The New Reality

“Those captivated by the cult of celebrity do not examine voting records or compare verbal claims with written and published facts and reports. The reality of their world is whatever the latest cable news show, political leader, advertiser, or loan officer says is reality. 

“The illiterate, semiliterate, and those who live as though they are illiterate are effectively cut off from the past. They live in an eternal present. . . . They repeat thought-terminating clichés and slogans. They seek refuge in familiar brands and labels. . . . 

“Life is a state of permanent amnesia, a world in search of new forms of escapism and quick, sensual gratification.” 

—Chris Hedges, journalist, commentator and author of Empire of Illusion: The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle, 2009.

• Editorial Comment: This was published nine years ago. Today’s reality is more real.

Peezpix

Morning Dawgwalk #2,461

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“I don’t think writers are sacred, but words are. They deserve respect. If you get the right ones, in the right order, you can nudge the world a little.” —Tom Stoppard