Chris Hedges "Brace Yourself! The American Empire Is Over & The Descent Is Going To Be Horrifying!"

67 years ago Germany was in ashes. Today they are one of the more prosperous of the European nations because they looked inward to correct the past and started concentrating on their domestic policy and people instead of trying to conquer the world. If we collapse, it may be the catalyst to ending the industrial/military complex that is dominating our policy now and destroying us. There will be a lot of suffering and frankly, I'm hoping I won't be here.

now it is our turn. And I don't think it is a bad thing. As the American Empire seems to be a bad thing for the planet.

is rock bottom. China as the superpower will be infinitely worse.

... everything nowdays happens in much more rapid succesision (regression) as populations continually rise. Everything that has been going on in the world economies have overextended China as well. Outside funding will start to dry (mainly from the Ubers) to build their mega-lopic ghost towns proving their spending power, and their populace will finally have 'had enough'.

What rises from that, though... is anyone's guess

funny how Whedon's 'Firefly' series doesn't seem so far fetched, in the near(er) future

I suppose it may be easier to get along in life without contemplating many a doomsday scenario. I also suppose there are many who wouldn't believe anything of the sort until it befalls them as well. I could also say that if I had a nickel for every lofty platitude from a politician from any party I could be rich. For that matter one could get rich from betting that what our politicians say is in some form a lie. I guess everyone can pick and choose which of all the sources of information are truth and which are not just by the looks of it or a title or facial expressions or what tv or radio network it is on. I don't know how anyone that considers themselves informed can write off -all- the "doomsday" scenarios. After all it isn't just one doomsday ...there are many. My bet is that at least one is going to happen.

and might be cited as the reason some individuals see any 'negative' analysis as a "sky is falling" gambit. Strongly correlated is the tendency for many such individuals to 'kill the messenger' who delivers such news.

I've twice had the serendipitous opportunity to be an 'insider' when something significant happened to our economy. The first time was when the S&L industry went belly up. Six months before this event, I left the industry after completing extensive research following a frightening experience at my company (the largest S&L in Texas). I told my friends and colleagues that my research strongly indicated that something big was about to happen, and I was told to stop 'crying wolf' and to stop being a 'doom and gloomer'--until the industry collapsed. Then, many of my suddenly unemployed, former colleagues called me and said, "I wish I'd listened to you." I reminded them that they could have done the same research, in order to make the same informed decision about their future in the industry.

The second time was when the corporate megalomaniacs fraudulently and criminally destroyed our mortgage industry, and irretrievably damaged the global economy. I was a loan officer for the largest mortgage lender in the US, and I steadfastly refused to market or sell subprimes. I left when my manager's hostility led him to ignore my emails and phone calls, making it impossible for me to negotiate rates for my clients. Again, I told friends and colleagues that I smelled a huge rat, and again I was accused of being a 'negative nelly' and a 'doom and gloomer.'

Neither of these experiences will prevent me from seeking full knowledge whenever I make decisions about my life, or about my activism. I know that I am one of MANY individuals who did the same thing in both of the above instances. I know that I REMAIN most hopeful because there ARE members of our species who manifest love and respect for the Universe and all things in it.

Given that we now live in exponential times, I know that I might be about to witness the evolutionary cul-de-sac of our entire species. Our planet and our global economy are undergoing catastrophic change, and it will be interesting to see if our species can embrace the behavioral and spiritual changes we must make to survive. I'm working on making my peace with this apparent inevitability. It helps to know that our ecosystem tends toward balance, and our planet will survive our species' hubris.

said the same thing in reference to Joe Wilson's claim about yellowcake.

"He's trying to sell a book. Ignore him."

Totally biased? Magic 8-ball says, "Yes."

On the other hand, I find it distressing that so many citizens seem so antagonistic about expanding their world-view...

Threads like this one threaten to burst that bubble. Hence, a need to attack the messenger and cast doubt on his motivations.

It's a common trait among conservative mindsets.

perhaps, to find such a trait in a member of a 'democratic' website...

The majority of the US electorate really don't understand/aren't familiar with the correlate policies and actions that have (in the past, anyway) formed the constraints of what it means to be "Democratic."

http://politicalbubbles.com/The_Nature_of_Belief_Systems_in_Mass_Publics_Converse_1964.pdf

Instead they rely on less rational means to determine their support.

that counts our votes.... The American public need eyes on the source code as well as at the exit polls....

That sums up what has happened to a tee. Doesn't it.

It's more comfortable to believe that voting can overcome the plutocracy.

plenty here.

Don't you know it!? All we have to do is vote a straight Democratic ticket! That's gonna fix everything!

(just in case...)

What the United States has done since the Spanish American War is horrendous. More total deaths than Hitler! Of course it'll be horrifying, and justice is done by God, no doubt about that.

Not until a graduate school elective did I encounter LaFeber's The American Age, which blasted the faux-patriotic, secondary school blinders right off my face.

His message may not be pleasant, but it is necessary. Without acknowledging the problems we face, it is impossible to fix those problems.

On a different note, this conversation shows just how dumbed-down our media has become. I can’t imagine this interview on any of the 24 hour stations. (Contrast this with the sophomoric, propaganda BS that passes news now.)

Thanks for posting.

It will correct way to the left of the extreme right wing agenda today. We will become a socialist society where the peoples health and well being will trump the greedy corporations, their political cronies and the military industrial complex.
Before this happens things will need to get much worse, say, another 4 years of republiCon rule.

i guess i`d better BRACE MYSELF and get ready for the most HORRIFYING DESCENT IN MY LIFE!!!!

sorry chris, the most horrifying thing so far in my life was my heart attack.

I hope you are fully recovered from your heart attack.

Ok then, to the barricades we go.....but where do we begin burning? The corporatist have already won. They have corrupted both parties.........sadly it is bread and circuses now and we eat it off the spoon every day and don't even realize it.

... under 6kpbs and intermittant

I'll let reply-girl give me the video run-down.


(at least I get to see all the juicy DU responses, though )

We humans are manifesting a level of mental disease that is both frightening and corrosive. Far too many of us are in react mode, driven by inchoate fears and resentments. Far too many of us are willing to pollute our spirits with negativity, eagerly engaging in name-calling and other forms of vilification. Far too many of us are willing to glorify violence or resort to violence, often just for entertainment or personal gratification.

We seldom acknowledge the import of overpopulation, but Calhoun's research with rats has proven that when a critical level of overpopulation occurs, the outcome isn't pretty. With rats, abnormal sexual behavior, hyperaggression, eating their young, and increased mortality are a few of the problems that occurred. With humans, well...isn't it past time we acknowledge that our entire species has passed a critical tipping point?

When I was younger (and naive) I thought our species was in its adolescence--obsessed with sex, drugs, and all other forms of self-gratification, especially as regards our economic behaviors. However, I've come to understand that overpopulation is a macro-level manifestation of our species' hedonism. Regardless of how much energy we devote to denying the ravages of overpopulation, they are writ large by our increasingly sophisticated, increasingly corrosive socio-cultural and technological constructs--the very same constructs we use to remain in denial, and to externalize responsibility for our collective hubris. (Is it even remotely surprising that our greed is killing us?)

Bearing this in mind, I feel overwhelmed with disappointment about the choices we (as a collective) have been making, because we seem to be moving inexorably back into 'balance' on a planetary scale. When it's time for Gaia to roll over and scrape us off her backside, the inevitable consequences of our species' hedonism and denial of personal responsibility promise to be extreme.

We were quite fortunate here for a long time, but human consciousness, for whatever reasons one might blame or explain, has been insufficient to see around the corner with intuition. The native peoples of this continent knew more about this than those who began this country, and they know what is coming next.

I've read Sun Bear's predictions regarding our immediate future. Some of what he's predicted has come to pass:

"I saw a time when the cities wouldn't exist in their present state. During the changes the most dangerous places will be near cities with nuclear and chemical plants. But all major cities will experience a breakdown in services. In my dreams, I've seen great garbage piles on the streets, the electric service out of order because of storms...

"I also foresee race riots in the big cities, with street gangs engaged in uncontrolled fighting against each other, using guns to get what they want. When there is no money to pay their salaries, the police will not be there to protect the people in the city. Instead, in one of my dreams, I saw the police banded together in groups calling themselves the 'Brothers of the Gun.' They were using their guns to take whatever they wanted. This is already happening in other parts of the world...

"I see the cities being hit by major epidemics caused by bad water, toxic chemicals, or other things...

"In my dreams, I've also seen wheat crops that had rusted. They had candy-like clumps of rust, a serious disease that was destroying the crops. There were great black birds like crows or vultures, just waiting. With nothing left to eat, these birds were scavenging bodies as humans died... In my dreams I see diseases like this continuing to cause great destruction...

I'm now living in one of the areas that Sun Bear (and others) predicted would be safer.

I feel that I am watching our species plodding inexorably toward a critical crossroads. At this time, I'm not as confident as I once was that our species as a collective will make better decisions. #Occupy gives me hope, as does the activism of many of our veteran teachers (self included).

I will not go quietly into our dark night...

The air literally smells sweet. All the dogwoods are blooming. Wisteria graces most of the yards along the curvy road I have to travel to get to 'town.' The irises are coming on, as are the peonies. I've seen robins, tufted titmice, various woodpeckers, and lots of meadowlarks. There are still plenty of luna moths here. I am totally blissed out.

This Sunday, I'll be visiting a 'truck farm' near my new home. They're not yet 'certified organic,' but they only use organic methods. I'll get fresh kale, spinach, brussel sprouts, and broccoli. I'm transitioning into a Vegan lifestyle, because I'm sure I won't have health insurance for the next ten years (I remain hopeful that medicare will still be an option when I reach that age).

BTW, I had to move, because I was about to be homeless in Houston. I kept back my last two months of UI and solicited help from my BIL and friends. I'm so glad I have a friend who's letting me live with her rent free until I get a teaching position. I've already had much better luck looking for work here.

The descent is going to be wonderful for the 99%, we'll see justice come to those whom deserve it and a real economy will be not only allowed to develop but will be outright encouraged to. We'll also see universal health care, an end to the fear-based militarism that's destroying the planet along with the destruction of it's completely corrupt bankers.

BRING IT ON!

he articulates so well... and he's got a resume to back up his stances on issues. A must view!!!

Michael Parenti

http://www.tucradio.org/parenti.html

Octafish turned me on to him.

thanks!

is that Chris Hedges is an angry, bitter, hypocritical man with a long enemies list, who despises those who don't adopt his own religious stances. There's just not much there other than hate.

He speaks of "Christian values" and of how they potentially have a positive impact on society. This is not religion, this is a code of ethics. The idea that this is what atheists object to is a typical straw man.

He can claim to be "Christian by association" all he wants, when it comes down to it, if he doesn't believe in a deity there is not much point in calling himself a believer. And if he doesn't believe that this deity sent its son to earth, to die for our sins and subsequently come back to life, truly believe, not just in some metaphorical sense, then there is not point in calling himself "Christian" unless he feels like he needs to "support his team".

Atheists don't deny that religion sometimes is of practical use, or that having a code of ethics is a good thing. They deny that a deity exists.