Death of the Liberal Class

Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Chris Hedges makes a forceful case that liberal institutions have failed Americans by ceding power to self-serving and elitist corporations

“Uncompromising. . . . Hedges indicts the press, the Church, the arts, labor unions, universities, and the Democratic Party for failing to protect the middle and lower classes.” —The New Yorker

For decades, the liberal class defended against the worst excesses of power. But the pillars of the American liberal class—the press, universities, the labor movement, the Democratic Party, and religious institutions—have collapsed. In their absence, the working and middle classes no longer have a champion.

In this devastating critique, Chris Hedges charges American liberal establishments with surrendering their core beliefs and no longer providing an institutional check against unfettered capitalism, the national security state, corporate influence, and staggering income inequalities. The death of the liberal class, Hedges argues, has created a profound vacuum at the heart of American political life. And now, speculators, war profiteers, and demagogues are filling the void.

• “Uncompromising. . . . Hedges indicts the press, the Church, the arts, labor unions, universities, and the Democratic Party for failing to protect the middle and lower classes from the depredations of corporations.”

  The New Yorker

• “Hedges is an engaging writer, and his passion alone makes for a compelling read. . . . Offers those of us who dare to refer to ourselves as liberal a lot to think about.”

  Harvard Political Review

• “Hedges raises some critical points that are as convincing as they are depressing. It’s an important little book for anyone who is concerned with the current state of the Democratic Party and liberalism in general.”

  HuffPost

• “Hedges is a fine writer. And the outrage that fairly pours off the pages of his book gives it punch and gusto.”

  Winnipeg Free Press

• “While every page erupts with calamities of the human spirit worthy of their own irate broadcasts and bull-horned fury, Hedges is at his best when he unpacks the density of his polemic and embraces the power of his narrative. . . . These insights come not just as warning, but as witness.”

  Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

• “This is a thoughtful analysis of why and how liberals have compromised principles due to the allure of power and wealth.”

  Booklist