Despite decades of success, the liberal class has disappeared as a defense against concentrated economic / political power structures. Long ago co-opted into the 'game' of corporately-controlled modern politics, the gradual corruption and death of the liberal class allows, without impediments, the corporate state to dismantle the final vestiges of protection for citizens once created by more powerful, engaged liberals.
Liberals commonly distort their own belief systems to support unfettered capitalism, the national security / surveillance state, corporate globalization and unparalleled wealth inequality. As a result, they have relinquished their moral authority and transformed into apologists for the power structure. A power vacuum has been created into which various speculators, profiteers, gangsters and demagogues are beginning to fill, often including ridicule and taunts toward democratic institutions. History doesn't look kindly on this situation — can we buck that disturbing trend found in Tsarist Rusia, Weimar Germany, and the former Yugoslavia?
Death of the Liberal Class, by Chris Hedges - Nation Books, October 2010
paraphrased from book jacket
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LIBERAL CLASS role
Chris talks about crossing lines - the 911 Myth is one he won't cross - the Myth of The Global War of Terror, AL-CIA-duh, et al - he won't cross these lines - like Chomsky, Goodman, Flanders and most other so-called progressive writes - they need their book contracts, tours and media gigs and they know what the media/academic third rail is.