Dr. Michael Parenti Is Interviewed

[Rakhmetov]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWVorQIat70&feature=related

[RadioRaheem84]

Parenti is amazing. But what is he really politically? He talks Marxist but sometimes praises social democracy and refers a lot to corporate capitalism too. He dresses his analysis in progressive talk too.

[Buffalo Souljah]

But what is he really politicallyParenti, *I think* was raised in an at least progressive working class environment, I think in Brooklyn. I'm pretty sure he's been involved in the radical movement for some time I know he got his doctorate from Yale. He is certainly a radical, and the infvluence of Marxism is decided. I'll leave the rest to you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEzOgpMWnVs&feature=related

oldie but goodie

[DaringMehring]

He was CPUSA until some years ago. He still keeps up with the party, though no longer part of it.

[Nolan]

Parenti is amazing. But what is he really politically? He talks Marxist but sometimes praises social democracy and refers a lot to corporate capitalism too. He dresses his analysis in progressive talk too.

This. He either waters his message down as to not sound too radical and alienate potential audiences or he's just pseudo-Marxist CPUSA trash. Most of his stuff makes me think the former.

I always refer to his work "fascism: a false revolution" when dealing with some propertarian tard who thinks Hitler nationalized everything and was a socialist.

[Lenina Rosenweg]

Parenti is a former CPer. He supported John Kerry for president.He followed the two stage theory to its liberal conclusion. His books and articles are worthwhile though.

[RadioRaheem84]

Two stage theory? Oh man did he really support Kerry?

[gorillafuck]

Two stage theory? Oh man did he really support Kerry?
He also says there was no genocide in the former Yugoslavia, so supporting Kerry isn't the worst view that he's espoused.

[Nolan]

He also says there was no genocide in the former Yugoslavia, so supporting Kerry isn't the worst view that he's espoused.

source?

[gorillafuck]

source?
I watched it a while ago but watch his whole talk on the breakup of Yugoslavia.

[RadioRaheem84]

I knew that he was apologetic toward the milosevich regime.

[dutch master]

His book on Yugoslavia, To Kill A Nation, should be required reading for any Leftist on the conflict. That is, unless you are basically a liberal who supports US imperialism.

michaelparenti.org/yugoslavia.html

Sam Webb told me himself he used to be in CPUSA, which I had already gathered long ago anyway. Despite some of his shortcomings (conspiracy minded, bit of Rightist deviations here and there, supporting Kerry as the lesser of two evils, etc), he is hands down the best popularizer of radical thought there is today. He's also really, really short in person.

[Nolan]

I knew that he was apologetic toward the milosevich regime.

Why would he be though? It wasn't socialist or even progressive.

[KurtFF8]

If anyone wants to know Parenti's views on Socialism, I suggest this part of his book (in article format) here

http://www.uncommonthought.com/mtblog/archives/2009/01/27/left_anticommun_1.php

Edit: the above article is an excerpt from Blackshirts and Reds
http://www.amazon.com/Blackshirts-Reds-Rational-Overthrow-Communism/dp/0872863298/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1232383521&sr=1-1

[RadioRaheem84]

No doubt Parenti is among the best out there. A true gem. I love his work and cannot get enough of his lectures.


(conspiracy minded, bit of Rightist deviations here and there, supporting Kerry as the lesser of two evils, etc),

rightist deviations? As in his sort of lofty support of social democracy? Conspiracy minded, yes, but only really in the JFK assassination.

[bie]

He also says there was no genocide in the former Yugoslavia
Oh really? What a load of bullshit! Parenti wrote an excellent book on the former Yugoslavia "To kill a nation", where most of the EU-NATO war propaganda was denounced and its falseness exposed. He widely criticizes the false accusations and media war against Yugoslav government, that were used to cover the genocide and murder committed by former fascists and EU supported war criminals in the interest of German neocolonialism.

[Buffalo Souljah]

Oh really? What a load of bullshit! Parenti wrote an excellent book on the former Yugoslavia "To kill a nation", where most of the EU-NATO war propaganda was denounced and its falseness exposed. He widely criticizes the false accusations and media war against Yugoslav government, that were used to cover the genocide and murder committed by former fascists and EU supported war criminals in the interest of German neocolonialism.

The above lecture is on the material in To Kill a Nation. Parenti speaks about how Milosevich was demonized after he held reservations about U.S.-proposed "accords", basically allowing for the Yugoslav state to indefinitely serve as an offshore American military base. His rejection of this measure convinced American politicians and American media that he was "worse than Hitler" and "like Saddam", and so forth, by refusing to turn his country over to American imperialism.

[Wanted Man]

So? Sounds about right, to be honest. It's definitely true that the state utilises the "free media" to demonise any heads of state who don't want to turn their countries into permanent NATO bases. Milosevic is a pretty clear example of this. Parenti's article about this can be found on his website: http://www.michaelparenti.org/Milosevic.html

I think we can at least consider Parenti a good "fellow traveller" who justifies communism without necessarily accepting all its principles.

[Rakhmetov]

double post sorry.

[Rakhmetov]

Parenti is a former CPer. He supported John Kerry for president.He followed the two stage theory to its liberal conclusion. His books and articles are worthwhile though.


That remark could have been punctuated by a pinch of snuff--- arrogant.

Supporting some liberal over the god-awful Bush does not automatically make you a capitalist. Dr. Chomsky supported voting for Obama over McCain "but without illusion."

[Thirsty Crow]

Why would he be though? It wasn't socialist or even progressive.
Because Miloshevich had a thing for presenting his national-chauvinist program as a program for a salvation of socialist Yugoslavia. Sadly, many leftists from Western Europe (and the U.S. obviously) fell for that bullshit.

[RadioRaheem84]

Actually a lot of leftists fell for US propaganda against Milosovich. Chomsky and Parenti offered the best criticism against It.

[Sir Comradical]

source?

I have the book "To Kill a Nation: The attack on Yugoslavia" which provides a fantastic analysis of capitalist restoration in the country. However he does say that the Srebrenica massacre was exaggerated.

[Sir Comradical]

Because Miloshevich had a thing for presenting his national-chauvinist program as a program for a salvation of socialist Yugoslavia. Sadly, many leftists from Western Europe (and the U.S. obviously) fell for that bullshit.

Why did NATO hate Milosevic? Because he resisted complete free-market reform. That's pretty much all we're saying.

Milosevic addressed the real grievances of Serbs living in Kosovo. For that he was called as a Serb nationalist and a Hitlerite racist. Chomsky and Parenti pointed out the hypocrisy of criticizing Milosevic for being a racist when NATO's supporting Tudjman (holocaust denying croatian fascist) and Izetbegovic (former nazi and Islamic fundamentalist).

[RadioRaheem84]

Hitchens called Milosovich's regime national socialist. He was a big proponent of the NATO intervention.