From the
Michael Parenti Political Archives:
Richly informed and written in an engaging style, Michael Parenti's Against Empire exposes the ruthless agenda and hidden costs of the U.S. empire. Documenting the pretexts and the lies used to justify violent intervention and maldevelopment abroad, he demonstrates how the conversion to a global economy is a victory of finance capital over democracy.
As much of the world suffers unspeakable misery and the Third-Worldization of the Unites States accelerates, civil society is impoverished by policies that benefit the rich and powerful transnational corporations and the national security state. Hard-won gains made by ordinary people are swept away.
The history of imperialism is also, however, a history of resistance, struggle, and achievement; Against Empire offers compelling alternatives for progressive change.
Contents
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Imperialism 101:
An introduction to the process by which political and economic domination is achieved. Imperial Domination Updated.
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Poverty and maldevelopment: the products of present day U.S. imperialism.
Intervention: Whose Gain? Whose Pain?
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The winners and losers of empire building. Strong Empire, Weak Republic
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Ways that Americans pay the hidden costs of empire. A Dreadful Success
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How U.S. leaders adroitly prevent the public from seeing how their policies succeed in serving the favored few. Drugs, Lies and Video Wars
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More contrived justifications for violent U.S. intervention abroad. Worthy Causes
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A critical look at three pretexts for U.S. military intervention: launching humanitarian missions, establishing electoral democracies, and discouraging weapons proliferation. Democratic Governance vs. The State
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How capitalist state interests undermine and defeat genuine democracy.
Voodoo Economics: The Third-Worldization of America
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How the deceptions perpetuated by our leaders to advance the interests of empire abroad are duplicated at home. The Empire in Academia
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A close look at the discriminatory treatment anti-capitalist scholars receive at the university. Real Alternatives
- Precise, rational ways to transform public policy to build democratic institutions.
About the Author
Michael Parenti received his Ph.D. in political science from Yale University in 1962. He has taught at a number of colleges and universities, in the United States and abroad. His writings have been translated into Portuguese, Japanese, Spanish, Chinese, Turkish, Polish, German, Bangla, and Dutch.
He is the author of fourteen books (see below). His articles have appeared in CovertAction Quarterly; Monthly Review; Prevailing Winds; The Humanist; New Political Science; Nature, Society and Thought; The Nation; Z Magazine; Dollars and Sense and numerous other publications.
He appears on radio and television talk shows to discuss current issues and ideas from his published works. Dr. Parenti's talks and commentaries are played on radio stations to enthusiastic audiences in the U.S., Canada and abroad.
He lectures on college campuses and before a wide range of audiences across the country. His books are enjoyed by both lay readers and scholars, and have been used extensively in college courses.
Among the many topics he treats are:
- Democracy and Economic Power
- Imperialism and U.S. Interventionism
- Political Bias in the U.S. News Media
- Ideology and History
- Race, Gender, and Class
- The Overthrow of Communism
- Fascism: Past and Present
See also:
Articles & Selections from Published Works of Dr. Parenti http://www.michaelparenti.org/articles.html
A brief, unauthorized history of politically motivated faculty firings at the University of Vermont since 1972
http://www.uvm.edu/~radphil/uvmfirings.htm
Professor Will Miller's Introduction for Dr. Michael Parenti before an overflow audience on the occasion of the 25th Anniversary of his firing by the UVM Trustees.
Books by Michael Parenti
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To Kill a Nation: The Attack on Yugoslavia,
2001; Reveals a decade-long disinformation campaign waged by Western leaders and NATO officials in their pursuit of free-market "reforms." The political and economic destabilization of Yugoslavia continues today, Parenti shows, as does the forced privatization and Third Worldization of the entire region.
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History as Mystery,
1999; how history is manufactured and distorted by the victors, from early Christianity to today.
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America Besieged,
1998.
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Blackshirts and Reds: Rational Fascism and the Overthrow of Communism,
1997.
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Dirty Truths,
1996; selected readings on politics, ideology, media, conspiracy, ethnic life, and class power.
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Against Empire, 1995; critiques U.S. imperialism and the New World Order at home and abroad.
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Democracy for the Few,
1995; now in its sixth edition, a critical study of the U.S. political system.
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Inventing Reality: The Politics of News Media,
1993; now in its second edition, the first comprehensive critique of the news media.
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Make-Believe Media,
1992; the hidden politics of the entertainment media.
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Land of Idols: Political Mythology in America,
1994; challenges many of the deceptions put forth by conservative elites.
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The Sword and the Dollar: Imperialism, Revolution, and the Arms Race,
1989; an exposé of U.S. cold war history and interventionism in the Third World.
- Power and the Powerless, 1978
Reviews
"America's foremost progressive writer and speaker, Parenti is illuminating, penetrating, and never afraid of the truth."— James Petras
SUNY professor and noted author
"Radical in the true sense of the word, [Parenti] digs at the roots which...sustain our public consciousness."
Los Angeles Times Book Review
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