The Slide

Madame,

So noted and well said!

The American corporate imperium: As Hedges relays Wolin’s words on page 148, it will not be changed by the normal measures.  To Wolin, “in inverted totalitarianism, consumer goods, and a comfortable standard of living, along with a vast entertainment industry that provides spectacles and appealing diversions, keep the citizenry politically passive.”

Wolin tells Hedges that “the political passivity bred by a culture of illusion is exploited by demagogues who present themselves to a submissive population as saviors. They offer dreams of glory.”  Wolin warns that ‘apolitcalness, even anti-politicalness, will be very powerful elements in taking us towards a radically dictatorial direction. It testifies to how thin the commitment to democracy is in the present circumstances.  Democracy is not ascendant.  It is not dominant. It is beleaguered.  The extent to which young people have been drawn away from public concerns and given this extraordinary range of diversions makes it very likely they could then rally to a demagogue.” (149)

Hedges points out to us that “pundits on television news programs discuss politics as a horse race or compare the effectiveness of pseudo-events staged by candidates.  They do not discuss ideas, issues, or meaningful reforms.” (149) Wake up words for us in this (ever longer) political season.

In fact, Hedges says it is likely that any future growing discontent and protest will only bring more direct and indirect control and repression. And “widespread frustration and poverty” might “lead the working and middle classes to place their faith in demagogues, especially those from the Christian Right,” Hedges posits to Wolin, who replies that it all might even lead to classic totalitarianism. (148-149)

As you can tell, to return to Toynbee, we are failing pathetically in our civilization’s (or at least America’s) response (or lack of response) to its challenges, and our “elites” are becoming parasitic in the extreme.  We are failing to respond to environmental extreme stresses, to economic extreme stresses, all amidst selfishness, denial, and embrace of illusion—made all the more alluring by abetting technology.

There are two ruling guidelines about the progression of events (the march of history):  

1. It’s unpredictable.  Things occur that are wildly unforeseen or even gradually transformative, and sometimes those make possible ways to transcend the road to ruin.

2. Countries, peoples, and civilizations that expect to be saved by number 1 usually aren’t.