“Death of the Liberal Class” by Pulitzer-Prize winner Chris Hedges delves into the failures of liberal institutions such as universities, labor unions, churches, the arts, and even the Democratic Party, to protect the core values of liberty, justice, and equal protection and treatment under the law that made the United States one of the greatest nations in the world against a corporate coup d’etat.

Hedges, current columnist for Truthdig, has been a foreign correspondent in Central America, Africa, the Balkans and the Middle East. He also spent 15 years at the New York Times and is the author of nine other books.

Among them are “War is a Force That Gives Us Meaning,” “Empire of Illusions,” “The World as It Is,” and most recently, “Days of Destruction, Days of Revolt.”

“Death of the Liberal Class,” published in 2010, draws upon historical facts, published works from other authors, and interviews with American intellectuals and other individuals to provide some insight into the decline of liberalism and, in turn, the inevitable collapse of our country.

Hedges is uncompromising as he helps the reader sift through all of the details. He takes a step-by step approach in which each chapter builds on the last to connect the dots and complete the picture.

He illuminates the issues of permanent war and its use as a unifying factor, how the liberal class was dismantled, the side-show attraction that our political system has become, what happens to those within liberal institutions that loudly voice dissent against our elite power structures, and what he sees as the only path left to enable us to maintain humanity and the ideals this nation was built upon.

This is an absolute must read for anyone concerned with the tragic direction in which our country has headed. Above all, it will make you angry enough to want to stand up and be counted.

Rating: A+

Chris James

Staff Writer

To contact Chris James, email pioneerphotog@occc.edu.