Generated Summary:

Main Topic: The dire state of the left and the urgent need for its reconstruction, focusing on the class struggle rather than identity politics.

Key Points:

  • The Left’s Defeat: Chris Hedges argues that the left is currently in its most broken and defeated state ever, lacking the visible counter-cultural movement seen in previous eras.
  • The Power of Disruption: Hedges emphasizes the importance of direct action, strikes, and civil disobedience as the primary tools to pressure centers of power. He cites Extinction Rebellion’s actions in London as an example.
  • The Pitfalls of Identity Politics: He criticizes the left’s focus on identity politics divorced from class struggle, arguing that this has been exploited by corporations and power structures to maintain the status quo. He uses the example of Obama’s presidency as a case study.
  • Intelligence Agency Manipulation: Hedges suggests that identity politics may have been manipulated by intelligence agencies and corporate power to divide the left and hinder effective organizing.
  • The Need for Class Unity: He stresses the importance of focusing on class struggle and economic inequality, rather than culture war issues, to unite the working class and challenge corporate power. He highlights the need to organize across ideological differences to achieve this goal.
  • Rejection of False Solutions: Hedges warns against the naive belief that dismantling the “deep state” will automatically lead to positive change, arguing that the current power structures will simply be replaced by something even more harmful.
  • Historical Context: He draws parallels to the 1930s, emphasizing the role of a militant left and the importance of learning from past movements, particularly the Communist Party’s involvement in the labor movement.

Highlights:

  • Hedges’s pessimistic yet pragmatic assessment of the left’s current situation.
  • His strong advocacy for direct action and class-based organizing.
  • His critical analysis of the role of identity politics and its potential manipulation by powerful forces.
  • His historical perspective, drawing lessons from past movements and political strategies.

About Channel:

the post-civilization left

Due Dissidence is a multimedia one-stop shop for left politics and gallows humor in written, audio, and video form.