Unspeakable by Chris Hedges

Author:Chris Hedges
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing
Published: 2016-12-29T16:00:00+00:00

VII. The Bankruptcy of the Liberal Elites

Let me give you a chance to gloat here a little bit. In George Packer’s review of your 2015 book Wages of Rebellion in the New York Times, he ridiculed your assertion that we live in a revolutionary moment. He said that is “not remotely true” and he dismissed your book as an illogical rant. His review, of course, came out a few months before the rise of Trump and the most tumultuous presidential campaign in years, when leading candidates in both parties started calling for a new American revolution. So who described this historical moment best – you or Packer?

Packer and I clashed publicly in the past, especially over the call to invade Iraq. If he had any integrity he would have refused to accept the review assignment. He is the classic courtier. He was a “liberal” cheerleader for the war in Iraq. When the war went bad he said, “Oh, I was wrong.” But he wasn’t wrong. He did what all courtiers do. He served his status and his career. These elitist liberals are used to discredit those of us who defy the system and their bankrupt ideology. I don’t know what he really believes. I suspect he believes what will best ingratiate him with the powerful.

This is why all those who were wrong about the war, and those who are wrong about what is happening at this moment, still have prominent platforms. It does not matter. The job of someone like Packer is to position himself as a liberal voice in support of official policy. He serves the elites by discrediting their critics on the left. It gets him invited to their dinner parties and social events. They deserve each other.

Did you respond to his review?

No.

Why not?

I don’t see the point. It allows your critics to set the agenda. And I don’t see how in a 500 or 600 words letter to the Book Review I am going to make a cogent argument to state my position. It took me 286 pages to do this in the book. I also don’t care that much. I stay off social media. I don’t Tweet. I don’t have a Facebook page. I don’t have a web page. I did not like his review. But I also did not lose sleep over it. It was what I expected.

I don’t know—I always liked how Ishmael Reed put it—“writin’ is fightin’.” If your book gets unfairly attacked in the New York Times, don’t you think it’s your job as a writer to fight back?

I fight back by staying focused on what is important. Most of my readers do not care what they write about me in the New York Times.

Well, I wouldn’t respond to every critic– that is a waste of energy. But when a big, fat target like George Packer comes at you in the New York Times, then maybe it’s time to go to war. I did, when my book Season of the Witch was

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