The Chris Hedges Report

If anyone can witness the genocide in Gaza with utmost clarity, it would be medical professionals working there. Their accounts continue to be as harrowing as those of journalists and Gazans themselves, stripped of rhetoric and left with only raw truth. Dr. Feroze Sidhwa, a general, trauma and critical care surgeon in California, has been to Gaza twice and he joins host Chris Hedges on this episode of The Chris Hedges Report. “There is no serious health system in Gaza anymore,” Sidhwa tells Hedges. Instead, what’s left of hospitals are mere buildings filled with medical professionals stripped of the equipment vital to saving lives, refugees seeking anything more than tents and endless streams of people barely surviving the constant onslaught of bombs. Sidhwa explains the gut wrenching details of treating people mangled by bombs, children shot in the head and the inability to save people because of the lack of basic equipment. While describing the treatment of a six-year-old boy with severe shrapnel injuries, Sidhwa explains, “In the flagship hospital of any third world country, this kid could have survived. But at Nasser [Medical Complex], we don't have the right types of pressures, the right types of critical care medications and even just simple things like a pediatric ventilator, which just wasn't available. So he died 12 hours later.” The situation in Gaza, as Sidhwa details, is morbidly bleak: “I don't know how women who need C-sections will get them. I don't know how people who even just have regular role general surgery problems will be able to get them. I don't know how a kid that has asthma will be able to get albuterol. I don't know how somebody with heart disease will be able to get their medications. Just leaving aside the trauma. And then on top of that…the whole population is being starved. Literally no food has gone into Gaza for six weeks.”

Israel, both materially and rhetorically, has made their intent to destroy the Palestinian people clear. One of the most renowned and courageous Middle East scholars, Norman Finkelstein, has assiduously documented the Palestinian plight for decades and he joins host Chris Hedges on this episode of The Chris Hedges Report. Finkelstein and Hedges assess the current state of the genocide in Palestine as well as how the media and the universities have all but abandonded their principles in servitude to the Zionist agenda. Finkelstein makes clear the gravity of Israel’s unprecedented actions: “If you take any metric—number of UN workers killed, number of medics killed, number of journalists killed, proportion of civilians to combatants killed, proportion of children killed, proportion of women and children killed—if you take any metric, Israel for the 21st century is in a class all its own.” Israel’s use of propaganda and strategically timed attacks—often lining up with other major world events so as to avoid media scrutiny—has muddied political outlook of the genocide into one of war and defense rather than ethnic cleansing. The American media has done its part to feed these narratives as well. “What is going to prove that Hamas has been defeated?” Finkelstein asks. “I know what's going to prove it: when there's no one left in Gaza. That will be the proof.”

Richard Wolff, Professor Emeritus of Economics at UMass Amherst and a specialist in Marxist economics, joins Chris Hedges to dissect the decline of the U.S. empire. They explore Trump's economic policies, highlighting the erratic nature of tariffs and deregulation as signs of decay. Wolff discusses how historic economic suffering feeds into dismantling essential protections, while China and the BRICS bloc challenge U.S. dominance. The conversation touches on the socio-political fallout of these shifts, revealing a complex landscape of power and competition.

Yasha Levine, an investigative journalist and author of Surveillance Valley, delves into the internet's hidden military origins, tracing its roots back to the Vietnam War as a surveillance tool for the U.S. He discusses how this initial purpose has influenced today’s massive data collection practices. Levine highlights the historical awareness among early internet users regarding its implications for privacy and state control. The conversation also addresses the relationship between technology companies and government, examining the internet's evolution from a means for liberation to a potential threat.

In this engaging discussion, Jason Stanley, a Yale professor and author, dives deep into the concept of fascism, exploring its implications for democracy and education. He argues that attacks on critical race theory and historical narratives reflect a dangerous trend aimed at creating a sanitized version of the past. Stanley highlights how fascist regimes psychologically manipulate the populace, reinforcing the importance of academic freedom and resistance against authoritarianism. His insights challenge us to critically examine the erosion of democratic values in contemporary society.

Mahmoud Khalil’s arrest and detention in a Louisiana ICE facility is a harbinger for a new authoritarian era of the United States. Khalil’s arrest, the capitulation of Columbia University against dissent and protest by its own students and the Trump administration’s threat of stripping the university of $400 million in grants if it does not meet its requests is just one place where the tentacles of fascism tighten their grip. Katherine Franke, a former law school professor at Columbia, is on the front lines of this assault. Her support for student protests and her condemnation of the university for not addressing the harassment of pro-Palestinian students has earned what she called, “a termination dressed up in more palatable terms.” Franke joins host Chris Hedges on this episode of The Chris Hedges Report to address the Constitutional crisis that faces the US, how it has manifested itself on university campuses and what are the next steps in challenging it. “They're using immigration laws now to come after protesters or people who are voicing views that are critical of the Trump administration who are not US citizens. They'll come next for us, the US citizens, with the criminal law,” Franke warns. As for universities and Columbia specifically, Franke points to the shift in institutional integrity within schools. Hedge fund managers, venture capitalists and corporate lawyers now run these institutions and their goals aren’t to maintain the principles of education and democracy, but rather the financial bottom line. Franke says Columbia “is humiliating itself in this process of negotiation with a bully that will not end because it's that repeated proof of ‘I have all the power and you have none.’ That is what governance looks like at this point. There's no principle at stake here. It's about an abusive exercise of power accompanied by humiliation.”

Mohammed el-Kurd, a Palestinian writer and poet known for his incisive work with The Nation, sheds light on the complex narratives surrounding Palestinian identity. He discusses how Palestinians are often required to curate their stories for Western audiences, sacrificing crucial truths in the process. The conversation dives into the psychological toll on children caught in conflict, the harms of dehumanization, and critiques the notion of the 'perfect victim' imposed by media. El-Kurd's insights reveal the urgent need for a reevaluation of victimhood and resistance in the context of ongoing oppression.

Ralph Nader, a former presidential candidate and fierce consumer advocate, joins to discuss the alarming state of democracy in America. He highlights how corporate power is eroding civic engagement and critiques media's role in stifling grassroots movements. Nader emphasizes the urgency of recognizing our political decay, despite media neglect and suppression. He reflects on past successes in consumer protection and urges listeners to mobilize, reclaiming the power that belongs to the citizens amid rising authoritarian tendencies.

Pankaj Mishra, an acclaimed essayist and novelist, joins Chris Hedges to discuss his book, "The World After Gaza." Mishra argues that the Holocaust's impact is perceived differently globally, particularly in the Global South, which has its own narratives of historical atrocities. The conversation highlights how narratives are weaponized by political figures to manipulate perception, the psychological effects of witnessing atrocities, and the complicated relationship between Holocaust education and Israeli state actions. It calls for a reassessment of historical narratives to better understand current conflicts.

Omar El Akkad, an Egyptian-Canadian novelist and journalist, discusses the moral shortcomings of industrialized nations regarding their treatment of Palestinians. He critiques the hypocrisy of land acknowledgments, highlighting how they often perpetuate colonial narratives. El Akkad also addresses the euphemistic language used in media which allows audiences to distance themselves from brutality. Central to the conversation is the tension between activism and journalism, underscoring how societal complicity shapes our understanding of suffering in conflicts.