In his book, The Empire of Illusion, Chris Hedges offers a opinionated and unforgiving critique of the social, political and economic culture of contemporary American life. His harshest and strongest arguments filter through his essay, "The Illusion of America," in which he contends that we live in two different Americas- one of elusive dreams, media-constructed lies, and political-exploited power AND one of truth and freedom. The later, however, he holds has been suppressed, and almost erased by the corruptive illusions of the former. Hedges describes America as,
“The government, stripped of any real sovereignty, provides little more than technical expertise for elites and corporations that lack moral restraints and a concept of the common good. America has become a façade. It has become the greatest illusion in a culture of illusions. It represents a power and a democratic ethic is does not possess…We remain tempted by mirages, by the illusion that we can, still, all become rich” (143).
He offers further support by citing statics like, $623 billion US Defense budget for 2006 – “more than all other militaries on earth combined” (144) – or the current “$3 trillion war” or that “since the end of the Second World War, the federal government has spend more than half its tax dollars on past, current, and future military operations” (153).
Hi arguments, however, are not limited to his book. When talking to an online radio blog, Hedges defended his viewpoints on America's current soci0-political landscape, by developing his theory of "inverted totalitarianism." As a humble reader and listener, I wont dare attempt the synthesize his thought process, but please check it out and comment as to whether or not you think this helps the arguments originally presented in Empire of Illusion, or just adds one more compliant to his long laundry list of grievances with America.
