Chris Hedges on the Empire of Illusion

New World Notes #367, 28:57 (March 17)
Broadcast quality MP3 (40 MB)
Decent quality MP3 (13 MB)

In a brilliant and wide-ranging talk, journalist-prophet Chris Hedges discusses

• the pacification of the exploited citizenry by the corporate media
• the financial fraud at the heart of the national economy
• Wall Street's destruction of the U.S.'s manufacturing sector
• "Brand Obama"
• the perfidy of Obama and of other "courtiers" to the real power
• the failure of the Left to challenge Obama's Bush-ist policies, and
• the funeral of Michael Jackson

Our best hope, Hedges concludes, is a revival in the U.S. of Democratic Socialism.

Music added: Leonard Cohen, from Democracy

Hedges spoke in Winnipeg, Alberta, Canada, on October 14, 2009.  Original recording courtesy of Ethan Osland and Black Mask Winnipeg.  I have edited Hedges' 50-minute talk to fit this half-hour radio program.  The uncut original recording is available from radio4all.net.

New World Notes previously broadcast this installment (as #115) in May 2010