Truthdig columnist Chris Hedges and acclaimed cartoonist Joe Sacco sat down for a live conversation in late May in Portland, Ore., one day after a horrific stabbing on a Portland train left two men dead and another wounded. The three were knifed while attempting to stop a verbal attack on two Muslim women.

Sacco opened the conversation by acknowledging the train incident and noting that "dark undercurrents" of racism have plagued Portland, and the entire country, for many decades.

"Are we living in a particular moment now, or are we living in a continuum of what America has always been?" Sacco asked.

"Both," Hedges responded. "Racism and violence have always been a part of the DNA."

Hedges and Sacco then delved into the history of religious extremism and current opposition to fascism. The two also discussed Hedges' "CAGED" project, which you can read about below.

Click here to watch a speech given by Hedges in Portland on the same weekend Hedges and Sacco spoke.

—Posted by Emma Niles