"resistance and fighting for life is meaningful"

September 2, 2012 9:11 PM

Chris Hedges interviewed by Bill Moyers is profound, insightful and inspiring. In one of the most pointed, sweeping and personal public conversations about Chris Hedges' life and work yet, Bill Moyers speaks with the journalist after the release of "Days of Destruction, Days of Revolt," the book Hedges co-authored with fellow reporter and artist Joe Sacco. The 50-minute conversation is followed by a segment on Sacco, who talks about the thinking and experiences that moved him to become a "comics journalist." Previously and previously.
posted by nickyskye (20 comments total)

Here's the official show page, in case the YouTube version goes away.
posted by gwint at 9:26 PM on September 2, 2012

I really really love Hedges and Sacco's book. Some of the writing is truly beautiful, and Sacco's illustration is as stunning as ever. I must say, though, that ever since his reactionary and dishonest piece on Occupy Oakland, I have had a difficult time not questioning Hedges' journalistic integrity.

That said, I will watch this interview in the morning, and I expect to enjoy it thoroughly. A conversation between Moyers and Hedges is certainly a conversation worth hearing.
posted by broadway bill at 9:40 PM on September 2, 2012 [2 favorites]

I loved and respected War is a Force That Gives Us Meaning but more recently Hedges writes and speaks with such unmodulated hyperbole that his important points are lost in the fog of outrage. Local economic injustices aren't always the result of willful malevolence. The myriad Schumpeterian forces that have led to the terrible straits in Camden, Detroit and scores of other cities in our post-manufacturing era are not equivalent to the evils of mountaintop removal coal mining. Railing against "greed" as the single thing that unifies these varied situations (as he says at minute 15) does nothing to bring us closer to actual solutions.
posted by twsf at 10:25 PM on September 2, 2012 [7 favorites]

Weird Title - as it seems to ref, Days of War, Nights of Love (which refs another book - keep it going!) which you may download for free, here.
posted by alex_skazat at 10:25 PM on September 2, 2012 [2 favorites]

I was excited to read the book but I haven't been able to make it out of the first chapter. I wish he'd let his reporting speak for itself instead of repeatedly hammering you over the head with flowery polemics.

The drawings are nice, though.
posted by Bookhouse at 10:28 PM on September 2, 2012

FPP on "Days of Destruction, Days of Revolt".
broadway bill re Hedges and Occupy. You should qualify statements like that. Was this the article? He is against Black Bloc not the Occupy movement.
posted by adamvasco at 11:50 PM on September 2, 2012 [2 favorites]

This was a captivating interview. I was taken aback by the reaction to Moyers' question about why Hedges decided to have children in light of his extreme pessimism about the future of our planet. He was completely tongue-tied, as if he knew he behaved irrationally.
posted by moammargaret at 5:08 AM on September 3, 2012 [2 favorites]

The book is very well written. A nice balance of informative reporting and intimate stories of a struggling public. Definitely worth reading, an eye opening look at an America that people rarely talk about.
posted by Fizz at 6:21 AM on September 3, 2012

I was quite impressed with Moyers here. This was an interview of a masters' hand.
posted by Algebra at 7:05 AM on September 3, 2012 [1 favorite]

Master's little finger: Your life line appears to truncate rather savagely. In about 3 minutes.
Master's palm: ZOMG! Is there anything you can do?
Master's little finger: Well, I could boil you an egg.
posted by Wolof at 7:35 AM on September 3, 2012

I must say, though, that ever since his reactionary and dishonest piece on Occupy Oakland, I have had a difficult time not questioning Hedges' journalistic integrity.

Yeah, a lot of people were upset by that, myself included. Here was a good debate that took place not too long after that article came out:

Chris Hedges and Kristof Lopaur of Occupy Oakland debate black bloc, militancy and tactics.
posted by Noisy Pink Bubbles at 7:53 AM on September 3, 2012 [1 favorite]

Also, David Graeber's response to that piece: Concerning the Violent Peace-Police
posted by Noisy Pink Bubbles at 7:56 AM on September 3, 2012

Moyers rules. However, I saw him on TV yesterday and he is sportin' a kind of Little Lord Fauntleroy hairdo which isn't helping his credibiility (nor, in fact, my concentration): http://media.salon.com/2012/07/Screen-Shot-2012-07-25-at-4.30.13-PM-460x307.png
posted by wenestvedt at 8:59 AM on September 3, 2012

This was good. Thanks, nickyskye.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 9:14 AM on September 3, 2012

Thanks gwint for posting the additional link to the video.

And sorry to have missed your FPP on Chris Hedges' book adamvasco. Glad you posted the link to it here.
posted by nickyskye at 9:31 AM on September 3, 2012

Hedges in the latest Boston Review: War Is Betrayal - Persistent Myths of Combat
posted by homunculus at 9:45 AM on September 3, 2012 [1 favorite]

I read Empire of illusion and Death of the liberal class and while I agreed with much of the points eloquently raised in the books, I was left feeling so deeply dismayed by his message that I really didn't want to read any more of his books, despite my congruence to much of his message.

Bit of a minefield.
posted by Hickeystudio at 11:27 AM on September 3, 2012

Old people, particularly awesome old people, get to have whatever kind of hair they want.
posted by moammargaret at 7:20 AM on September 4, 2012 [1 favorite]

Is this the Occupy Oakland article that people are referring to?
posted by mike_bling at 8:45 AM on September 4, 2012

mike_bling: that is indeed the article I referenced. I would have linked to it, but at the time I was posting from my phone.
posted by broadway bill at 9:47 AM on September 4, 2012