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Globalization & Imperialism
Michael Parenti
“The conquest of the earth, is not a pretty thing when you look at it too much,” Joseph Conrad wrote in Heart of Darkness. Conrad was writing about the Congo a century ago. Today, conquests are different, although they still involve military force at times. Globalization is the cover for a system of economic, political […]
The Manufacture of History
Michael Parenti
George Orwell recognized the key role that history plays in perpetuating power when he said, “Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.” Today progressive historians are challenging conventional notions of mainstream history. They are shaking up the academy and its shibboleths about the past. One such example comes […]
History as Mystery
Michael Parenti
One of America’s leading progressive thinkers discusses his book History as Mystery. He demonstrates how history’s victors distort and suppress the truth to perpetuate their power and privilege. In his inimitable and incisive style, he examines class biases of pack historians and why they mystify the past, historians’ debt to Marx, the strange death of Zachary Taylor, conspiracy theories, psychohistory, […]
The U.S. War on Yugoslavia
Michael Parenti
Bill Clinton says the U.S.-led war on Yugoslavia is moral and just. A lot of people are not convinced that they are getting straight news on the Balkan crisis. Some critics say that the U.S. is selectively applying its concern for human rights. They observe that the bombing has turned a bad situation into a […]
The Hidden Ideology of the Mass Media
Michael Parenti
Mass media are owned by huge corporations that have a definite ideological agenda. Yet it is a staple verging on dogma that the mass media are independent, objective and liberal. This is repeated like a mantra and never challenged. Detailed studies and documentation refute the liberal label. Nevertheless, the charge of liberal bias persists and […]
Costs of Empire
Michael Parenti
Discussions about empire are carefully controlled and constructed. It’s fine to talk about the Byzantine, Ottoman and British varieties. However, the subject of U.S. empire, when not ignored outright, is couched in euphemisms like the “free market” or “free trade.” Other favorites are “national interest” and “national security.” U.S. global intervention is framed in terms […]
Media Realities
Michael Parenti
Recorded at the University of Florida.
The Control of History
Michael Parenti
The conventional view of history is that it is neutral and impartial, written by disinterested, objective scholars. These lofty ideals, however, don’t stand up to scrutiny. History is a vehicle for ideology. Its guardians—historians—often fabricate, distort and omit crucial facts and events. Take President Kennedy, for example. There’s a lot written about him. In 1962 […]
The Struggle for Democracy
Michael Parenti
Democracy is more than a set of political procedures culminating in elections. It has evolved over centuries and has many shapes and permutations. The conception and practice of democracy differ widely. Yet, everybody is for it. Pro-democracy movements are celebrated from China to Albania. However the system’s actual workings are often not clear. In a […]
Voodoo Economics
Michael Parenti
During the 1980 Republican presidential primaries, Bush the elder was running against Reagan. He derided Reagan’s pledge to cut taxes while hugely increasing the defense budget as “voodoo economics.” It was designed to line the pockets of the few at the expense of the many. Deficits exploded in the 1980s after tax rates were cut […]
Real History: Parts 1 and 2
Michael Parenti
Real History is a series of presentations by Michael Parenti on important and controversial topics, many of which have been shrouded in myth. Take the much venerated Founding Fathers. They were slave owners and wealthy men who wanted a system that favored their interests with democracy for the few. Or another example is how the […]
The Bush Wars & the New World Order
Michael Parenti
In 1991 George Bush proudly declared a “New World Order.” For many, it had the same Old World odor of imperialism. The U.S. was triumphant, having first invaded Panama and then crushed Iraq. With the demise of the USSR, a bipolar world suddenly became unipolar. Bush’s approval rating was over 90%, but a funny thing […]

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