The World As It Is: Dispatches on the Myth of Human Progress

If you ever thought that the USA was actively covering up a long-standing series of atrocious acts all in the name of 'patriotism', you were right. If you ever feared that the lessons you learned in school were tainted with a high degree of propaganda, you were also correct. And, lastly, if you suspect that the country in which you live is now on an abrupt downhill slide, these suspicions are also true. Chris Hedges, through a compilation of articles and essays taken from his truthdig website relates to us a text that is both compelling in its depth and frightening in its scope. The United States of America is not, nor has been, the country in which we have placed our trust and compassion. Instead, it is a country that fully embraces the concept of imperialism and hegemony, and one that places power, and its companion corruption, above reasonable humanistic standards. Its sister state, namely Israel, is equally as deceiving and militaristic with its actions and attitudes towards its Islamic neighbors. No amount of banner waving, allegiance pledging nor Independence Day celebrations can remove, or even lessen, the negative impact that both countries have had on the present day world. The sole purpose of both countries over the past thirty years has been one of world domination and control. But, just as the credit card bill eventually comes in the mail, the monetary payment for such long standing actions is well past due. And we, quite frankly, cannot afford to make the minimum payment. We have, long ago, 'robbed Peter to pay Paul' and/or simply stolen from our domestic funding until we are now both penniless and desolate. Wake up America, the corporatists during the Reagan era bought out the the ruling majority of the politicians! These same politicians, over the ensuing decades, have taken our armed services into countries for no other purpose than to abscond and pillage other nation's resources. We had been fed a series of lies and partial truths, whether it was Iraqi WMDs, women's rights in Afghanistan or the pursuit of terrorists in Pakistan, the goal was always the same; establish dominance in the area in question, pilfer their resources and allow the corporations to extract massive profits all under the guises of 'national interests'. This is not how the long-standing saga of the United States should end, but it will end this was in spite of its original intentions of becoming a 'beacon on a hill'. Like a fine wine this book is meant to be ingested in small sips and not huge gulps. Savor each concept and idea for a while before moving on to the next essay. Enjoy!

A wonderful book, at times a bit repetitious, in effectively communicating the dire era we find ourselves in. Contrary to what many believe, Mr. Hedges is actually a patriot of the highest order that happens to love his country enough to point out its egregious violations of international laws and human rights. From the corporate oligarchy to Wall Street excesses to our military industrial complex used to slaughter hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians, this book is a sorely needed wake-up call to action. Yes, it's a compilation of his Truthdig columns, but I think the compendium is aimed at the reader who may not be very familiar with his journalistic and op-ed work with the New York Times and his online columns. He passionately cares about humanity and frequently questions morality, or lack thereof, both in the hypocritical religious circles and in politics. It takes a brave mind indeed to see through the brainwashing and media lies that have infiltrated the American household and made us numb and atomized citizens, both goals of the power elite. Mr. Hedges is one of a handful of brave commentators of our flawed contemporary society, along with such notables as Noam Chomsky and Amy Goodman, who is not afraid to file a lawsuit against the president for signing into law the latest attempt to subvert our democratic rights and create the police state started by the Bush administration. Many also shrug off his opinions as negative and counterproductive, but I disagree. Throughout this volume, he discusses peaceful dissent, protest, and public discourse in debating the relevant decisions that can save or doom us. A rare book that isn't afraid to expose the media lies and coporate deceptions that have plundered the middle class into obscurity and all but destroyed the poor class. Highly recommended reading.

In this book, Chris Hedges, a journalist with a good deal of experience in different parts of the world, attempts to take a good look at where the world stands. He talks about some places where military conflict is taking place as well as economic and other topics. Overall, his outlook is pretty grim. He tends to see the world as a place where corporate fascism is threatening a collapse of sustainable, modern society and where intransigent stances prolong deadly conflicts. This book is actually a collection of essays written on different occasions in recent years for different reasons. He organizes them into different themes in this book, but because they were originally independent pieces, at times they can sound a bit repetitive. In many ways, this is a collection that appears to strip away propaganda and window dressing to present the situation in its stark reality. However, I got the feeling that here and there he was falling prey to worst-case-scenario thinking. If the world really is heading down the path he describes, we are certainly in for a scary and depressing ride. However, I think he fails to take into account some of the better trends that don't always make the news and the possibility that unforeseen events could mitigate some of the bad trends he uncovers. This book is definitely worth a read. I give it four stars because some of the essays seem to repeat themselves, but overall, they are well-written and interesting, if not uplifting in all cases.

I have come to trust the sharing of knowledge and the interpretive insights of Chris Hedges more than any other life observer and journalist. Hedges takes us behind and beneath all the propaganda, cover up, and fake objectivity of commercial media and government agency. The deliberately ignorant will find this a wholly disturbing collection of reflections and probings of the issues that have shaped and re-shaped the world and the U.S. nation from 2006-20012. Hedges is as close to being a modern day prophet as you will find. He tells us where and what we are and where we are headed and what we will become if we continue in our self-absorbed, short-sighted, and self-congratulatory ways. This book is profoundly disturbing and provocatively awakening, but it is never cynical or whiny.

Chris Hedges is an absolute breath of fresh air. Hearing the truth about how ugly our society, government, economy, etc ultimately is, it's oddly reassuring when you care to find sustainable ways to live. I've been interested in sustainable living, intentional communities, self-reliance, homesteading, off-grid energy, natural home building, permaculture, homeschooling, local economics, bartering, low technology, etc for several years and yet have always felt a bit insecure about my interests. I really only had these interests to make MY life easier, but when you live in ways that dismantles the power structure of the greater society by relying upon nature and local community instead of corporations and governments, you end up helping everyone out there. Sometimes in hearing the truth that the world is not peachy and everything is NOT ok, it allows us to feel a confidence in moving and experimenting in a different direction. Whether or not Chris Hedges is 100% true, or he's brief in these short essays, it at least opens us up to reality. When all you believe/see is illusion, everything is going to be a disappointment, and people will suffer when they don't go along with the status quo. Heck, even people who DO go with the status quo will suffer. Before we can know which direction to go for a better future, we at least need to see the whole truth, so we can see which direction to move away from. Thank you, Chris Hedges.

Disturbing but compelling information, Chris Hedges work should be required reading for all Americans who would still posit that the USA is or can again be a "great" country. Hedges amply clarifies and documents how a brilliantly conceived democratic system has in recent decades been corporatized to the point that the USA can scarcely consider itself a democracy. Obama bears as much, if not more responsibility than his venal predecessors and considering the choices come November 2016, the future does not look promising. Chris Hedges may not give his readers hope, but he provides more insight and clarity than the mainstream media which devotes itself to propaganda and diversion as to keep Americans from questioning what brought and keeps America on its sorry course.

This book, The Word As It Is: Dispatches on the Myth of Human Progress, is highly readable. For those who are not afraid to face the stark political and social dilemmas that confront the human community, this book is a must. It challenges the reader to ask: "What can I do in my local situation that might make a difference in our world?" The writer is radical in his perceptions and candid in his analysis. Nevertheless, the book leaves the reader with hope. I recommend this book.

"The World the Way it is." by Chris Hedges. Hardcover Edition. This is a collection of short stories...thank goodness! The agony isn't prolonged for very long before it's on to some other dark depressing aspect of our rapacious political culture. I read the reviews of this book as always before I bought, maybe I was in the wrong frame of mind when trying to read the first part of it. But, he came off as a angry hate filled man ranting, that was part doomsday prepper with a large smattering of Rush Limbaugh. It had to be the most depressing piece I have tried reading in years. It left me wanting to stick my head in the oven and turn on the gas...except I have an electric oven. It was all I could do to wade through it. Someone's statement in the first sentence of the introduction says Chris Hedges was meant to be a minister instead of a journalist. That pretty well sums up my opinion about the first part of this book. He sounds too much like what I remember coming out of Southern Baptist's mouths, how bad, wicked, corrupt, sinful civilization is and it is headed for hell in a hand basket. There is nothing in our culture that is redeemable. That pretty well summed up my opinion of the book when I tried reading the first part of it on politics. I was about to give up on the mental torture when it started improving. From the Israel Palestinian conflict he becomes the Chris Hedges that I am familiar with. I have read a couple of other Chris Hedges books that were extremely good, American Fascists and the Empire of Illusion both that were excellent. The only reason I am giving it such high marks is due to the last part of the book and the writing is excellent regardless of my dislike of the material. But, as far as I am concerned the first part doesn't do it any justice.

If you ever thought that the USA was actively covering up a long-standing series of atrocious acts all in the name of 'patriotism', you were right. If you ever feared that the lessons you learned in school were tainted with a high degree of propaganda, you were also correct. And, lastly, if you suspect that the country in which you live is now on an abrupt downhill slide, these suspicions are also true. Chris Hedges, through a compilation of articles and essays taken from his truthdig website relates to us a text that is both compelling in its depth and frightening in its scope. The United States of America is not, nor has been, the country in which we have placed our trust and compassion. Instead, it is a country that fully embraces the concept of imperialism and hegemony, and one that places power, and its companion corruption, above reasonable humanistic standards. Its sister state, namely Israel, is equally as deceiving and militaristic with its actions and attitudes towards its Islamic neighbors. No amount of banner waving, allegiance pledging nor Independence Day celebrations can remove, or even lessen, the negative impact that both countries have had on the present day world. The sole purpose of both countries over the past thirty years has been one of world domination and control. But, just as the credit card bill eventually comes in the mail, the monetary payment for such long standing actions is well past due. And we, quite frankly, cannot afford to make the minimum payment. We have, long ago, 'robbed Peter to pay Paul' and/or simply stolen from our domestic funding until we are now both penniless and desolate. Wake up America, the corporatists during the Reagan era bought out the the ruling majority of the politicians! These same politicians, over the ensuing decades, have taken our armed services into countries for no other purpose than to abscond and pillage other nation's resources. We had been fed a series of lies and partial truths, whether it was Iraqi WMDs, women's rights in Afghanistan or the pursuit of terrorists in Pakistan, the goal was always the same; establish dominance in the area in question, pilfer their resources and allow the corporations to extract massive profits all under the guises of 'national interests'. This is not how the long-standing saga of the United States should end, but it will end this was in spite of its original intentions of becoming a 'beacon on a hill'. Like a fine wine this book is meant to be ingested in small sips and not huge gulps. Savor each concept and idea for a while before moving on to the next essay. Enjoy!

Chris Hedges might be the Thomas Paine of our time, nonetheless, his background and life experience place him in a unique position to analyse the current state of national affairs. The World As It Is is a collection of Hedges essays on various international affairs. It is not a straightforward singular work of literature in the same way that his other works are and therefore does not attempt to tie together the various partitions and chapters. Instead it is a compendium of thoughts and comments on socio-political issues that Hedges believes have shaped the global landscape that we currently live in. Despite having this structure Hedges prose shines through and makes this a compelling read, albeit in bite sized portions. It is only after finishing this collection of essays and through a passage of time that the title really starts to take meaning. This compendium virtually tackles and uncovers every currently peddled misconception and mythology regarding the rest of the World from a decidedly American stand point. If you are a fellow American and do not spend much time following and researching socio-political affairs than the sum of this work will undoubtedly shake your fundamental understanding of the World to the core, whether you agree with Hedges or not. However if you are well read in both current affairs and history this book, as it is essay based, lacks detailed investigation of each topic. That however is not its purpose, and what it functions as is an expose of Hedges worldview and life perspective. This is useful if you want to look more critically at his other works or analyse his style, as reading his essays back-to-back definitely elucidates more in this regard than reading one of his books. I personally picked this one up as I like to have physical books and it contains many of his best Truthdig essays.

I was very angry and depressed by the time I finished this book but nor could I put it down as Hedges has a very compelling message for all as he destroys "the myth of human progress." We humankind are like children incapable of controlling our urges as we lapse back ignoring the lessons of the twentieth century indulging ourselves in greed, corruption, the rape of the planet, wanton militarism and a total disregard for human life. At a time in history,"the information age" when we have the hindsight and forsight to avoid pitfalls of the past we are retreating into a world of degeneracy. The book is a collection of essays written over a number of years. Hedges writes compellingly with the authority of his vast world experience and his razor sharp insights. Hedges makes his readers uncomfortable as we must confront ourslves in his writings, at the same time he has a message, raising issues we must confront with great urgency as our political elites betray us.

Fantastic book but for all the wrong reasons. It lays down the truth about everything from politicians, the media, war, etc. It is not too complex either, it just lays out the world as it is (as the title says!). The thing that is so hard to swallow is that the truth about this world we live in is so glaringly obvious and simple, yet most people are completely blind to it as a result of the mainstream media system which feeds us garbage 24/7. In my opinion people are also too distracted to do anything about it, which is mentioned in this book. I have already read into and researched many issues about what goes on today and I have formed my own decision without the help of politicians or the media. This book just solidifies my world view. Each chapter discusses small issues in each area i.e. politics, war, etc and are at most 5 or 6 pages. I have read Fisk's Great War for Civilisation and it was a lot harder to read than this, mainly because it spans so much time. This book is very relevent to today and current events. Would recommend to anyone who has a hint of doubt about the integrity of our governments, our media and our way of life in general. BUT BE WARNED: it's great for the wrong reasons, the future is a scary thought.

The unadulterated truth of America's version of Capitalism and endemic financial corruption from the pen of a brave and authoritative freelance journalist. Read and learn what destiny has in store for those among us who are either ignorant, afraid, or just don't care about their future. Truth of reality must be sought out and not spoon fed by a compliant media carted with vested interests. "Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one." Thomas Paine