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Death of the Liberal Class

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Fierce critique of liberalism's democratic collapse

If you’re drawn to politically charged books that challenge comforting narratives, this one hits hard. Chris Hedges writes with urgency and moral force, making the decline of liberal institutions feel both intellectual and alarmingly immediate. Readers who appreciate uncompromising social criticism will likely find it provocative, unsettling, and difficult to shrug off.

Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.
Just Arrived

Death of the Liberal Class

Regular price $13.90
Unit price
per
Compare to estimated retail price: S$38.00  
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ISBN: 9780307400826
Authors: Chris Hedges
Publisher: Vintage Canada
Date of Publication: 2011-08-30
Format: Paperback
Related Collections: Economics, Politics, Sociology, Philosophy, History
Goodreads rating: 4.06
(rated by 3657 readers)

Description

The liberal class plays a vital role in a democracy. It gives moral legitimacy to the state. It makes limited forms of dissent and incremental change possible. The liberal class posits itself as the conscience of the nation. It permits us, through its appeal to public virtues and the public good, to define ourselves as a good and noble people. Most importantly, on behalf of the power elite the liberal class serves as bulwarks against radical movements by offering a safety valve for popular frustrations and discontentment by discrediting those who talk of profound structural change. Once this class loses its social and political role then the delicate fabric of a democracy breaks down and the liberal class, along with the values it espouses, becomes an object of ridicule and hatred. The door that has been opened to proto-fascists has been opened by a bankrupt liberalism. The Death of the Liberal Class examines the failure of the liberal class to confront the rise of the corporate state and the consequences of a liberalism that has become profoundly bankrupted. Hedges argues there are five pillars of the liberal establishment — the press, liberal religious institutions, labor unions, universities and the Democratic Party — and that each of these institutions, more concerned with status and privilege than justice and progress, sold out the constituents they represented. In doing so, the liberal class has become irrelevant to society at large and ultimately the corporate power elite they once served.
 

Fierce critique of liberalism's democratic collapse

If you’re drawn to politically charged books that challenge comforting narratives, this one hits hard. Chris Hedges writes with urgency and moral force, making the decline of liberal institutions feel both intellectual and alarmingly immediate. Readers who appreciate uncompromising social criticism will likely find it provocative, unsettling, and difficult to shrug off.

Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.