Liberals Never Were Leftists

I admire Chris Hedges and the journey he appears to have taken; he sees clearly and critically the dire state of this nation and its fragile democracy, now on the brink of annihilation with no hope of return.
But I believe he misses a couple of marks in his recent piece for Truthdig, The World Liberal Opportunists Made.
First and foremost, he makes the common, but wrong equation of Liberals with The Left. However, in Hedges' defence, I don't believe he does this intentionally. So many times, in so many analyses, Liberals are rightly taken to task for their support of policies that would be roundly condemned if perpetrated by a Republican. From the 'end of Welfare as we know it', NAFTA, GATT, The World Trade Organization, and free global trade, all under Clinton to the continued torture, illegal detention and wars under Obama, and a host of other atrocities, Liberals have been silent. Hedges then goes on to cite Russell Jacoby who bemoans 'The Left's' support of the very conditions they used to condemn: the Capitalist 'market' and 'mass culture', once considered 'exploitive', now revered; intellectualism, once courageous, now considered elitist; and so on. But of course, The Left has never abandoned their position on these and many other issues; but Liberals have. Hedges expresses his concern that Liberals have failed to address the concerns of the conservative working class while at the same time he acknowledges that Liberals have sold out to the Corporate Elite. He ties that selling out to the reason working people have turned into Teabaggers. But he misses the key point of the millions, if not billions of dollars poured into the Tea Bag movement by Murdock, via his FOX conglomerate and the Koch brothers.
I understand the tactic of the corporate media to conflate Liberalism with The Left; that is a convenient way to attempt to smear a movement that resonates with people, or at least would if only the people could hear from it.
I have no doubt that Liberalism and the so-called 'Liberal class' will disappear; oh, they may be trotted out occasionally when the Elites need to whip up fear of Socialism or some other community-oriented philosophy that may emerge or quell some working class discontent over the continued theft by the wealthy of resources and other people's labor.
Hedges' frustration and anxiety is well placed. He has certainly articulated over his many columns the need for decisive action by Progressives. As I see it, this very dangerous time has great opportunity in it as well. If Progressives really did become active in fighting not against the forces of Fascism rampant in this country, but rather for a Progressive alternative in all areas of our civic life, we could indeed achieve significant democratic change. But he doesn't help the Progressive cause mixing Liberal indifference with Progressive exclusion.
I think a key difference between the dying Liberals and Progressives is they understanding of the enormous power exercised by the corporate Elite, through their corporations and control of vast wealth on the social, economic, and political life of The People (that is, the 98% of us not in that Elite club).
Blame Muslims, Mexicans, Martians, Liberals, Intellectuals, or just plain folks all you want for the woes that challenge us; it will in the end do no good. For if you eliminated all those groups you would still lose your job, your home, your health care, your kids' future. The problem is not in the stars nor in ourselves, but in the power and privilege of the wealthy, corporate Elite.