Chris Hedges Warns of Long‑Term Decline of U.S. Democracy

Journalist Chris Hedges published an essay titled “America’s Suicide Pact,” arguing that the United States has been on a trajectory of internal decay since the Reagan and Clinton administrations. He contends that wealth concentration, erosion of democratic institutions, dismantling of social programs, and the empowerment of a billionaire‑driven ruling class have weakened the nation’s political and economic foundations. Hedges cites the Trump administration as the latest, most overt expression of this “suicidal march,” noting policies that further weakened environmental, educational, and postal services while enriching elite interests.

The piece frames the U.S. decline as a historical pattern of internal self‑destruction rather than external conflict, invoking historian Arnold J. Toynbee’s idea that civilizations die by suicide. Hedges calls for recognition of this systemic decay, though he offers no specific policy solutions within the essay.