Chris Hedges speaks on the death of liberalism (looooong video)

Chris Hedges was a foreign correspondent for nearly two decades for The New York Times, The Dallas Morning News, The Christian Science Monitor and National Public Radio. He's the author of such books as War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning (2002), American Fascists (2007), I Don't Believe in Atheists (2008) and Empire of Illusion (2009). He is a senior fellow at The Nation Institute and has taught at Columbia University, New York University and Princeton University.

His latest book, Death of the Liberal Class, was mentioned by Walt in "What's wrong with Obama? The Economist tells us". Mr. Hedges's theme, in that book and the speech which follows, is that liberal institutions are to blame for the downward spiral of the American political system.

He was invited to give one of the Big Thinking lectures at Congress 2012, he argues that the liberal class — the press, universities, liberal religious institutions, labour unions and the Democratic Party — have forsaken their core values and sold out to corporate interests.

Mr. Hedges explains why and how "the Leviathan of liberalism" has become so omnipotent that it cannot be challenged by Walt or the Tea Party or anyone else who believes that the message of "hope and change" presented by Barack Hussein Obama (successfully) or Michael Ignatieff (unsuccessfully) was and is nothing but a sham and illusion.

Warning: This is a full-length lecture! The video runs four seconds over an hour and 12 minutes. Listen to it when you're doing something else, so you don't just sit in front of the screen twiddling your thumbs. You don't really have to watch it. Just listen... and listen well!

What's wrong with Obama? The Economist tells us

The pontificating classes have already begun analyzing (to death) the anticipated rout of the Democrats. I heard Chris Hedges call the expected result "the death knell of liberalism in the United States". Of course he would say that, being the author of a new book, Death of the Liberal Class.

In the interview I listened to, Hedges did not heap a lot of blame on Pres. Obama. He's still railing against the multinational corporations and other bogeymen of "progressive thinkers". However, other pundits have not been so kind to Mr. O (as in "zero"). He's getting a lot of stick for failing to deliver on the expectations he raised so high.

Walt takes the view that Obama's whole "message of change and hope" was a sham and an illusion from the getgo. That's what Hedges says. Even if the Prez was sincere -- and there's considerable doubt about that -- he didn't have a hope in hell of being able to deliver the goods, at least in a short two years since taking office. There's just too much wrong with the American economy and American society to fix so quickly.

The Economist makes a further point, which should be taken into account not just by Mr. O but by his counterpart north of the border. In its lead editorial this week, the Economist takes Obama to task for failing to listen to the people. Here's part of the penultimate paragraph.

Mr. Obama seems curiously unable to perceive, let alone respond to, the grievances of middle America, and has a dangerous habit of dismissing tea-partiers and others who disagree with him as deluded, evil or just bitter. The silver tongue that charmed America during the campaign has been replaced by a tin ear.... He does not seem to feel America's pain, and looks unable either to capitalise on his administration's achievements or to project an optimistic vision for the future.

Couldn't have said it better myself. They just won't listen! Hey...that could be a good slogan for a political movement!

PS - I'm still not in Kentucky!