The Blame Game

Unless one lives in a bubble, it's very difficult to argue with C.H. assessment that America is trending down for the bottom 95%. He spends time with people on the street at various parts to prove this point well. Where he begins to diverge, is the reasoning behind all this. Chris can argue all day about economic systems, tax rates, exporting manufacturing so corporations can make a few more cent on the final product, laws etc, but perhaps most niave of all, is to blame stupidity - the experts in charge simply don't understand, if only they spent a few hours reading this book they'd know. To address this Chris had to make a choice, by accident, or by design. He chooses accident they're either all stupid (let's face it, a popular opinion that does well) and corrupt in some selfish way (the corporate types bribe - er lobby, those in charge for a way through legislative process that benefits corporations). There seems to be no room spared to examine the other possibility - that all this is by design somehow. Sadly this places the book with many others, that seem to do well simply because they reflect normal everyday people's experiences "finally someone saying it how it is" but it does nothing to help find out why. The bus run on the foot hurts, it's really bad, we all agree, bus on foot not good, but the real question, at some point has got to be, why does the bus keep running over people's feet?

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A book not even Rachrl Maddow and team can present

In its overarching view of the cancers within the US social system it presents the solutions no American will find acceptable....the impasse will not stand the vast expense of climate chamge, notr the ever growing rage within the pressure cooker called "democracy".

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brilliant and depressing,

an truly depressing account, role on the revolution, the ruling classes have had their time..

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Relentless attack on the American facade.

A polemical but very persuasive indictment of capitalism in the form of an expose of individual aspects of American society..Prisons, the military, the political establishment, corporate greed, casinos ... and so on... and so forth!! ....
No turn left unstoned.
A fantastic book.

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I have seen the present and there is no future

This exposure of the real world within America reinforced my understanding of why the US is so flawed. The detail within the chapters brings to life the reality of life hidden by glossy facade provided through various mediums. On the performance front I, personally, would have preferred a less husky voice. Still it is a must listen, especially for the home audience

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A devastating critique of America and those who would emulate her

Hedges deploys a brutal combination of individual case studies and broader statistical and other data over a range of topics designed to illustrate his argument. The prose is powerful and often very difficult to handle because the case being made is very disheartening. But in the end there is a call to resistance anchored in a spiritual quest to become more fully human that is inspiring.

The narrator is excellent and I highly recommend this book.

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An excellent book

A book about modern America. A sad book about a sad country. The book is well narrated and gives a picture of how much of America lives.

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perfect description of reality we live in

its such an accurate description of our way of life and how this failed system called capitalism exploits the weak part of our soul and turns and prevents us from achieving the goal of our species, to reach the stars and to unite for the greater good... too bad we lived for more then 2000 years in this state, to have rockets and computers doesn't mean anything, we didn't change at all... to achieve real progress is to ascend to another level of conciseness at a collective stage, as long as capitalism will be around we ll never change or improve beyond this primitive state, no matter what technology we posses

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Superb

Fabulous insight to US society. A must read for budding historians or anyone who is objective about the deeds, misdeeds & decline of greedy & corrupt corporate and political leaders. Congratulations Chris Hedges and beautifully read by Fred Sanders.

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Sobering and Necessary

In the decades following Pax Americana (if indeed there are any), historians will look to the works of Noam Chomsky, Morris Berman, Christopher Lasch, Alexander Cockburn, and, of course, Chris Hedges to find out what went wrong. In short: a lot.

From modern day slavery in the US's abhorrent prison system, to the drug and suicide epidemics of the Rust Belt, Hedges takes us of a tour of America's "other side", shadowy and immense.

Trump is terrible, but as Hedges reminds us, he is a symptom of a decaying empire, not a newfound disease. Listening to the accounts of families destroyed by neoliberal economics and a trashy, sadistic culture, it is shown again and again why so many people chose *anyone other* than the business-as-usual candidate in 2016. Who, let's not forget, responded to Trump's moronic slogan by telling voters: America is already great.

What planet is Clinton on?

Ours, unfortunately. There is no shortage of delusional thinking as the old order splutters and breaks down - particularly among those dedicated to extracting the marrow.

Hedges is among those providing vital criticism, and, if American elites had any sense, they would be feverishly reading everything the man has written. They won't, but do yourself a favour and start, if you haven't already.

Oh, and the narrator was the perfect choice.

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6 people found this helpful