Contrary Notions
Much of what passes for political analysis in the media is a discussion of tactics. Deeply embedded ideas are never mentioned let alone questioned or challenged. Taking their cues from so-called Washington conventional wisdom, such notions as international law or the UN Charter are only applied to official enemies. If you have your eyes open you can see this constantly. The pattern is almost routine to the point of boredom. But who’s looking? Take commentators David Brooks and Mark Shields on PBS’ NewsHour with Jim Lehrer. All perfectly reasonable and civil people who don’t yell and complete their sentences. When it comes to U.S. aggression, a term you will not hear, they discuss modalities such as, Do we have enough troops? Are the Allies lined up? The underlying assumption of the right to attack is not open to debate.
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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