Tuesday, May 12, 2026

America's Suicide Pact

Chris Hedges: America's suicidal march began long before Donald Trump. Trump and the buffoons around him are the inevitable final chapter of the decaying empire.

Posted by Corky at 10:33 PM | 20 COMMENTS | permalink

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Civilizations, as the historian Arnold J. Toynbee famously argued, "die from suicide, not by murder." They collapse from within. They fall prey to moral, social and spiritual decay. They are seized by a parasitic ruling class.

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"These traitors, ensconced in the leadership of the two ruling parties, stripped us of assets and power slowly. They used subterfuge, lies and legalized bribery.

They pretended to honor electoral politics, checks and balances, a free press and the rule of law while subverting all of these democratic pillars.

That old system, however flawed, was hollowed out. It was turned over to the amoral and the idiotic " look at the Supreme Court or Congress " those willing to do the bidding of the billionaire class."

more at the thread link

Video version from Hedge's channel:

www.youtube.com

#1 | Posted by Corky at 2026-05-11 11:14 PM

"Armed with billions by the mortal enemy of the demos " the oligarchs and corporations " the political elites, Republicans and Democrats, destroyed the careers of those politicians who resisted.

They crushed labor unions. They blacklisted honest journalists and consolidated the press into the hands of a handful of corporations and oligarchs.

They slashed regulations that constrained unfettered greed and protected the population from predatory corporations and environmental toxins.

They passed legislation that created a de facto tax boycott for the rich " Trump famously paid no federal income taxes in 10 of the 15 years prior to his presidency " while stripping the country of its industry and throwing some 30 million people out of work.

Wealth is no longer created by producing or manufacturing. It is created by manipulating the prices of stocks and commodities and imposing a crippling debt peonage on the public."

still more at the thread link

#2 | Posted by Corky at 2026-05-11 11:19 PM

What? No love for Chris Hedges?

What's this world coming to?

#3 | Posted by Corky at 2026-05-12 04:32 PM

SO.... Iran is making a push into Kuwait:

IRAN INVADES MAJOR KUWAIT ISLAND, GULF STATES LAUNCH SECRET ATTACKS! Breaking War News The Enforcer

www.youtube.com

#4 | Posted by Corky at 2026-05-12 10:20 PM

And don't forget, a Nepo of a Nepo is a ruling class...looking at who is getting richer and who amongst us is getting poorer.
It took me forever to understand that we "lost' the Vietnam War because we were on the wrong side, we killed to protect French Colonialist imperialism and domination of the poor by the rich.

#5 | Posted by Hughmass at 2026-05-13 06:24 AM

Suicide pact would imply the idiots that voted chump in knew they were killing America.

They're too stupid even now to realize it.

#6 | Posted by Nixon at 2026-05-13 06:47 AM

the article hit the nail on the head.

#7 | Posted by bat4255 at 2026-05-13 07:19 AM

I have a love/hate relationship with Chris Hedges. He is correct. His writing is depressing. I appreciate his honesty.

#8 | Posted by anton at 2026-05-13 07:40 AM

Hedges is a graduate of Harvard Divinity School, and a registered Presbyterian Minister.

He's living proof that lefty political Christianity is basic Christianity.

#9 | Posted by Corky at 2026-05-13 10:08 AM

I am in agreement with ANTON at #8 and that led to a bit from Wislawa Szymborska's poem "Soliloquy for Cassandra," Homer's Trojan priestess in the Iliad whose warning prophesies go ignored, thanks to Apollo's curse.

Here I am, Cassandra.
And this is my city under ashes.
And these are my prophet's staff and ribbons.
And this is my head full of doubts.

... .

#10 | Posted by Doc_Sarvis at 2026-05-13 12:47 PM

US Fighter Jets DEPLOY Near Iranian Warzone; Iran EVACUATES Ships From Kharg Island | Enforcer News

The Enforcer

www.youtube.com

#11 | Posted by Corky at 2026-05-13 03:06 PM

"It began when the ruling class, especially under the Reagan and Clinton administrations, set out to harvest the country and empire for personal profit"

#12 | Posted by lfthndthrds at 2026-05-13 08:27 PM

Clinton: conservative Democrat
Obama: Bush III in many ways
Biden: Not much different

Yes, it would be nice if some of these Christian Democrats (liberal Baptist, Congregationalist, working-class Catholic) stopped fearing the conservatives in this country and had a whole lot more to show for their ideals.

Been reading for work a whole lot lately about the humanitarian left hijacking social causes for their own profit, time and time again, globally and forever, and little changes.

That's not from pundits. That's hard research being published by Oxford Univ. Press.

#13 | Posted by Dbt2 at 2026-05-13 08:49 PM

I'm impressed y'all! Good stuff.

#14 | Posted by Miranda7 at 2026-05-13 11:38 PM


Civilizations, as the historian Arnold J. Toynbee famously argued, "die from suicide, not by murder." They collapse from within. They fall prey to moral, social and spiritual decay. They are seized by a parasitic ruling class.

Its like CorkyDaBigot only appeals to authority. I have been saying this since I started posting here.

#15 | Posted by oneironaut at 2026-05-13 11:50 PM

So ask someone why they voted for the fascist Trump, to run our democracy. My guess is they felt left out and liked the idea of taking the entire country down the rabbit hole to its demise.

#16 | Posted by Hughmass at 2026-05-14 07:38 AM

#16

Yes. It appears that for some of the most alienated it was the final and biggest effort to "own the libs!" once and for all.

#17 | Posted by anton at 2026-05-14 07:52 AM

#15

Now he proves he doesn't understand ANY logical fallacy definitions.

"Not All Appeals are Fallacious: It is reasonable to defer to expert consensus. The fallacy occurs when the authority's status is used to replace evidence, or when they are not a legitimate expert in that specific area."

Toynbee on history is not fallacious.

1Nut on any subject is.

#18 | Posted by Corky at 2026-05-14 10:38 AM

"It began when the ruling class, especially under the Reagan and Clinton administrations, set out to harvest the country and empire for personal profit"
#12 | Posted by lfthndthrds

That's also why your ancestors came to America, but whatever.

#19 | Posted by snoofy at 2026-05-14 10:39 AM

Predator/prey cutthroat capitalism results in decentralized power as the billionaires run things from their very undemocratic boardrooms.

#20 | Posted by Hughmass at 2026-05-15 07:29 AM

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