LEADER-POST
SEPTEMBER 21, 2012
Award-winning journalist Chris Hedges thinks corporate influence is increasing in Canada.
The American-born journalist, who was once ordered to be assassinated by Saddam Hussein, was in Regina on Thursday to give a lecture at the University of Regina.
The outspoken author of 12 books didn't mince words when talking about corporate influence in North American politics.
"You have corporate overloads - and Prime Minister Stephen Harper is a product of corporatism - creating neo-feudalism where your poor and working class are shunned aside and your middle class is decimated," said Hedges.
In Canada, there were 4,447,000 people living in poverty during 2009 and, according to the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, a growing gap between the rich and poor gives evidence for a shrinking middle class.
For Hedges, these are signs of a disintegrating democracy.
"You can't maintain a democracy in an oligarchic state," said Hedges.
Hedges sees a corporate influence moving into Canada.
"Corporatism knows no national boundaries, and it's a kind of insanity because when you prostrate human societies before the market place, then in essence you commodify everything: human beings become commodities, the natural world becomes a commodity that you exploit until exhaustion or collapse," said Hedges.
Hedges used the melting of the summer Arctic sea ice, which scientists contend has decreased by more than 40 per cent, as an example of exploiting the natural world.
"And what was the response of corporate power? To go up and exploit the last vestige of fish stocks and oil. It's insanity. I mean, we should be terrified," said Hedges.
Award-winning journalist Chris Hedges thinks corporate influence is increasing in Canada.
The American-born journalist, who was once ordered to be assassinated by Saddam Hussein, was in Regina on Thursday to give a lecture at the University of Regina.
The outspoken author of 12 books didn't mince words when talking about corporate influence in North American politics.
"You have corporate overloads - and Prime Minister Stephen Harper is a product of corporatism - creating neo-feudalism where your poor and working class are shunned aside and your middle class is decimated," said Hedges.
In Canada, there were 4,447,000 people living in poverty during 2009 and, according to the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, a growing gap between the rich and poor gives evidence for a shrinking middle class.
For Hedges, these are signs of a disintegrating democracy.
"You can't maintain a democracy in an oligarchic state," said Hedges.
Hedges sees a corporate influence moving into Canada.
"Corporatism knows no national boundaries, and it's a kind of insanity because when you prostrate human societies before the market place, then in essence you commodify everything: human beings become commodities, the natural world becomes a commodity that you exploit until exhaustion or collapse," said Hedges.
Hedges used the melting of the summer Arctic sea ice, which scientists contend has decreased by more than 40 per cent, as an example of exploiting the natural world.
"And what was the response of corporate power? To go up and exploit the last vestige of fish stocks and oil. It's insanity. I mean, we should be terrified," said Hedges.
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