Rulers divide the world into ‘worthy’ and ‘unworthy’ victims; those we are allowed to pity, such as Ukrainians enduring the hell of modern warfare, and those whose suffering is minimized, dismissed, or ignored. This bifurcation of the world into worthy and unworthy victims is a key component of propaganda, especially in war. In this episode of The Chris Hedges Report, award-winning journalist Peter Oborne joins Chris Hedges to examine how worthy victims are used to allow citizens to see themselves as empathetic, compassionate, and just; how they are an effective tool to demonize the aggressor; and how they are used to obliterate nuance and ambiguity.

Peter Oborne is a former political commentator of The Spectator, The Daily Telegraph, and Daily Mail, who covered the war in Yemen. He currently writes about politics for openDemocracy and Middle East Eye, and is the author of “The Triumph of the Political Class” and “The Rise of Political Lying.”

Chris Hedges interviews writers, intellectuals, and dissidents, many banished from the mainstream, in his half-hour show, The Chris Hedges Report. He gives voice to those, from Cornel West and Noam Chomsky to the leaders of groups such as Extinction Rebellion, who are on the front lines of the struggle against militarism, corporate capitalism, white supremacy, the looming ecocide, as well as the battle to wrest back our democracy from the clutches of the ruling global oligarchy.

Studio: Adam Coley, Cameron Granadino, Dwayne Gladden
Post-Production: Cameron Granadino

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27 thoughts on “The Chris Hedges Report: Ukraine and the ‘worthy’ and ‘unworthy’ victims of war”
  1. I FEEL STRONGLY THE BIAS AGAINST ARABIAN PPL IS COMING OUT OF ANCIENT HEBREW HISTORY IN t BIBLE & PREJUDICE TOWARD ISMAEL AS 'SCAPE GOAT' CHILD & ISSAC, THE 'GOLDEN CHILD' GOLDEN CHILD'. ..FURTHER..WNTD TO MENTION HALF OF YEMEN IS MARXIST. DON'T KNOW HOW THIS WAS DONE–BUT CLEARLY IS DIVIDE & CONQUER TACTIC..HOUTHIES, I THINK. THEY HAV BEEN LOBBING MISSLES TOWARD TRYING TO DESTROY MECCA.

  2. Although this is over a year old, and whilst I would not be politically aligned with either Mr Obourne or Mr Hedges, both men make fantastic points in this interview regarding a host of issues, but in particular the fact that, despite the goodies/baddies narrative pushed by the MSM in the West, nuance happens to exist. No one can hope to understand major issues unless they know the viewpoints of all the actors involved, and this is oh-so evident in the world right now with reference to the conflict in Ukraine. I don't think anyone aside from warmongering psychopaths want war, whatever the reason, but it seems to me that some people in North America and Europe believe that Putin and his cabinet just woke up one morning in February 2022 and decided to invade Ukraine for something to do (although with the way in Russian leaders are portrayed in the west, stretching back to Ivan Vasilyevich, it wouldn't surprise me if certain folk did genuinely think that lol). Anyone with even a superficial knowledge of what has actually been happening in that specific part of the former USSR can tell them otherwise, and if like me the ex-Soviet Union fascinates you, you'll no doubt be able to furnish them with an overview of the pretty complex social, political, economic and geographical reasons as to why we are where we are today. The one thing we should all be concerned about is the plight of ordinary working-class people in both Ukraine and Russia, who now have to deal with the threat of drone strikes and other types of bombings etc, through no fault of their own. Doesn't look like Putin is going anywhere, so perhaps if the West put Zelensky to one side and back a new leader without his baggage who is willing to get peace based on a reviewed version of the (previously accepted by all sides) Minsk Accords, the sooner everything can get back to something near normal. If things keep going as they are, Ukraine will be lucky to have any working age male population left,

  3. let's just sum up, save time, by labeling the usa 'the evil empire' of our days.
    so, what else is new?
    2 aspects, perhaps. the machinations of usg are rubbing up against 2 opponents strong enough to offer effective resistence, for a change. prc looks like the winner, over a long, quasi-peaceful struggle. russia much less powerful, but much more dangerous. comrade putin looks like the desperado tyrant who might well dispatch a few nuclear bombs to people who trouble him.
    the people of usa are unable to restrain their masters. for all the endless reference to 'democracy,' usa is not and never was a democracy, and the lack, and the lies, make them impotent and ignorant as a restraint against the orcs who infest usa politics.
    the only hope for peace is the suspicion by those orcs, that putin has a capability, and a disposition, to erase usa cities.
    thank god, for 'mutually assured destruction.'
    meanwhile, the climate crisis is insoluable to nations directed by politicians. they are short-term thinkers, inevitably selfish, and lately displaying a common attribute of stupidity.
    this problem might kill us all, with not a shot fired.
    the guy that coined the phrase 'homo sapiens' is spinning in his grave, and i have suggested modernizing this label to 'homer sap.' homer simpson captured the usa dimwit with great precision.

  4. Oh Thank you Chris Hodges For Telling us the truth. American government has been so bad in murdering people. It's true that Muslim never hurt anyone,and Hitler didn't kill anyone, saints just like Ukraine, and. Chinese have great human rights, DO The Righteous News Teller's Like Your self Have That Plan Yet ? You Know That One That Makes Everyone Live ain Peace ?.

  5. Russia went to aid the people of the Donbass being slaughtered by U.S. funded Nazi's in Ukraine. How is that an act of aggression!?

  6. This guy is full of crap. Russia did not invade Ukraine. Russia intervened in a 8 year war against the destruction of millions of russians living in east ukraine and after two peace agreements, both ignored by western europe and america, along with the breaking of the agreement with America to not militarize ukraine against Russia, since the end of WW2! A 80 year agreement!

  7. Did anyone else find it hard to hear Pete due to the scrunching sound? That was probably due to the eggshells he was walking on, some of which no doubt had 'Minsk I Agreement' and 'Minsk II Agreement' written on them, which he was also carefully avoiding. Follow the money – right?

  8. Ask any targeted political dissident or person subjected to organized harassment if they feel they live in a country with "decency, rule of law" and a fair "parliamentary democracy." Peter Oborne is naive if he thinks that only people in other countries can be deemed "unworthy" victims. It's time for the left to start to stand up for those within their own countries as well. Why should a non-violent, non-criminal person in the US have to experience years of privacy invasion, harassment, sexual crimes, vandalism, theft, breaking and entering, slander and physical threats, for speaking out about injustice or standing up for themselves against institutional bullies? I'm sure that Hedges agrees when I say that those on the "left" need to fully accept as reality that if you become an apologist for an administration that engages in inhuman policies abroad, then you are facilitating continued atrocities within the US as well. When you allow people who have no respect for life in positions of power in your country, people willing to commit and justify atrocities, they will also have no regard for some of their own citizens. They will commit hidden atrocities toward their own people. In this way, without "rule of law" or any decency whatsoever, there are countless people murdered, driven to suicide, raped, threatened and living in fear – within the national boundaries of the USA. Please start to include these victims as well. They are also worthy and deserve justice, "decency" and "rule of law."

  9. 9:50 "I salute to the Ukrainian people who fight in the war of aggression against Putin and Russia" Ukrainian people are not fighting a war of aggression against Russia, ( they have not been a planed target in the least ) the Russians are fighting a war which has to do entirely with Nato , A threat to the nation ( Russia )from the Ukrainian government and west. Also genocide in the east of Ukraine.

  10. More garbage from Chris Hedges and his pro Putin and communist supporters. Putins new ally is North Korea swallow that Mr Human rights. Your the con man

  11. Peter Oborne is wrong . Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 was truly to save Ethnic Russians in Ukraine , approx. 14,000 of whom were killed by US backed fascist west Ukraine since 2014 . In addition to stop NATO from backing Russia into a corner . The US and British War on Iraq was truly a war of Aggression under International Law . There's no comparison . The Bush and Blair regimes are war criminals. The Putin regime is not .

  12. Kissinger-fellow and Obama-war-whisperer Samantha Power is currently #3 on my list of People I Most Despise, directly behind the hypocritical Starr Inquisitor (himself an intoxicated rapist) and Umpire John Roberts, who only calls strikes on black voters, not Caucasian ones.

  13. Very disturbing conversation that demonstrates the bankruptcy of liberalism, and it's willingness to falsify history to get along.
    All very banal in this period of crisis.

  14. Very disappointing conversation. It shows the extent to which liberal thought is inadequate to comprehend the historic predicament we now find ourselves in. A total falsification of modern history that I serves to confuse us even further.

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