Michael John Parenti (b.1933) is an American political scientist, historian, and cultural critic known for his Marxist analysis of history, media, and imperialism. His works challenge mainstream narratives, advocating social justice and economic democracy.
Born in New York City, he grew up in an Italian-American working-class family. He earned a B.A. from City College of New York, an M.A. from Brown University, and a PhD in political science from Yale University. He has taught at various universities and lectured extensively on political economy, imperialism, and media manipulation.
Parenti’s notable publications include Democracy for the Few (1974,) critiquing elite political control; Inventing Reality: The Politics of News Media (1986,) examining media bias; and The Assassination of Julius Caesar (2003,) a people’s history of ancient Rome. Other works include Blackshirts and Reds (1997,) The Face of Imperialism (2011,) and Waiting for Yesterday: Pages from a Street Kid’s Life (2013,) a memoir.
In the 2000s, Parenti sparked controversy for claiming Western media exaggerated Serbia’s war crimes to justify NATO intervention and privatization, leading to denunciation by Bosniak organizations and historians for his denial of the Bosnian Genocide.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Michael Parenti
The problem with capitalism is that it best rewards the worst part of us: the ruthless, competitive, conniving, opportunistic, acquisitive drives, giving little reward and often much punishment—or at least much handicap—to honesty, compassion, fair play, many forms of hard work, love of justice, and a concern for those in need.
—Michael Parenti
Leave a Reply