The South African Civil Society Information Service

It's Not the Job of Those on the Left to Take Power - Power is the Problem

27 Mar 2015

Speaking in the context of American politics, Chris Hedges, former New York Times columnist (who sued the Obama administration for indefinitely detaining people and won) argues, "All of the openings in American democracy were driven by populist and radical movements that never achieved formal positions of power."

According to Hedges, "The question is not, 'How do you get good people to rule?' Most people who are attracted to power are at best mediocre, which is Obama or venal, which is Bush. The question is, 'How do you make the power elite frightened of you?'" That is what we have forgotten on the left. It's not our job to take power, he contends. “Power is the problem.”

Hedges made these remarks at “Earth at Risk 2014: The Justice and Sustainability Conference”.

© Link TV

Read more articles filed under Videos.

Read more articles tagged with: social movements, popular struggles.

You can find this page online at http://sacsis.org.za/site/article/2327.