I don't usually do this. I'm not sure I've ever done it at all here on DKos. But I'm going to go there now:
If you only read one thing this week/month/year, please, make it this chilling piece by Chris Hedges at truthdig.org.
"It's Not Going to Be OK" integrates the thinking of a number of political thinkers, including Naomi Klein. I'm still trying to grok how to react after hearing Malloy read it -- I don't think I buy the conclusions -- but it articulates numerous recognizable threads of reality that were formerly just wisps of perception in my subconscious.
Hedges' explication of Sheldon S. Wolin's "inverted totalitarianism" may be the scariest thing I've ever heard.
I won't try to summarize; I couldn't do it justice. Just read it. But here's a taste:
Inverted totalitarianism, unlike classical totalitarianism, does not revolve around a demagogue or charismatic leader. It finds its expression in the anonymity of the corporate state. It purports to cherish democracy, patriotism and the Constitution while cynically manipulating internal levers to subvert and thwart democratic institutions.
Sound familiar?