America: The Farewell Tour

Chris Hedgess profound and unsettling examination of America in crisis is ¦n exceedingly¦provocative book, certain to arouse controversy, but offering a point of view that needs to be heard (Booklist), about how bitter hopelessness and malaise have resulted in a culture of sadism and hate.America, says Pulitzer Prize­winning reporter Chris Hedges, is convulsed by an array of pathologies that have arisen out of profound hopelessness, a bitter despair, and a civil society that has ceased to function. The opioid crisis; the retreat into gambling to cope with economic distress; the pornification of culture; the rise of magical thinking; the celebration of sadism, hate, and plagues of suicides are the physical manifestations of a society that is being ravaged by corporate pillage and a failed democracy. As our society unravels, we also face global upheaval caused by catastrophic climate change. All these ills presage a frightening reconfiguration of the nation and the planet. Donald Trump rode this disenchantment to power. In his ¦forceful and direct (Publishers Weekly) America: The Farewell Tour, Hedges argues that neither political party, now captured by corporate power, addresses the systemic problem. Until our corporate coup d†©tat is reversed these diseases will grow and ravage the country. ¦With sharply observed detail, Hedges writes a requiem for the American dream (Kirkus Reviews) and seeks to jolt us out of our complacency while there is still time.