Chris Hedges' Empire of Illusion | The New School
2,372,412
Published 2009-12-16
Journalist Chris Hedges discusses his recent book Empire of Illusion: the End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle. In it, he charts the dramatic rise of a post-literate society that craves fantasy, ecstasy, and illusion. Hedges argues we now live in two societies: one, the minority, functions in a print-based, literate world and can cope with complexity and can separate illusion from truth; the other, a growing majority, is retreating from a reality-based world into one of false certainty and magic where serious film and theater, as well as newspapers and books, are being pushed to the margins.
Chris Hedges, author of War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning, is currently a senior fellow at The Nation Institute and the Anschutz Distinguished Fellow at Princeton University. He writes for many publications, including Foreign Affairs, Harpers, The New York Review of Books, Granta, and Mother Jones. He is also a columnist for Truthdig.com.
Co-sponsored by the Writing Program | www.newschool.edu/writing
Department of Media Studies and Film | www.newschool.edu/mediastudies
and the Vera List Center for Art and Politics | www.newschool.edu/vlc and www.veralistcenter.org/
* Location: Theresa Lang Community and Student Center, Arnhold Hall.
12/08/2009 7:00 p.m.
All Comments (21)
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Chris Hedges oratory is electrifying, God bless him for the willingness and bravery to speak absolute truth in a world of lies.
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Almost 10 years later and this is still on point.
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I'm posting from The 'United' 'Kingdom'. My son was born toward the close of '1999'. We're hundreds of miles north of London but the closing of the Church doors at St Pauls finally made me REALLY wonder. I revisited Paul Grignon's 'Money As Debt'. 'Money' could and should be a means of enabling us to commerce and prosper; possibly thrive. Instead we are enslaved by those who are 'rich' enough to purchase control. 'Left', 'Right', 'Religious', 'Atheistic', 'Agnostic'... We need to talk.
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"sober reading of reality is the best possibility for survival and hope and if we continue within the state if illusion hope becomes impossible because all the decisions we make are not reality-based" CH
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We are in a collective apocalyptic transformational crisis. What a brilliant and brave man to courageously stand up and voice the terrifying reality of corporate power and our collective soul starvation.
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I found in 2019 his mind understanding with great warnings from Chris Hedges I am so glad to have found his word and understanding... let truth and freedom ring
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Sooner or later, the empire applies in its territory the same tactics it did on its colonies. Bravo, Mr. Hedges
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Mr. Hedges is the best voice we have on the scene,giving us the best critical anylsis of what we really face in the 21st century..
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Chris Hedges, you are loved by the millions including me. Thanks for all your hard work.
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Now, in 2019 Hedges' speech is seen as prophetic.
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Thanks for posting this lecture. Hedges articulately expresses where "We The People" have lost touch with the core ideals that made us great and what we need to do to find our way back before it's too late to salvage our "Great Experiment." It is better to stand up and fight for liberty and justice than to quietly cower down to tyranny!
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Last 10 minutes is the best, when he explains why, as a war journalist with first hand experiences, he cannot even talk to university professors about war any more.
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You know when someone is telling the truth when both liberals and conservatives are enraged by it. Thank you Mr. Hedges!
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Chris is a genius. He saw the terror and destruction, came back to warn us. 7 years down the road, and oligarchy is even more entrenched. Shit. #seeyouinphilly
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Just a couple miles too deep past the bounds of reasonable pessimism, but the attitude and picture it paints is practically refreshing amidst a media environment hell bent on flat-out denial.
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Chris Hedges has done me a great service. He has shaken me out of my middle class Liberal ideology. He has taught me to always do WHAT IS RIGHT no matter the consequence. He has taught me to abandon my illusions/delusions of the Democratic party. He convinced me to cast my vote for Jill Stein in 2012. He taught me that ultimately the only way to create the future we want is by active, peaceful, civil disobedience. Namaste Chris Hedges and thank you from the bottom of my heart.
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I really needed this. Thanks for posting.
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Thanks Chris for stepping up to fight for us all! I admire your humanity & your intellect. Yes indeed Franklin warned of the need to regulate big bsns. and Dwight warned of the military ind . Complex after all he was a Gen. Who saw war up front & knew how it could very likely become an addiction.
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Hedges is on point !
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You are so right on and I am feeling hopeless about humanity.
