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Chris Hedges’ political journalism book, “America: the Farewell Tour,” is a cohesive collection of personal stories combined with in-your-face reporting that gives readers a shocking view of the decline America is facing. The narrative paints a picture of how certain demoralizing aspects of life have become the norm for portions of people in this country. Even though this book was published in 2017, too much of what he wrote still exists. That reality is not a good reflection of who we are as a society and people.
As an award-winning journalist and author, Hedges’ writing brings the reader into each chapter. Not only is the reader educated on the topic, the reader, from the very beginning visualizes the despair Mr. Hedges is pointing to us. I could feel Tonnelle Avenue and walk along it with Christine. The frustration of Siddique Hasan sits with you as he goes through step by step what he encountered trying to make changes in the prison he lived in.
Each chapter is a story in of itself, not just describing a series of injustices, but describing lives destroyed by these injustices. The stories may elicit anger, despair, desire to change and more.
Unfortunately the book misses something that ties it all together, either through a resolution chapter or an introduction to balance the goals the readers should share.
‘America, The Farewell Tour’ Summary: 7 Stories That Illustrate the Pain of Income Inequality and Discrimination in the U.S.
Chris Hedges’ “America: The Farewell Tour” is a political journalism and creative nonfiction book that incorporates seven separate stories illustrating some of America’s most compelling problems. Even though the book was written near the beginning of Trump’s first term, too much of what he wrote still exists in our country.
Here’s a breakdown of the chapters, the topics they focus on, the settings they explore and the people we meet:
- DECAY: Through reporting on the Scranton Lace Factory and the town itself, Hedges illustrates the decline of infrastructure, unions, working class jobs, communities and more.
- HEROIN: Hedges interviews Christine Pagano, whose heroine addiction caused her to fall into sex work in the New Jersey area.
- WORK: After feeling like all his hard work was pointless, Dale Gustafson died by suicide. Through this tragic story, Hedges explains the importance of meaningful, rewarding work.
- SADISM: Sadistic sexual acts have become an industry that often allows predators to exploit economic desperation.
- HATE: Hedges reports on far right groups that hate other demographics such as Muslims and Arabs.
- GAMBLING: We see the intersection of gambling addiction, Trump’s failed casinos, immigration and predatory capitalism.
- FREEDOM: Hedges tries to tie the other chapters together by looking at our prison industrial complex, the prisoners and potential solutions to the problems plaguing America.
Mr. Hedges does excellent in-depth analysis of each of the topics addressed in the seven chapters. He brings the reader into each chapter with compelling stories of individuals impacted by the different themes of each chapter. There are many more stories, along with much philosophical and historical reflection on how the issues impact us.
Mr. Hedges argues throughout the book that all people throughout the planet suffering the grave injustices of a globalist cabal of capitalists need to recognize in each other the need to fight for each other. Sadly, not one of these struggling people can see past the end of the day much less past their city limit to see the need for a global revolution.
Books Like ‘America: The Farewell Tour’
‘Democracy Incorporated: Managed Democracy and the Specter of Inverted Totalitarianism‘ by Sheldon S. Wolin
While less person-focused than Hedges commentary, Wolin’s book covers the same theme of an American corporate oligarchy in decline. This book also premiered during Trump’s first term, but in 2017 instead of 2018. Hedges wrote the introduction for the latest edition of the book, so it’s likely that Wolin and Hedges have similar political views.
‘Listen, Liberal‘ by Thomas Frank
Frank also reports on the economic decline and abandonment of America’s working class, but he does so specifically in the context of the Democratic Party becoming increasingly corrupt. Compared to Hedges, Frank is a centrist/liberal, according to our definition. Loyal Democrats might feel more comfortable with Frank’s perspective.
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Audience and Genre: Can This Book Reach the People Who Need It Most?
Who should read this book? Quite frankly, anyone. Mr. Hedges does in-depth analysis into the topics represented in the seven chapters. Even the globalists he rails against might learn something. Of course their benefit comes from continuing to feed into our hate-filled world, pitting the left versus the right, so unfortunately it could benefit them.
For the rest of us and especially those looking to better our world, this is a dynamic read that gives ammunition to a multitude of causes to better shape our society. Yet Mr. Hedges wants more. He addresses each of these topics as examples or symptoms of our decline, reasons why drastic action is needed to actually change our trajectory.
A liberal audience easily sympathizes more to the worldview Mr. Hedges addresses, yet an open-minded conservative could at least see the world isn’t as black and white as they would like it to be.
Chris Hedges is a member of an American political coalition many people and commentators have described as “far left.” Members of this community will likely have heard of Hedges before reading this book. They are almost certain to agree with his analysis.
The audience the books needs to reach may struggle with the horrible truth Mr. Hedges provides. And this is not because they would not care or empathize with the plight of the various people brought forth. No, it is worse. Too many Americans are only one or two steps removed from the tragic lives in the book, so they just don’t have the time or energy to fight for these injustices.
Hedges alludes to these types of Americans in the first six chapters. They need to feed a family. They need to find the time from working excessive hours to spend time with said family. They have to shop on income levels that forced budgeting long before living through the last four years of inflation. The very people who need to understand the time to act is now are the people who cannot act. These same people allowed themselves to be lied to by Trump, saying he could fix inflation in one day, do not have the energy to stand up for themselves.
Three Cs: Compelling, Clear, Concise
Editorial Note: We believe these three factors are important for evaluating general writing quality across every aspect of the book. Before you get into further analysis, here’s a quick breakdown to clarify how we’re using these words:
- Compelling: Does the author consistently write in a way that would make most readers emotionally invested in the book’s content?
- Clear: Are most sentences and parts of the book easy enough to read and understand?
- Concise: Are there sections or many sentences that could be cut? Does the book have pacing problems?
Compelling: Impossible Not to Care
Mr. Hedges doesn’t lead you into a world where problems exist. He indoctrinates you into this world. He is not afraid to punch you in the mouth with some of the descriptions of the lives torn apart or lost due to the specific topics raised. The reader follows along paths that are not comfortable, yet his prose is so strong you continue to read far past your comfort zone.
If a reader was ambivalent toward or has not paid attention to modern society, this book will shock them to their root values. Each of the seven chapters has its own story to tell, along with a very detailed argument about why society is failing not only the people in the stories but also the general public here in America and elsewhere throughout the world.
Clear: Vivid Scenes of American Decline
Each chapter is an excellent discussion of the topic at hand. Mr. Hedges goes into great detail with his description of the individuals affected by the decline of America for that topic. He adds to the individual accounts with historical and sociological writings that show the reader how these stories relate to the larger picture.
The reader is immersed into the world of each character, family or group described. A reader can feel the pain, the suffering, the despair brought forth from each story. The descriptions of the stories or even the environments are so well done you can picture yourself being an immediate physical observer of what you are reading.
Concise: Sometimes Inaccessible and Fluffy
After reading the book and preparing for this review, I struggled with where to include this point. I could have discussed under the section about the book being Clear, yet I chose under this point.
There is no question this book is well-written. As mentioned, you can immerse yourself with the people involved. Yet Mr. Hedges at times would almost distract you from the story by taking a deep dive into an intellectual or academic point that might cover two or three pages. At the end of the discussion, you may have to go back and reconnect the dots back to the original example or story.
Also, for a person who may not have a MA in sociology or political science, a reader would have to choose to accept many points at face value or prepare to read a semester’s worth of material to fully grasp what Mr. Hedges wants you to understand.
Overall the resources are excellent. Just glancing through the index, you find well-known authors, established organizations, names you know from the news, even organizations many people may not have encountered, other works and books well accepted in academia that all bolster the points Mr. Hedges espouses.
The issue is not the use of them to make a point; it is for the reader who might not have strong backgrounds in these areas, especially when Mr. Hedges takes deep dives into certain established principles understood or commonly accepted by individuals with higher levels of education. And, again, when he takes the detours from the primary story, some readers may need to flip back a couple of pages to pick up the story again.
Prose Style: Journalism and Creative Nonfiction Prose From a Professor and Minister
Mr. Hedges’ is an award winning journalist, professor, author and even an ordained Presbyterian minister. The book uses all aspects of his background to create a unique narrative.
He begins each chapter on various people and places, then dives deeper into where the topic for the chapter affects a greater worldview. The style changes from direct reporting to essay to philosophical throughout the book.
From the chapter titled “Work,” Mr. Hedges discusses the life of Dale Gustafson, yet begins with this simple, factual short paragraph: “Dale Gustafson, sixty one, used a gun to kill himself on May 14, 2015. He was a self-employed house painter in Rockford, Illinois for more than thirty five years.”
Mr. Hedges then goes on to give us his life story through a short biographical piece from Gustafson’s sister. Following this scene, Mr. Hedges gives us statistics about white suicide in Rockford; information from Princeton economists about why white suicide may be higher; then a paragraph from Emile Durkheim’s book, “Suicide.” And finally followed up by some commentary about Pope John Paul II’s “Laborem Exercens.” These first six pages for the Chapter, “Work,” capture how Mr. Hedges uses his entire background to write this book.
Rhetoric: Can the World’s Problems Be Explained in 7 Chapters?
No one is able to completely capture the agony of the world in one book, yet Mr. Hedges makes the effort to cover as much as possible by using seven topics to depict where we might stand now. Even though he primarily uses examples in the United States, he does sporadically bring in a global reference or tie in.
Mr. Hedges appears to be on a mission with this book. He wants the reader to know what is failing, why, the root causes of our demise and more. He articulates his points using who he is as a person to draw us into his concerns about our world. At times his writing is very graphic, presumably to make our blood boil to the atrocities committed to the individuals involved. The reader knows very specifically how Mr. Hedges feels and what he wants us to know.
Cultural and Political Significance: Does ‘America: The Farewell Tour’ Reflect Who We Are in Trump’s Second Term and Beyond?
We are in an interesting crossroads in American history. This book was written at the start of Trump’s first term in 2017. Now we are at the start of his second term. The challenge is in judging this book now. Have Mr. Hedges’ concerns not come to full fruition yet? Or does his examples reflect just the worst of the worst? There will always be stories of human failures, no matter the cause, and they are never pretty.
Will the worst fears expressed in this book come to fruition now or in the near future? Honestly we might be finding out. Maybe most Americans will not fall as hard as the stories in the various chapters. Yet, as mentioned above, many Americans are one or two steps away from a catastrophic life event. Will this bring us down?
Hard to say. Even recently the 2008-2009 economic events show that eventually people hit hard can bounce back. Unfortunately not everyone does. So does each ensuing disaster slowly build to the crescendo of America failing? Or worse, the fear that a more powerful oligarchy or plutocracy emerge from Trump’s policies and it will be too late to protect the working and middle class? And subsequently America’s dream for us all?
Mr. Hedges argues convincingly that dream may already be lost.
Authenticity: No Room for Doubt
There is no doubt in any potential reader’s mind that Mr. Hedges is whole heartedly behind what he is saying. As described above, Mr. Hedges uses the entire wheelhouse of his professional life to build this book. This is not a one-time event for him. If you follow his work or touch on other pieces of his work, you know he cares deeply about what is happening in America.
Critiquing the Critics: Overwhelming Praise, Perhaps from Liberals Who Don’t Realize Hedges is Far Left
The average critic seems to love this book. Critics state specifically their whole hearted endorsement of Mr. Hedges’ worldview.
- Ed Meek from The Arts Fuse included “Has Our Ship Already Sailed?” in his title to the review.
- Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat from Spirituality & Practice subtitled their review: “A prophetic critique of the United States designed to get Americans thinking about what is being lost.”
- One Goodreads reviewer said: “Chris Hedges’ profound and provocative examination of America in crisis is “an exceedingly provocative book certain to arouse controversy, but offering a point of view that needs to be heard.”
- Robert R. Thomas for East Village Magazine wrote: “The book’s chapters—DECAY, HEROIN, WORK, SADISM, HATE, GAMBLING and FREEDOM—are lucid reveals about the fall of empire, historically and currently. The book’s focus is a deep dive into pathologies of self-annihilation, both individually and culturally.”
The critics all agree this book explores what ails America, what is dismantling it from within and how far the empire has fallen. These were all reviews from when the book was originally published. What would these same critics say now?
When liberal critics reviewed this title after its release during Trump’s first term, it’s possible they assumed Hedges was a liberal as well. He is not. During his entire documented career, Hedges has been aligned with the American far left.
One of the positive quotes for “America: The Farewell Tour” is from Ralph Nader, the Green Party’s candidate during the 2000 presidential election. Hedges was a surrogate for Nader’s campaign. Many liberals hold Nader partially responsible for George W. Bush’s win. Hedges has since supported Bernie Sanders, Cornel West and Jill Stein.
Hedges is against both parties in our duopoly. If he had published the book during Biden’s term, we wonder if liberal critics would have attacked Hedges and defended the Biden economy.
Book Aesthetic: An Overly Simple Cover That Doesn’t Fit
Due to the powerful message Chris Hedges is trying to convey, the cover artwork is somewhat uninspiring. A simple flag decorated balloon covering a white background with black letters does not speak volumes to a book that describes a country in massive decline.
The depths to which Mr. Hedges writes needs a cover that matches his intensity to both his stories and to the decline he illustrates. That way a laymen reader can understand this book is not a parade.
Reviewer’s Personal Opinion: I Beg For a Complete Conclusion
The critics and this reviewer describe a book that is high-quality and hard-hitting, that lays out an America in great decline. An almost call to arms to the reader. And yet in my opinion a dismal failure.
Mr. Hedges illustrates in great detail individual stories that represent the symptoms of decline in America. Each chapter can give a reader the ammunition — both emotionally and rationally — the desire to make real change. There are deep dives into the loss of soul, loss of dignity of humanity through these examples, yet something is missing.
I beg for a conclusion. Something that ties the book together, that brings forth a reader’s anger or emotions to desire to make change. If Mr. Hedges rightfully shows us that the globalist capitalist worldview is a danger to the human condition, then why doesn’t he create a path forward, or at least discuss those who do create paths?
In a small way he does, yet it disappears in his ongoing narrative.
For example from page 247:
“We will have to build new, parallel institutions that challenge the hegemony of corporate power. It will not be easy. It will take time. We cannot accept foundation money and grants from established institutions that seek to curtail the radical process of reconstituting society. Trusting in the system, and especially the Democratic Party, to carry out reform and wrest back our democracy ensures our enslavement. Communities such as Burdock House will be pivotal.”
Burdock House is the primary driver of the first part of the chapter, “Freedom.” Mr. Hedges spends a great deal of time discussing the work that leads to the paragraph above. Note that he specifically calls out the Democratic party. I will get to this in a moment.
Mr. Hedges goes further on the same page and discusses another individual talking about making change, Michael Gecan. Again Mr. Hedges brings us another solution in action, the Industrial Areas Foundation, describing who they are and what they do.
And yet in the end he leaves us with what is shocking to me: a half-page litany of ideas that are the Democratic Party on their best day as the answers to the malaise this country has fallen to.
“America: The Farewell Tour” deserves a better resolution, and Mr. Hedges fails us in that regard. The book ends with this statement:
“should inspire concerned people to think about what they can do in the ‘global fight for life against corporate tyranny.’
“should inspire”? Where does that leave us? Guessing what to do next. If a book is going to make such a strong statement about the problem, should it not do more than potentially inspire us to do something?
Another review from Tony Weller from Wellerbookworks also describes the details of each chapter. One paragraph specifically states:
“The workings of capitalism are only vaguely understood by most of us, yet its dogmas are defended like religion. It is heresy to do less. Publicly traded corporations are virtually obligated to perform psychopathically. They are machines for consolidation of wealth and exportation of liabilities. Those who perform the least labor reap the largest rewards. Economic legerdemain. The working class is catching on. But watch out. Kleptocrats are fortifying against the poor, the working class, the middle class and the future. Near the end of the book, Hedges presents a hopeful and sane vision of the world we could create if we can become clear-headed enough as a society to move beyond our destructive beliefs. At page 304 is a tight and thorough list of the ideals of a sensible and sustainable culture. After such gloom, the reader needs it.”
Page 304 is where the litany of the Democrat Party’s best day derives. It is such a weak-kneed offer compared to the rest of the book. It is astoundingly frustrating to any reader who may have come away with a feeling of ‘I want to do something now.’
The majority of the chapter on freedom offers so much more in solutions, living examples of what can be done such as the Burdock House, The Industrial Areas Foundation, what happened at Standing Rock. Yet Mr. Hedges never ties this together to offer a more positive force of action than that the minimum wage should be $15.00.
We Need a Warning for the Sadism Section
On a quick get-on-my high-horse-and-soap-box-moment, the chapter on sadism contains some very graphic descriptions of sexual sadism that goes beyond standard definitions of pornography. I presume Mr. Hedges wants us to understand the depths of despair by the participants from these graphic descriptions. Because this book is available in local libraries, there needs to be more warning. I think even some liberal parents may want to know what their children may run across in this chapter. I say this because I became interested in politics and our country around eight grade. On the surface I might have read this book at that time, and those descriptions would have been too much for such a young age. OK off the high horse now.
‘America, The Farewell Tour’ Review: Well-Written Book That Misses Its Own Answer
“America: The Farewell Tour” allows the reader to understand where we fail as a country, a society, where we might land in the dustbin of history. Peppered through the book are answers to what can be done, yet the narrative never full heartedly embraces its own solutions.
To say the reader will be engaged is an understatement. Mr. Hedges knows what he wants you to know and does a phenomenal job of communicating that information to the reader. The reader can connect to the individuals because Mr. Hedges describes their world with the detail we need to see them as the humans, people we could converse with and live alongside. In the end, however, we are left unsure of what it takes to overcome the globalists who are causing these nightmares.
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“America: The Farewell Tour” is available in many public libraries. It doesn’t seem to be available in many physical bookstores. If you learn of a physical bookstore where it is in stock, please let us know, and we’ll update our review.
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