Chris Hedges: Prophetic Voice for the 21st century

Chris Hedges, author of The Death of the Liberal Class, appeared in a lecture on Big Ideas on TVO earlier tonight. He addressed the take-over by the corporate moneyed plutocracy of the institutions in the Unitd States. Among his many observations, were the following:

1. big money knows that a Liberal Arts Education produces graduates who ask questions, and since they do not want those questions, they are eliminating Liberal Arts courses and departments from American universities
2. both Republican and Democratic parties have been "bought" by big money, and the war to gut the middle class has been lost
3. NAFTA has not delivered on any of the promises made by its supporters when it was introduced
4. The U.S.military budget is not considered "part of the government" when it comes to consideration of budget cuts, to address both debt and deficit problems
5. the Health Reform Act provided $400 billion windfall for the Insurance companies, who lobbied to block a public option to the bill
6. Insurance companies are applying for and being granted exceptions to being required to provide coverage for sick children
7. the churches have sold out to the corporate interests as have the universities, the political parties and the health care providers, including the hospitals and have thereby lost their voice to object
8. anyone who wants to preserve a voice of integrity must never join any group, organization or political party, because to do so will corrupt that voice...that includes all writers, and commentators
9. social chanage has only ever come from small groups of people stirring the public "pot" for change...including freeing the slaves, getting the vote for women
10. if one supports his perspective, even a single act of integrity, in and of itself, is worthy of being enacted, regardless of whether the larger 'battle' is won or lost