By John Riddell
“Courage my friends, ‘tis not to late to make a better world.” – Tommy Douglas
If you are an activist, concerned about climate change and the corporate state (the merging of corporations and governments), Chris Hedges, in his new book, Wages of Rebellion, says you are in the right place.
This Pulitzer Prize winning author says that without you, we are doomed. We are doomed because without you there would be no rebellion, no debate, no “other” to confront the irrational decisions and behaviours of today’s corporate state.
Hedges gives us highlights from his interviews with the “good guys” (rebels), from activist hackers to Edward Snowden and Julian Assange; to the Occupy Movement, to climate change activists and anti-oil coalitions.
Hedges doesn’t leave the corporate state (“bad guys”) out. He includes sections on the wages of misdirected wars, the enormous (and very profitable!) prison system in the US, and the complete co-optation of the legal system.
He maintains throughout the book that, with the merging of our legal systems into the corporate state, democracy exists in name only – worldwide, not just in the US.
We see this, he says, reflected in the greed now inherent in corporate state austerity programs for what’s left of the middle class, attempts to destroy or discredit unions, and the complete abandonment and disdain for those suffering in poverty – not to mention the dismantling and redirecting of our public health care and educational systems into private hands….
What’s left? How much more can we take?
Hedges says that mass movements are important now, more than ever. They are the right thing to do – even though they will without doubt be confronted by police and/ or military forces. Yet, he says that historically, the state has always collapsed before such movements when the police/military refuse to fire into protesting crowds, or when an interior coup d’état occurs due to mass movement pressures.
Hedges is not just an arm-chair critic. He stands in solidarity with activists in all walks of life. In 2014 he took the US government to court. Hedges vs. Obama concerned section 1021(b)(2) of the National Defence Authority Act. This provision permits the military to seize US citizens and hold them indefinitely in military detention centres without due process. The US Supreme Court refused to hear the case.
Wages of Rebellion is essential readingboth a boot camp and a blueprint for rebellion, reflected through Hedges’ lifelong experience – so well expressed in the examples and situations he offers. He argues for rebellion locally and globally, particularly the joining of groups together into common fronts.
This potentially prize-winning book is alive with situations, information, and inspiration for us all.
For me, it helps to ease the pain to know there are people like Chris Hedges in this crazy world. His is a voice of sanity, speaking out loud and clear for rebellion, for honouring our rebels for speaking out courageously against the irrational, irresponsible and dangerous behaviours of the corporate state. Without them we are doomed. We should all become rebels. It’s the right thing to do.
Wages of Rebellion is a cut above the rest. Read it. Live it! – Pass it on.
John Riddell is a long-time COMER member. simply ordered the matter to proceed to trial, on the main justiciable issues, rather than maintain the striking of the claim (the secondary claim referred to above) and order an amended statement of claim” – given that the order had already been complied with in the filing of an amended statement of claim for the Federal Court of Appeal.
Galati terms Government’s latest action “abusive.”
Judy Kennedy is a retired lawyer and supporter of the COMER challenge.
Our Comment
Our thanks to Judy Kennedy for so helpful and timely a summary.
The next hearing will take place Wednesday, October 14, 2015, at:
Federal Court Building
180 Queen Street West
(one block west of University Ave.)
Space has been booked for the whole day (5.5 hours).
You are encouraged to attend and to be there by 9 am, for seating is limited. A good attendance will reflect a serious interest in this lawsuit.
This hearing could prove particularly important and should be extremely interesting. For further information, go to the Federal Court website and enter the court number T-2010-11 to get the file. Stay tuned to comer.org.
Encouraging messages and donations in support of our lawsuit continue to flow from across Canada, and from other countries recognizing and appreciating its international importance.
Élan
