Chris Hedges essay about the American Nero — and Noam Chomsky's comment about the Republican Party — are they accurate?

01 May 2017

Accuracy has a way of appearing to be boorish silliness — in these lunatic times

This trait probably means that whatever is well-reasoned, but seemingly over the top in its expression, simultaneously loses its ability to persuade unconvinced people.

Culturally sponsored delusion, we can tentatively conclude, may manufacture an inescapable positive feedback loop.

Consider two recent examples

Chris Hedges said that (a) idiots lead America and (b) President Trump is the equivalent of Nero.

And Noam Chomsky concluded that "today’s Republican Party qualify as candidates for the most dangerous organization in human history."

Chris Hedges' "idiots" essay

Mr. Hedges wrote that:

The idiots take over in the final days of crumbling civilizations.

Idiot generals wage endless, unwinnable wars that bankrupt the nation. Idiot economists call for reducing taxes for the rich and cutting social service programs for the poor, and project economic growth on the basis of myth.

Idiot industrialists poison the water, the soil and the air, slash jobs and depress wages. Idiot bankers gamble on self-created financial bubbles and impose crippling debt peonage on the citizens. Idiot journalists and public intellectuals pretend despotism is democracy.

Idiot intelligence operatives orchestrate the overthrow of foreign governments to create lawless enclaves that give rise to enraged fanatics.

Idiot professors, “experts” and “specialists” busy themselves with unintelligible jargon and arcane theory that buttresses the policies of the rulers. Idiot entertainers and producers create lurid spectacles of sex, gore and fantasy.

There is a familiar checklist for extinction. We are ticking off every item on it.

Donald Trump is the face of our collective idiocy . . . . a sputtering, narcissistic, bloodthirsty megalomaniac. He wields armies and fleets against the wretched of the earth, blithely ignores the catastrophic human misery caused by global warming, pillages on behalf of global oligarchs and at night sits slack-jawed in front of a television set before opening his “beautiful” Twitter account.

He is our version of the Roman emperor Nero [see here] . . . .

Being aware of the facts (as I am)

I cannot effectively argue with Chris Hedges' conclusions.

One disadvantage to knowing History is that you tend to recognize being trapped inside one of its cycles.

Noam Chomsky on Republicans

Professor Chomsky characterized his own comment about Republicans as outrageous. But then he invited people to analyze the facts supporting the opinion. Namely that Republicans — to a "man" — deny global warming and/or reject doing anything at all about it.

In fact, added Chomsky, Republicans additionally favor getting in everybody else's climate-ameliorating way.

Chomsky's proposition, also, is difficult to argue with

I am, admittedly, more tolerant of ambiguity and disagreement than Professor Chomsky is regarding what to do about warming. Nevertheless, Chomsky's perspective is a reasonably taken one.

Though vicious organizations abound throughout history, none that has had the clout that whoever runs the United States today possesses.

Republicans (Chomsky could easily argue) win the evilest-of-all prize merely by the combination of their avaricious vacuity and their fortuitous geographic placement in historical time.

Democrats, of course, are not very far behind.

As a consequence of this, in Chomsky's shoes, I probably would have addressed the Number 1 and 2 most dangerous organizations in world history.

I am (you know) always diplomatic. (Wink)

The moral? — In these viciously dopey times of ours, simple truths sound beyond the pale

Consequences will have to crash upon our heads for us to learn anything. When they do, the lesson will probably only last a generation or two. Rock-headedness is the prevaling human condition.

There is, however, a silver lining. The United States will replace Rome as historical parable for things gone awry, due to exercising violently overreaching self-indulgence.

Our descendants (tattered and probably irrelevant crew that they will be) will always have that.

I suppose we can rejoice in this meaningful tidbit of post-demise fame.

PeteFree.com

Chris Hedges essay about the American Nero — and Noam Chomsky's comment about the Republican Party — are they accurate?