decades. The media’s bias is not just limited to political issues.

They answer to the donor class. They answer to their advertisers. They answer to Big Pharma, military industrial complex, Boeing, people like that, and Wall Street, and so that’s why they’ve come down so hard on you, and they’ve come down on independent news, right? Because they can’t have a counter narrative because if you can’t control, if the establishment can’t control the narrative, then they lose control. And if they can’t control the narrative, then they have to start disappearing people, which they’ll do. It’s just a little harder, right? And so they’d rather just do censorship and control, which the media is all for, right? I mean, you look at what they did to Matt Taibbi when he exposed the control and censorship and the collusion of government intelligence communities and social media. Look what they did to him, right? They sent the tax man to his house the day he was supposed to testify, and then they did character assassination on him, and he was just doing good reporting. And things that Democrats are supposed to be upset about, right?

* **Government Overreach:** The notion of government collaboration with private entities to stifle dissent is a serious concern. This could encompass a range of activities from suppressing information to manipulating public opinion.

It’s 2023, and they’re fighting a different kind of evil, a different kind of tyranny. The world is a different place, and the fight against tyranny is different. The fight against tyranny is not a simple battle of good versus evil. It’s a complex, nuanced, and often messy struggle.

The author argues that the former president, Donald Trump, was ostracized from polite liberal society for his claim that the COVID-19 virus originated in a lab. **Detailed Text:**

The former president, Donald Trump, has been a subject of intense scrutiny and controversy since his presidency. One of the most contentious claims he made during his tenure was that the COVID-19 virus originated in a lab.

**Truth-tellers in a Media Maze: The Case of Tucker Carlson**

He’s a truth-teller, and he’s a powerful voice. This is a powerful statement that highlights the complexities of truth-telling in the media landscape. It argues that Tucker Carlson, despite his controversial past, has become a voice for truth in a media environment often characterized by misinformation and bias. The statement raises several key points:

Chris Hedges: I want to do a subtext on the censorship, which has been really pushed primarily by the Democratic Party, as Taibbi points out. But the subtext is that by using algorithms to block or limit access to independent media, they are attempting to funnel viewers and readers back towards the legacy or mainstream media because their own credibility has been eviscerated. And my old employer, The New York Times, after, you know, we can go all the way back to weapons of mass destruction, but two years of Russiagate and then deciding that the reason Donald Trump was elected is because America was racist, not that 30 million Americans had lost their jobs in mass layoffs orchestrated by a Democratic administration since 1996. “The Caliphate,” I don’t know if you follow that podcast, a completely fictitious account and I come out of the Middle East, so it was transparent to me when I heard it. Muslims crucifying non believers on crosses, I’m not making that up. The false story about sexual abuse and rape by Hamas and Palestinians on October 7th, I’m not denying that there weren’t atrocities, but that was never substantiated, and they hired some Israeli woman who had worked for Air Force intelligence and never been a reporter… I mean, that’s one of the depressing… I worked for The New York Times for 15 years, and it’s always been an elitist publication, it’s never been good on Israel. I don’t want to pretend that it was, but there were certain standards that have now completely—and I think you just pointed this out—they’re just gone. They’re not there anymore.

Jimmy Dore: So, what we’re seeing here is a coordinated effort to silence dissent and to control the narrative. This isn’t just about the media, it’s about the entire system. It’s about the tech giants, the social media platforms, the government, and the corporations.

It’s just the truth. And then I was slandered as everything. This is a pattern. This is a pattern of silencing dissent. This is a pattern of silencing people who speak truth to power. And it’s happening all over the world. This is not just about me. This is about all of us.

Chris Hedges: It’s not the debunking that’s hard, it’s the cost. Yes, so you’re right, it’s not that hard to see. So for instance, on the eve of the call to invade Iraq, which I publicly opposed, there was no disagreement among any of us who covered the Middle East, that invading Iraq was a disaster in the making. Just the other reporters were smarter than I was in keeping their mouths shut. And these people are ultimately careerists. They have no real moral core. And you talked earlier about all the people who were wrong and they’re still in positions of power. Well, yes, they were wrong, but in another way, they weren’t wrong. They served those centers of power, and they continue to serve those centers of power, and it doesn’t matter whether what they say is wrong or right, and that’s why figures like Thomas Friedman and all the others who were wrong about Iraq and Ukraine are still with us.

Glenn Greenwald, you know, he was a mainstream journalist.

This statement by Jimmy Dore, a prominent political commentator, highlights a significant disconnect between the political elite and the average citizen. Dore’s observation reveals a lack of engagement and concern from the Democratic party’s base regarding the party’s internal workings and decisions. The statement also underscores the potential for a growing chasm between the political elite and the average citizen.

They see it. They know it’s not fair. They know it’s rigged. They know it’s a system that’s designed to keep them down. Chris Hedges: The American Dream is dead. It’s not just a slogan. It’s a reality. The American Dream is a myth that has been used to justify the exploitation of the working class.

This quote from Jimmy Dore, a prominent political commentator, highlights the importance of finding hope in the face of overwhelming negativity and despair. Dore’s statement reflects a common human experience, where even amidst challenging circumstances, individuals strive to maintain a sense of optimism and hope. Dore’s perspective is rooted in his own experiences and observations.

He has a distaste for the truth. This is a very serious accusation. It’s not just about a single incident. It’s about a pattern of behavior.

This is a quote from a speech given by Richard Nixon in 1972. This quote is a powerful statement about the political climate of the time. It highlights the deep-seated fear of communism and the political polarization that characterized the United States in the time of the Cold War. The quote also reveals the extent to which Nixon’s political strategy was based on appealing to the fears and anxieties of the American people.

This is a very important point because it shows that Trump was not just a businessman, but also a skilled negotiator. He understood the complexities of international relations and was able to leverage his unique position to achieve his goals. The Abraham Accords, a significant diplomatic breakthrough, were a testament to Trump’s ability to forge alliances and build bridges across geopolitical divides.

I’m convinced a lot of those Black Lives Matter riots were inspired by the F.B.I. to create chaos. Chaos always favors the establishment. They wanted to get rid of Donald Trump and then the C.I.A. lied about the Hunter Biden laptop, and there were 50 of them on a letter and so… But they’re not doing that for Trump. So at some point, he is somehow a thorn in the side of the deep state and the military industrial complex. And like I said, I think it’s because he has the stupid idea that the president is supposed to control the military and the intelligence community, and they are letting him know he is not in control, that there is a group of people who are in control. It is the deep state. It is not the president, and if you don’t serve them, just like Chuck Schumer said to Rachel Maddow, right on camera, is that if you don’t do what the deep state wants, they have six ways to Sunday to mess with you. And that means — what Chuck Schumer revealed when he said that to Rachel Maddow — was that the president doesn’t control the C.I.A., that the C.I.A. and the F.B.I. and the NSA doesn’t work for the president, and if they don’t work for the president, the question then is, exactly, who do they work for?

She’s a liberal, and she’s going to ask the question that’s going to make the liberal establishment comfortable.

Chris Hedges: I think that’s a fascinating truth, and it’s clear that the leaks on Russiagate were coming from the intelligence community, and then all the former intelligence… Clapper and all these figures could not be on MSNBC or any other network fast enough to accuse Trump of being a Russian asset, and it’s anecdotal, so I don’t want to pretend that it’s fact, but I did speak to somebody who is close to Trump, and told me that Trump’s greatest fear is that the C.I.A. will take him out. And I think that there is a great deal of truth to this antagonism. I don’t share your sliver of hope with Trump. I’m just completely bleak. But that is a fascinating dynamic, because, of course, the C.I.A. is like the military, it’s uncontrollable. There’s a historian, Arnold Toynbee, who writes about the death, he chronicles the death of empires, and he said the common characteristic is that they have a military industrial intelligence complex that goes rogue, that can no longer be controlled. And that’s certainly where we are. We perpetuate war, disastrous war.

I’m not sure if I agree with him, but I’m curious to see what he has to say. I’m also curious about the book’s reception. Has anyone else read it? What are your thoughts?

A. The Power of Manipulation
B. Jimmy Dore’s Anecdote
C.

They’d do whatever I wanted. I’m not saying they’re all bad, but they’re not the heroes we’re led to believe they are. This statement by Jimmy Dore highlights a crucial aspect of the political landscape: the potential for power imbalances and manipulation within seemingly benevolent institutions. Dore’s anecdote, while anecdotal, serves as a powerful illustration of how even well-intentioned individuals can be susceptible to the influence of power dynamics.

This is a common sentiment among many Americans, and it’s a sentiment that has been amplified by the media. The media has played a significant role in shaping public opinion, and they have often portrayed Trump as a threat to the political establishment. This portrayal has contributed to the animosity towards him.

And so those are the things that he, as Aaron Mate says, that he puts an ugly face on imperialism, and that makes it tougher for them to do their imperialism, especially since they’ve demonized them as a white supremacist and a racist, it makes it much harder for them. It’s so much easier for the military industrial complex to have a guy like Barack Obama or a Black woman like Kamala Harris. This is why I said it’ll be, you know, at least when a Republican’s a president and he does wars, sometimes, the Democrats will go and protest him, right? But what if it’s Barack Obama? He dropped more bombs than George Bush, nobody noticed. Nobody said anything. They gave him a peace prize, right? And Kamala Harris is set to do the exact same thing. So in that regard, it’s worse if Kamala Harris becomes president, because the left goes to sleep when a Democrat is president, especially if it’s a president of color.

He’s a perfect example. He’s a Democrat, he’s a president, and he’s done some pretty terrible things. Bill Clinton’s presidency was marked by the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which was a disaster for the working class. NAFTA, in essence, was a trade deal that opened up the US market to Mexican and Canadian goods, leading to the loss of millions of American jobs.

It is a place that I have a deep connection to. I have seen firsthand the suffering of the people there. I have seen the destruction of their homes, the loss of their loved ones, and the constant fear that permeates their lives. Chris Hedges:

Hamas is a terrorist organization.” This is a false equivalence. It’s a dangerous and harmful tactic. It’s a way to distract from the real issues at hand. Jimmy Dore: The real issues at hand are the Israeli occupation of Palestine.

It’s made the region more volatile. It’s made the world more volatile. It’s a disaster. It’s a complete disaster. This is a very serious matter. We need to be very careful about what we do. We need to be very careful about the consequences of our actions. We need to be very careful about the long-term implications of our actions.

That’s a faulty argument. The argument that voting for a particular candidate or party is a justification for the actions of that candidate or party is a flawed and dangerous one. It’s a slippery slope fallacy.

This is a call to action. This is a call to arms. This is a real revolution. This is not about the economy. This is about the soul of America.

We’re both trying to make a living. We’re both trying to make a difference. How do we reconcile our differences? How do we find common ground? This is a provocative statement that Chris Hedges makes in his book, “War is a Racket.” It’s a statement that challenges the traditional moral framework surrounding homosexuality. Hedges argues that being gay is morally neutral, meaning it doesn’t inherently carry any moral weight or judgment.

Jimmy Dore, a comedian and political commentator, believes that the rise of Donald Trump has led to a decline in the type of humor he once enjoyed. He attributes this shift to the “establishment narrative” being challenged by Trump’s unconventional and often provocative rhetoric. **Detailed Text:**

Jimmy Dore’s statement about the decline of “good” comedy after Trump’s rise is a complex issue with multiple layers.

The summary provided discusses the phenomenon of conformity in the political and social spheres, particularly in the context of Hollywood and New York. It highlights the presence of a “lone voice” and the challenges faced by individuals who dare to deviate from the prevailing norms. **Detailed Text:**

The pursuit of conformity, a deeply ingrained human tendency, often manifests in the realms of politics and social life, shaping our perceptions, beliefs, and actions.

I was always proud to be a comedian, and I was always proud to be a comedian. I was proud to be a comedian, and I was proud to make people laugh. But now, it feels like the world is trying to make us all feel bad about being a comedian.

This quote highlights the power of humor in connecting with people and creating a sense of shared experience. It suggests that laughter, being involuntary, transcends cultural barriers and social differences. Let’s break down this quote further:

* **”When I go up in Hollywood and people don’t know I’m coming…”** This sets the stage for the speaker’s experience of performing in a high-pressure environment.

I’m really grateful for your insights. Chris Hedges: Thank you, Jimmy. I appreciate that. Chris Hedges: I think it’s important to understand that the current state of the world is not a result of some random event.

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