Audiobook4 hours
Unspeakable: Chris Hedges on the most Forbidden Topics in America
Written by Chris Hedges and David Talbot
Narrated by Chris Hedges and Michael Quinlan
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5/5
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About this audiobook
Chris Hedges on the most taboo topics in America, with David Talbot.
Chris Hedges has been telling truth to (and against) power since his earliest days as a radical journalist. He is an intellectual bomb thrower, who continues to confront American empire in the most incisive, challenging ways. The kinds of insights he provides into the deeply troubled state of our democracy cannot be found anywhere else. Like many of our most important thinkers, he has been relegated to the margins because of ideas deemed too radical—or true—for public consumption. Whether it is covering the dissolution of former Soviet states or embedding in the Middle East to understand the post-9/11 world, he has been a singular voice pushing against mainstream media disinformation and the amnesia of establishment received wisdom. He is an intellectual heir to American radical heroes such as Thomas Paine and Noam Chomsky, and is dedicated to reigniting a shared commitment to radical equality and honesty.
Hedges here speaks up about the most pressing issues that currently face our nation. He tackles the rise of a fascist right in support of Donald Trump, which advocates xenophobia and violence in a push for American totalitarianism. He rails against the posturing of inclusivity from establishment elites on both sides of the aisle, who post-Occupy-Wall-Street continue to advocate for policies that make America uninhabitable for all but the ultra-rich and, as lackeys for corporate interests, continue to expand income inequality in all directions. He tears into the contemporary glamorization of the military and the unchecked, unchallenged hawkishness that defines contemporary American foreign policy. Moreover, he shows his support for contemporary revolts against this twisted order—such as Black Lives Matter—that represent Americans refusing to take the destruction of their country lying down. And that’s just the start.
He possesses a clear understanding of the challenges that lie before us, and has proven to be ahead of the curve time and again. All of which is to say, Chris Hedges is unafraid to say what is necessary and true—and has always been. If we are to combat the intellectual and moral decay that have come to grip American life, we must listen to him and the urgent message he brings in this book.
Chris Hedges has been telling truth to (and against) power since his earliest days as a radical journalist. He is an intellectual bomb thrower, who continues to confront American empire in the most incisive, challenging ways. The kinds of insights he provides into the deeply troubled state of our democracy cannot be found anywhere else. Like many of our most important thinkers, he has been relegated to the margins because of ideas deemed too radical—or true—for public consumption. Whether it is covering the dissolution of former Soviet states or embedding in the Middle East to understand the post-9/11 world, he has been a singular voice pushing against mainstream media disinformation and the amnesia of establishment received wisdom. He is an intellectual heir to American radical heroes such as Thomas Paine and Noam Chomsky, and is dedicated to reigniting a shared commitment to radical equality and honesty.
Hedges here speaks up about the most pressing issues that currently face our nation. He tackles the rise of a fascist right in support of Donald Trump, which advocates xenophobia and violence in a push for American totalitarianism. He rails against the posturing of inclusivity from establishment elites on both sides of the aisle, who post-Occupy-Wall-Street continue to advocate for policies that make America uninhabitable for all but the ultra-rich and, as lackeys for corporate interests, continue to expand income inequality in all directions. He tears into the contemporary glamorization of the military and the unchecked, unchallenged hawkishness that defines contemporary American foreign policy. Moreover, he shows his support for contemporary revolts against this twisted order—such as Black Lives Matter—that represent Americans refusing to take the destruction of their country lying down. And that’s just the start.
He possesses a clear understanding of the challenges that lie before us, and has proven to be ahead of the curve time and again. All of which is to say, Chris Hedges is unafraid to say what is necessary and true—and has always been. If we are to combat the intellectual and moral decay that have come to grip American life, we must listen to him and the urgent message he brings in this book.
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Reviews for Unspeakable
Rating: 4.492957746478873 out of 5 stars
4.5/5
142 ratings12 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I'm going to listen to it agian this weekend. It's that good.
3 people found this helpful
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5So many contradictions and the interviewer was pretty self focused
2 people found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This splendid reflection will open new horizons in your life.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I love Chris Hedges and this is a must listen
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5It gave me good on-site to politicians and how it works. Thanks
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Passionate author, A profound and provocative examination of America in crisis, great interviewer
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5For me that's a interesting point of view. This kind off socialism. A different approach
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A fantastic perspective of someone with profound insight and experience.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Fascinating well reasoned thought. Hedges is always Inspiring even in the few instants that I disagree with hin
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This book is a Q and A with Chris Hedges conducted by fellow traveller and writer David Talbot. It's a "must-read" for those who, like me, have been influenced by equally passionate public intellectuals on the other side of politics. Chris Hedges is without doubt a writer and public intellectual who accepts the basic historical tenets of Marxism. Underneath it all, he is a revolutionary in the class struggle, apearing angry, frustrated and dissillusioned with the "broken and polarized" American society. The revolution didn’t happen in America despite Hedge's hopes that the Occupy Wall Street movement might have lead to change. Chomsky, James Baldwin he names with respect . . together with many other writers and philosophers who he quotes at will to illustrate his perspective. I need to listen to this audiobook again in order to absorb and reflect further on the content. As an activist, Hedges could almost be the Solzhenitsyn of America. As a writer, he could be seen in time as having equal status as that of his early mentor George Orwell. Hedges can be compared to Orwell for his elevation of moral truth above partisan politics. Hedges attacks liberalism in America for being a part of the problem. And that problem is, as always, the suffering underclasses, exploited and kept poor by capitalism, the ruling class, and social injustice. He's a "social justice warrior" in the strict sense of the word, not a modern woke cultural warrior fighting for "trans rights". Therefore he appears what we can call a "traditional leftist" as opposed to a "modern woke leftist". Capitalism and Imperialism are his evils. I would like to witness a public debate between Chris Hedges, and Vivek Ramaswamy who has a diametrically opposed understanding of capitalism and democracy. What I like about Hedges is that he is an old-school anti-war anti-US-imperialism type of leftist primarily motivated by class politics, not woke cultural wars. He’s adopted climate-change apocalyptical thinking, as do most folk on the left because it plays into their mindset that only government can cure all societal problems. Hedges does not have TDS - years of war reporting in South America and the Middle East has formed his views.
He equates the rise of Trump with the rise of fascism in America, but does not blame Trump who he sees as a symptom not a cause. He blames the failure on the working-class rage that gave rise to Trump on to the the Democrats who have sold out to the ruling class and the military-industrial complex. All things considered Hedges comes across as a revolutionary who is more than unsatisfied with the world and is passionate about overthrowing the corrupt exploitative capitalist system. I will have to read more of what he says because in this wide-ranging interview I did not get to hear him articulate what system he wants to replace capitalism. He’s a highly sophisticated thinker, philosopher, writer, hardened war reporter and ordained Christian pastor to boot - although he claimes to be a "Christian agnostic" and is contemptuous of radical atheists like Richard Dawkins, late Christopher Hitchins and Sam Harris - all of whom he has publicly debated.
Afterthought: Hedges' distaste for "corporate capitalism" and his blaming this system for social evils seems "so last-century". Surely he is aware that corporate capitalism, expecially amoung the Fortune 500 companies, has been taken over by Socialism via the ESG movement, as promoted by the World Economic Forum. the United Nations and other global institutions supporting the woke social justice aganda? Capitalism is being transformed, has been transformed, through this agenda such that now Wall Street is more of a Democratic party controlled subsidiary. Climate alarmism has pushed fossil fuel corporations into this agenda through the control if investment funds. Another "must read" audiobook on this tipic is entitled "The Dictatorship of Woke Capital: How Political Correctness Captured Big Business" by Stephen R. Soukup, narrated by Bob Souer. You can look it up. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This book challenged me, inspired me, taught me, pissed me off, and scared the shit out of me. If you only like to read stuff that you completely agree with, that makes you feel right about everything and doesn’t threaten or at least challenge your way of looking at the world, do not read this book.
But if you like a challenge, and appreciate reading someone who’s not trying to massage you or be your buddy, and who has the credibility to deserve your time and attention, wow, I cannot recommend this highly enough. I’ll be reading more of his books. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5It was amazing to hear his experience of being a journalist at a major organisation like the New York Times. I had always considered the Times as a credible source and I am now really reconsidering my position. I highly recommend reading it so you have an opportunity to take what's written in mainstream media with a grain of salt before accepting it as "fact".