Michael Parenti

Michael Parenti: The Struggle For History

Dissident Truth and Official Deception
In this talk Michael Parenti quotes Winston Churchill who said to his fellow party members: “History will be kind to us because I plan to write it.” Far from being an objective account of events history bears the mark of its writer, the omissions of the censors, and the interests of those who benefit from making it. In this speech Parenti shows how to take the recording of history back from politicians, the media, professors, clergy, and business people.
Michael Parenti is one of the nation’s leading progressive political analysts. With roots in a working class Italian district of New York and a Ph.D. in political science from Yale Michael Parenti has become an internationally known lecturer. [ . . . ]

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Michael Parenti: Ideology And Conspiracy

From: Understanding Deep Politics Conference, Santa Cruz, CA. – May 14/16 2010
In this entertaining talk, rich with historic references, Parenti describes the right-wing agenda of dismantling social democracy while calling anybody who describes this as a purposeful strategy a conspiracy theorist. He shows that this strategy began right after World War II but culminates now as powerful segment of right wing media and the GOP have moved so far to the right that they have overshot their popular base. Meanwhile democrats, including Obama, unable or unwilling to formulate the social democratic alternative, still talk of bipartisan approaches.
For a broadcast quality mp3 version of Part ONE click HERE
For a broadcast quality mp3 version of Part TWO click HERE
Code [ . . . ]

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Michael Parenti: Voting In The USA – How the Vote was Won and Lost

If the right to vote is taken as a measure of a vibrant democracy, the United States came off to a bad start. Dr. Michael Parenti says that the most interesting list from the period of 1787 is the rather long one of people who were not allowed to vote – and he names all of them. Also, in Part TWO, the many ways in which votes have been stolen during the Bush administration.
This archival recording is a primer on the history of voting and the day to day efforts to make democracy come alive that shows Parenti at his best as historian and engaged political thinker.
Parenti is one of the nation’s leading progressive political analysts. After receiving his Ph.D. [ . . . ]

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Michael Parenti Political Liberties and Economic Democracy

From the University of Hartford Series: CIVIL LIBERTIES IN THE 21st CENTURY – In his November 2009 lecture at the University of Hartford Dr. Michael Parenti answers intriguing questions about democracy. Is US democracy a result of capitalism as some claim – or does it exist – such as it is – in spite of the current economic system. AND did the founding fathers even envision a democratic system – and why were so many of them opposed to democracy.
Parenti is one of the nation’s leading progressive political analysts. This is part one of his one hour lecture. He was introduced by the President of the University of Hartford, Walter Harrison. After receiving his Ph.D. in political science from Yale [ . . . ]

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Michael Parenti: God And His Demons

This is Dr. Michael Parenti’s first talk on his most recent book: God and His Demons. The 2010 book covers the many evils committed in the name of godly virtue throughout history, and the threat posed by fundamentalists and theocratic reactionaries.
Parenti is one of the nation’s leading progressive political analysts. He is a prolific author and an engaging speaker. Parenti grew up in a conservative, catholic, working class Italian community in New York city. After receiving his Ph.D. in political science from Yale he has taught at colleges and universities, in the United States and abroad. He risked and ended his academic career when he openly opposed the war on Vietnam. He serves on the board of judges for Project [ . . . ]

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Michael Parenti: Capitalism’s Apocalypse

Why the rich can’t save anybody – not even themselves
Parenti predicted the financial crisis and said that giant corporate capitalism – by it’s very nature – is an apocalyptic system. When unregulated the built in elements of ever increased growth may well bring the whole system down. And he described the growing national debt not as a tragic mistake but as a means to shift ever more money from the tax payers to the financial institutions in the form of interest payments. This speech is an analysis of the many structural flaws of a capitalist system that puts it on a permanent collision course with democracy. Recorded on August 23, 2008 at the closing reception for Maria Gilardin’s art [ . . . ]

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Michael Parenti: Contrary Notions

City Light books in San Francisco’s North Beach was filled to capacity for the book party of Michael Parenti’s most recent work: Contrary Notions. This is a rich selection from the writings of a life time on history, empire, wealth, class power, ideology and much more. Parenti goes where few political analysts dare to go and – with acerbic wit –  makes transparent how he arrives at his conclusions. This excerpt of his 45 minute talk addresses taboo subjects such as the murder of the town of New Orleans and 9/11.
This is a highly professional recording by Brightpath Video of Parenti in an intimate book store setting on January 22, 2008.
For a broadcast quality mp3 version of the 29 minute [ . . . ]

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Michael Parenti: Diversity And Orthodoxy In The News Media

This August 28, 2008 analysis of the media is Parenti’s most up-to-date contribution. He gave the keynote speech for the Modern Media Censorship lectures by Project Censored. Each year Project Censored <http://www.projectcensored.org/> gives awards for the most censored news stories of the year. Parenti lists important criteria by which to judge media bias, ranging from ownership to labeling, false objectivity and sensationalism, omission, outright lies and the denial of causality with the famous theory of “stuff happens”.
Michael Parenti has written and lectured on the mainstream media for decades. His key book on the topic is “Inventing Reality – The politics of the News Media.”
For a broadcast quality 29 minute mp3 version of this program click HERE
For a [ . . . ]

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Michael Parenti: Conspiracy & Class Power

One of Parenti’s most influential archival speeches
This is an in-depth analysis of the modern state and the exercise of power behind the scenes. The speech is also an important historic document. Given in 1993 it issues a warning of the use of deception to justify going to war. The speech also explains the expansion of the deregulated free market that would lead to a financial crisis as we see it today. The speech on Conspiracy and Class Power was lost for several years and only recently discovered in the collection of a listener in Seattle.  Michael Parenti spoke before an overflow audience in Berkeley, CA.
Michael Parenti is an internationally known author and lecturer. He received his Ph.D. in political science [ . . . ]

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Michael Parenti: STOP the Pesticide Spray of the Bay Area

Parenti weighs in on the Apple Moth eradication
What do Homeland Security and FEMA have to do with the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s plans to spray the San Francisco Bay Area with pesticides? Is this more dangerous to us and our rights than to the light brown apple moth? Parenti says that 50 other states have plans for similar  eradication programs – so this is NOT a local issue.
UPDATE:
After this program was recorded the California Department of Food and Agriculture announced on June 19 that they would suspend the spraying of urban areas. They still plan to spray forested areas and use ground spraying of the controversial pesticide. Parenti says:” This is a tactical retreat to preserve the whole [ . . . ]

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Michael Parenti: The JFK Assassination and the Gangster Nature of the State

[Program Considered Lost – I located copies of the masters]
When Oliver Stone’s movie JFK opened in December 1991 a huge PR campaign was mobilized against the film. Even progressives spoke out. Noam Chomsky wrote in support of the Warren Commission’s findings – in contrast Michael Parenti gave one of his highly acclaimed talks criticizing the lone assassin theory. The bitter questions that haunted defenders and critics alike was whether government agencies of a democratic country would do such a thing as assassinate an elected President.
In this talk Michael Parenti turns to that question first – he examines, in part one, what he calls “the gangster nature of the state.” In part two he goes over details of the assassination and [ . . . ]

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Michael Parenti: Real History

A six part (3 hour) lecture series on three audio CDs.
The most popular of all his speeches on history.
Purchase individually or get the three CD set for $25.
CD Number ONE:
THE MYTH OF THE FOUNDING FATHERS
As the United States government claims to spread democracy around the world and is deeply involved in ghost writing constitutions for other countries, the spotlight falls back on this country. Is the current US system a democracy, – has it ever been one? In The Myth of the Founding Fathers Michael Parenti takes us back to the early days of the republic. Who were the founding fathers, what were their goals in writing the US constitution? Who did they exclude and who did they favor? What [ . . . ]

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Michael Parenti: Globalization, The New Imperialism

Parenti sets out to prove that wealth causes poverty. A rising tide sinks many boats. Globalization accelerates that process within the silent global coup of the WTO
Recorded in 2000. 56 min.
code MP038CD: To order a CD click here: $10.00
 

Michael Parenti: Wealth and Democracy in the Bush Age

Parenti says that wealth distribution is unequal in capitalism. The ruling class aims to increase that portion of the gross national income from investment and decrease the portion that is earned through wages, salaries, fees and pensions.
Engineered by Ed Russell, recorded on April 8, 2005, Hampshire College, Amherst.
LIVE recording, not a radio program
code MP035: To order a CD click here: $10.00

Michael Parenti: The Cost of Empire

The name “empire” was reserved for the Romans or the Russians. Though not commonly called by that name, the US is the largest empire, with global military and economic presence. Parenti explains that those who reap the benefits are not those who bear the extraordinary costs of maintaining the US Empire. 60 minutes Produced by TUC Radio
code: A 120 To order a CD click here: $10.00