The U.S. is on the edge of rebellion, Pulitzer Prize winner Chris Hedges warns in new book

Do you believe it's coming to America? Or do you feel that America is too great a nation for it to ever happen?

Chris Hedges is no stranger to many posters of ATS. He has a new book, Wages of Rebellion: The Moral Imperative of Revolt, which does a great job evaluating the parallels of our current time with that of the 1700s.

The link is a very good interview with him regarding his book and why he believes that revolution is coming to the USA.
Article

Intro. snippet from Q&A article:

The United States is primed for a rebellion. So argues Chris Hedges in his new book, Wages of Rebellion, in which the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and polemicist examines revolts from 1700s to the ending of apartheid in South Africa, as well as the “sublime madness” that drives the people at the centre of such rebellions. Why is America next? He recently spoke with the National Post’s Ishmael Daro about what he sees as a pot about to boil over.

There is also a relatively recent video of him talking about Wages of Rebellion, among other things, recorded on March 5, 2015.


The video touches more in-depth on the collapse of the liberal establishment. Suggesting that the (arguably) Liberals were the champions of the labor unions, middle class, and poor. That has vanished and the only provided by Liberal politicians are talking points, no action or real support.

Recent, previous ATS discussions regarding Chris Hedges' books/talks:
Dec. 2014, Empire of Illusion
Jan 2014, Last Gasp of American Democracy

There are several more and they are all pretty good and insightful. At any rate, he covers some great aspects to America's current decline that should provide for some interesting discussion material.

a reply to: WCmutant

It does appear that the 'writing is on the wall',especially when the media is fanning all sides of the fire. It's not a matter of 'if', but 'when'.

Either way, I want no part of it. Revolutions are just a tactic for recruiting useful idiots.

If it does happen I see the south breaking away and California and Texas forming their own Republics.

a reply to: WCmutant

Who needs a book to see what is happening all around us here in the USA? Use your eyes and SEE!

Hedges seems to be one of the most level minded men writing this sort of thing. I don't agree with him all the time, but he's obviously intelligent and worth listening to.

a reply to: WCmutant

I agree it is on the edge of rebellion.

The working poor are tired of being treat like crap while providing the services everyone takes for granted that makes this country one of the better places to live in.

Millions of others are tired of being oppressed through the penal system and experiencing the totally corrupt judicial system aka the courts.

The list goes on...

a reply to: WCmutant

Americans are not going to standup and fight for anything. Any rebellion will come from the underclass of the ghettos in anger of simply wanting "more," and will be destroying structures, not rebuilding them. The American of old that toiled day and night to hew the land into farms and business single-handily is gone. Nobody sweats anymore and won't, not for a change of government that will probably not improve on what we have.

What would you want to change and how would you change it? Nobody has any answers that will work with all of the other problems in the world that also impinge upon us. The best we can do is to improve on what we have. It did work fairly well and should work better now that we have far better means of communication with government and with each other. Even if old nostalgic beliefs of how nice it used to be are bogus, we can still remake things according to a better way. And it starts with politics and you. Progressive, conservative, etc., it starts with you.

Americans are too lethargic to care enough to form a rebellion.

That being said, income equaility was NEVER this bad at any time in history without class warfare of some kind.

France 1789, Russia 1917, and many other cases of revolution were driven by income inequality that was nowhere near as bad as USA 2015.

Unfortunately, the average American has absolutely no idea as to what Income Inequality is.

Americans are kept in a constant state of fear by media outlets such as FOX NEWS. They just released a study that more than 60% of Americans think (a) there's a terrorist living in their hometown (b) the White House is incompetent and (c) the country is still in recession.

Keeping the country divided and terrified of having a conversation is the elite's way of ensuring that no one gets together and actually has a decent discussion and figures out what's going on.

The elites, along with the NRA, have convinced everyone to go out and buy massive amounts of guns and ammunition, to make people think if they have a disagreement with their neighbor they'll be shot. And would probably be right.

a reply to: Aliensun

So your solution to the problem is to have faith in the corrupt leaders?

a reply to: babybunnies

Those places never had to deal with the NSA and the level of investigations that can be carried out these days.

Before anything organized can happen the FBI and NSA are knee deep in their ass.

originally posted by: onequestion
a reply to: WCmutant

I agree it is on the edge of rebellion.

The working poor are tired of being treat like crap while providing the services everyone takes for granted that makes this country one of the better places to live in.

Millions of others are tired of being oppressed through the penal system and experiencing the totally corrupt judicial system aka the courts.

The list goes on...

The poster right below this quote doesn't think "people sweat anymore"....


Guessing he is the type that thinks everyone works in a climate controlled office.

Ignoring the way the office was built, or the air-conditioning remans working or he had a car to drive to work in or gas to drive the car or tires to drive the car from home in or that home or the food in his fridgge.......


All that without anyone "sweating".....

Must be nice to live in a fantasy world.

I'm just one of the guys sweating to make all that happen.

Good post, I know many who are tired of working their asses off so douche bags in suites can buy a 3 rd house while we rent.

Ill have a look at the video. What I can say is that I agree that we are overdue for some sort of revolt/meltdown of society, but the reasons are many and varied.

I don't see a "glorious revolution" or any such nonsense in the works though. If there is revolt, it is unlikely to be organized, directed, and seems more likely to end up in the U.S. breaking up into several different countries, or something similar.

To be honest, it wouldn't bother me. Our political system is a cancer, our legal system is terminally corrupted, our economy hopeless rigged. And the worst part? The American people. The glorification of ignorance, decadence, arrogance. Pointless bigotries and divisions, paranoia and fear of illusionary enemies, self-righteousness, intolerance. A neurotic culture too far gone to see just how bad it truly is.

Now I shall watch the video.

a reply to: babybunnies

Noticed how you put Fox News instead of CNN or MSNBC, it shows your colors.

Yes they are dividing the country, but they will end over playing their hand and breaking the country apart.

a reply to: johnwick

Thanks. I am one of those people who sweat. Must be nice driving to work everyday, and stopping by starbucks for that ice coffee and sitting in an office eating donuts someone else paid for.

a reply to: Skadi_the_Evil_Elf

To be honest, it wouldn't bother me. Our political system is a cancer, our legal system is terminally corrupted, our economy hopeless rigged. And the worst part? The American people. The glorification of ignorance, decadence, arrogance. Pointless bigotries and divisions, paranoia and fear of illusionary enemies, self-righteousness, intolerance. A neurotic culture too far gone to see just how bad it truly is.

I agree. Very sociopathic culture. Complete lack of empathy for fellow man, no emotional connection to others whatsoever.

These things WILL bring our country to its knees.

a reply to: onequestion

I seriously doubt it. The FBI, NSA, and fellow letter have not exactly done a good job at playing whack-a-mole on the various underground market places. In fact the Silk Road bust happened in a large part do to blind luck.

Given how far encryption has come, a well organized revolution can still happen. We can still communicate covertly without being heard.

The biggest problem, imo, and the most likely reason a rebellion will not happen in the US anytime soon is because the majority are too lazy, ignorant, and have enough bread and circuses to keep them distracted while the inequality of wealth continue to grow.

Many recognize there is a problem but get hoodwinked into aligning with the Democrat or Republic parties and (with the help of clever manipulation tactics) end up blaming each other for the problems of this country instead of actually addressing what is really going wrong.

a reply to: babybunnies

Unfortunately, the average American has absolutely no idea as to what Income Inequality is.

Having read your diatribe, I would say the truth is more that you have no idea what Americans think. I suggest getting your information from TV is giving you an unclear picture. The lack of understanding of the past always leads people to think that "today's" society is on the verge of chaos. The issue is TV's constant need for ratings feeding fires. Most people i know don't watch much news or TV at all - except for a favorite TV show of course. Most of us are to busy raising families and working.

V

a reply to: WCmutant

Lol! The collapse of the liberal establishment! The conservatives say the same thing about their party. These guys need better scripts before everyone caughes on that the same igmo writes both policy's.

Okay, for sake of argument let's say there is an absolute rebellion of say 33 million Americans (10% of the population) taking up arms to overthrow the current government and reestablish the true Constitutional Republic that we should have. And let's say 100% of our military and police refuse to fight against the people. I know, fantastic odds but stay with me for the big question.

Would there be a super realistic video game quickly released called Drone Strike for the kids to play? I am going to say, you betcha.

And people like Chris Hedges have made excuses for the so-called "Liberals" and provided cover for them in the past. Adding to the mantras of the "Party of the People" who in actuality rob and THRIVE off of separation and division. Not that I'm a fan of the Right either, but let's be honest with ourselves, BOTH (R) and (D) have become a class of Multi-Millionaires who dominate us with backing from BILLIONAIRES.

If there IS a revolt, you can blame BOTH parties as both are too extreme for any logical rational human being to support, and they are BOTH playing us all. And the ones that are prone to actually pick up a gun, unfortunately are not Libertarians or Constitutionalists...it's people who get angry over gays and the Bible and such.'

A rebellion is NEEDED. But the ones I see that are the most qualified men and women on "the field" unfortunately are the WORST ones to have ON the field.

Libertarians need to stand up against both Parties and expose them for what they are once and for all and with no mercy.

You (D)s and (R) need to GTFO. Seriously.