Death of the Liberal Class

I have this book on my wish list. Author Chris Hedges has an interesting argument on why the Left is so ineffectual in the United States. He believes it is because liberals have either fled or been expunged from five pillars of society: the press, universities, labor unions, liberal religion, and the Democratic Party. All good points, but one thing I don't see too often is how the Right annihilated the Left's momentum in the 60s.

Not to get all conspiracy theory, it seems odd that the most charismatic Left leaders of the 60s were assassinated: Martin Luther King, Bobby Kennedy, Malcolm X. I find it hard to believe that they were all murdered by lone gunmen. Plus, I read somewhere that a former FBI agent confessed to riling up Nation of Islam idiots, which eventually led to Malcolm X's death.

Another thing that has helped obliterate the Left, in my opinion, is the identity of this country. The myth of the American Dream is so entrenched in most citizens that they believe the lie. Let's be honest, entrepreneurs are great. They introduce society to new innovations, but in order to bring that to the marketplace we need support personnel, such as accounts, working-class cats and paper pushers. In the current mindset of Casino Capitalism, the support personnel have been kicked aside like a talented sports player who hasn't hit his prime yet.

And as much as it pains to me say it: We need a conservative class. Their roots in the past help society stay stable. I just wish I lived in a country where both sides of the aisle had equal play -- not a media brainwash where "fair and balanced" ruled the airwaves.