Critique: “Death of the Liberal Class”
In his book, “Death of the Liberal Class”, Pulitzer Prize winner Chris Hedges dissects the gradual decay of the liberal class. He examines and explains each aspect in which the liberal class failed to uphold – or even fight to preserve – its primary values. He also passionately affirms his view of this neoliberal class, depicting them as a lapdog to the corporate power. They abandon the fight for the freedom, rights and safety of the people for corporate payouts and exceptional, selfish benefits. Appreciating
Moreover, it is solely to blame for the rise of “the power elite” – presumably an alternate title for the corporate power. The power elite and/or the corporate power have contacted the assistance …show more content…
Initially, he make claims that the liberal class has failed to “protect the minimal interests of the working and middle class as corporations dismantled the democratic state, decimated the manufacturing sector, looted the U.S. Treasury, waged imperial wars that can neither be afforded nor won, and gutted the basic laws that protect the interests of ordinary citizens” (Hedges 6). The liberal class stood idly by as corporate power took power and established its new reign. It is now so naïve and weak. It clings to the small and limited powers of persuasion for reform while pretentiously flashing an ethical façade sooner than making any effort to defy the corporate power (Hedges …show more content…
The most incommodious confusion is found in the definition of two most continual terms he uses in this book – “liberal class” and “corporate power”. One can assume that meaning of corporate power – in that it has something to do with commercial enterprises – however, a direct clarification from Hedges is much needed to augment the comprehension of his ideas in general. This principle goes for his use of the term “liberal class”, more so than anything else. For those who are unfamiliar of the term, he supplies no adequate definition of whom or what the liberal class is, in actual fact, other than a brief list of its supporting factions – “the media, the church, the university, the Democratic Party, the arts, and the labor unions” (Hedges 10); admittedly, this may be his form of
In his book, “Death of the Liberal Class”, Pulitzer Prize winner Chris Hedges dissects the gradual decay of the liberal class. He examines and explains each aspect in which the liberal class failed to uphold – or even fight to preserve – its primary values. He also passionately affirms his view of this neoliberal class, depicting them as a lapdog to the corporate power. They abandon the fight for the freedom, rights and safety of the people for corporate payouts and exceptional, selfish benefits. Appreciating
Moreover, it is solely to blame for the rise of “the power elite” – presumably an alternate title for the corporate power. The power elite and/or the corporate power have contacted the assistance …show more content…
Initially, he make claims that the liberal class has failed to “protect the minimal interests of the working and middle class as corporations dismantled the democratic state, decimated the manufacturing sector, looted the U.S. Treasury, waged imperial wars that can neither be afforded nor won, and gutted the basic laws that protect the interests of ordinary citizens” (Hedges 6). The liberal class stood idly by as corporate power took power and established its new reign. It is now so naïve and weak. It clings to the small and limited powers of persuasion for reform while pretentiously flashing an ethical façade sooner than making any effort to defy the corporate power (Hedges …show more content…
The most incommodious confusion is found in the definition of two most continual terms he uses in this book – “liberal class” and “corporate power”. One can assume that meaning of corporate power – in that it has something to do with commercial enterprises – however, a direct clarification from Hedges is much needed to augment the comprehension of his ideas in general. This principle goes for his use of the term “liberal class”, more so than anything else. For those who are unfamiliar of the term, he supplies no adequate definition of whom or what the liberal class is, in actual fact, other than a brief list of its supporting factions – “the media, the church, the university, the Democratic Party, the arts, and the labor unions” (Hedges 10); admittedly, this may be his form of