The Control of History
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 he sent the U.S. Air Force to bomb and defoliate South Vietnam. At about the same time, JFK launched a campaign of terror, sabotage, biological warfare and assassination against Cuba. It was called Operation Mongoose. You’ll have to look far and wide to find those things out. And don’t bother looking in school textbooks, because they won’t be there. History is a commodity, manufactured like any other product. Its production, what is selected, emphasized or ignored, reflects not just race, class and gender biases but also the interests of hegemonic power. For example, just read Henry Kissinger or Arthur Schlesinger.
Speaker
Michael Parenti
Michael Parenti was a leading independent political analyst, scholar, and author. Cornel West called him “a towering prophetic voice.” He taught at major colleges and universities in the U.S. and abroad. He is the author of numerous books, including Democracy for the Few, Power and the Powerless, and Against Empire. He passed away on January 24, 2026, at the age of 92.
Questioning the Unquestionable
“It is not demanded of readers that they embrace my views, but that they reflect upon their own. How seldom we bother to explore in some critical fashion the fundamental preconceptions that shape our understanding of social and political life. How frequently, as if by reflex rather than reflection, we respond to certain cues and incantations, resisting any incongruous notion. Our opinions shelter and support us; it is an excruciating effort to submit them to reappraisal. Yet if we are to maintain some pretense at being rational creatures, we must risk the discomfiture that comes with questioning the unquestionable, and try to transcend our tendencies toward mental confinement.” – Michael Parenti
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