In the Spanish of the American Southwest a palito is a piece of kindling wood that ignites the larger logs. What is that palito that sparks a passive citizen to become an activist?We are all products of many influences. One big factor for me (AR's David Barsamian) was my uncle Sarkis Hagopian. He wasn't really my uncle but since he was from my mother's village we called him that. He was barely educated. Most of his family was wiped out in the Armenian Genocide. He was a tailor in East Orange, NJ. He used to come over to our East 87th St railroad walkup apartment in New York on Sundays. I was just a kid but I was very impressed with his outspoken political views. He hated McCarthy, Nixon and other right-wingers of the '50s. So in a way he was my palito.

Michael Parenti
Michael Parenti is one of this country's foremost independent political analysts. He has taught at major colleges and universities in the U.S. and abroad. He is the author of numerous books including the classic "Democracy for the Few," "Against Empire" and the highly acclaimed "The Assassination of Julius Caesar." His latest is "The Culture Struggle."