Imperialism
Imperialism is a term not applied by the mainstream media and traditional academics to anything the U.S. does. However, it is liberally applied to contemporary enemies or hoary empires of the past. Michael Parenti defines imperialism “as the process whereby the rulers of one country use economic and military power to expropriate the land, labor, markets and natural resources of another country in order to attain ever greater capital accumulation on behalf of wealthy interests at home and abroad.” Washington is always looking for euphemisms to cloak its real intentions thus “rules-based international order” is gaining currency. U.S. interventions are presented as promoting noble causes such as human rights, opposing tyranny and bringing democracy to others, and on and on.
Recorded at College of DuPage.
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
John M. Morgan –
Parenti is a timeless truth teller!
From a listener in CO –
Love this guy! Thanks for running this one. Empire? A $ trillion a year for “defense”?
WA Listener –
Thank you for Parenti! His words are like a booster shot and the potency hasn’t expired and probably never will.
Ruth Hartke –
Truth
California Listener –
WOW! Mind Bender. Excellent.
Lexie Danner –
Pure truth. Thank you, Michael Parenti.