Michael Parenti is among the nation's best informed progressive speakers. He received his Ph.D. in political science from Yale University in 1962 and has taught at colleges in the US and abroad. He lectures around the country and discusses the problems of American democracy, US foreign policy, and the invented reality of the media.

His books include Against Empire, History as Mystery, Superpatriotism, The Culture Struggle and the Assassination of Julius Caesar.

Dear Visitor,
Due to popular demand I went through the collection of recordings in Parenti's personal archive. I found several long lost favorites, such as the JFK Assassination and the speech to the Atheist Convention (The Political Uses of Religion). I marked the FIVE DVDs and FIVE additional CDs in green. Scroll down to see them.
Maria Gilardin

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Against Empire
By Michael Parenti
ISBN: 0-87286-298-4
Paperback BOOK, 210  pages
$12.95
TO ORDER CLICK HERE

Richly informed and written in an engaging style, Against Empire exposes the ruthless agenda and hidden costs of the U.S. Empire today. Documenting the pretexts and lies used to justify violent intervention and maldevelopment abroad, Parenti shows how the conversion to a global economy is a victory of finance capital over democracy.
 

History as Mystery
By Michael Parenti
0-87286-357-3
Paperback BOOK, 296 pages
$14.95
TO ORDER CLICK HERE

In a lively challenge to mainstream history, Michael Parenti does battle with a number of mass-marketed historical myths. He shows how history's victors distort and suppress the documentary record in order to perpetuate their power and privilege. And he demonstrates how historians are influenced by the professional and class environment in which they work.
 

Superpatriotism
By Michael Parenti
ISBN 0-87286-433-2
Paperback BOOK, 120 pages
$11.95
TO ORDER CLICK HERE

Superpatriots, writes Michael Parenti, are those people who place national pride and American supremacy above every other public consideration, those who follow leaders uncritically, especially in their war policies abroad. Superpatriotism is the nationalistic hype propagated by officialdom, the media, and various flag-waving groups.

How hype, fear, and mindless flag-waving are supplanting informed debate, commitment to democracy, and real patriotism.

Dirty Truths
By Michael Parenti
ISBN: 0-87286-317-4
Paperback BOOK, 282 pages
$14.95
TO ORDER CLICK HERE

This eye-opening and entertaining collection of essays investigates media and culture, conspiracy and state power, ideology and political consciousness. Parenti ranges over such crucial issues as free speech, the rise of neofascism, the relationship between wealth and poverty, the "terrorism" hype, the continuing mystifications about the Kennedy assassination, and the deceptions and injustices of U.S. corporate global domination.
 
 

Rulers of the Planet
By Michael Parenti
(TWO DVDs and ONE CD)
Against Empire ( recorded 10/4/2004)
How I Became an Activist (recorded 6/6/2003)
with bonus CD: Democracy VS World Domination

$18.00
Code MP042DVD  To order both DVDs and one CD click here: $18.00

Alternative Tentacles first spoken word
dvd features two complete talks on DVD and one complete talk on audio CD from author and historian Michael Parenti. Parenti presents a truly entertaining and in-depth history of the U.S. government's tendency towards Empire from the 1800s through today's Middle Eastern entanglements. 

NEW DVD
Race, Gender and Class Struggle
By Michael Parenti
Arcata, CA 4/9/06

Discussion of racism is usually a discussion about personal attitudes – not of the larger system of power that sustains and feeds institutional and systemic racism and sexism. Racism and sexism have historically served a number of real functions: they have created a surplus workforce and they have divided those who find themselves at the bottom of the social power structure.

In this talk Michael Parenti asks the important question: How were racism and sexism used by employers, colonial powers, the CIA and even by some on the Left to maintain the existing order.

 
To order a DVD click here: $16.00
To order a CD click here: $10.00

REAL HISTORY
A four part (2 hours) lecture series on audio CD or tape
This is possibly the most popular of all archival speeches

Part one/four
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 was their attitude towards slavery? How many of them actually wanted to create a monarchy? And who – in the end – ratified the constitution after it was written?

Part two/four
THE SPANISH AMERICAN WAR AND THE RISE OF US IMPERIALISM
US foreign policy of our time is clearly interventionist. From the 1950s to today, from Korea, Vietnam to Iraq and Afghanistan and countless smaller wars in between the country has moved away from the sentiment once expressed by George Washington: “Beware of foreign entanglements“

When did all this begin? Michael Parenti uses the history of the Spanish American War to answer several very intriguing questions. Who first expressed the desire to annex the island of Cuba – and when? The early African American emancipation movement inside the US was critical of US plans to attack Cuba. Why, their leaders asked, was the US government concerned about Spanish repression of the rights of Cubans while the repression of African Americans within the US was ignored. Some said the Negro needs freedom just as much as the Cubans. Why did the US attack the Philippines when it was Cuba that they wanted to take over? Why did the US give verbal support to the Cuban liberation movements against Spain while selling weapons to Spain to fight the poplar movement?

The Spanish American War was an important turning point in the transition of the US to an imperial power and many of the forces at work are eerily contemporary.

Part three/four
THE FUNCTIONS OF FASCISM
Parenti says that fascism is a new order and consciousness that served the same old power structure and promised to solve the ills of the many while protecting the interests of the few. He answers in detail who financed the Fascist parties and what services the fascists rendered in return. Many of the measures enacted by fascists were frighteningly similar to those enacted today: They include the privatization of state owned enterprises, reduction of corporate taxes and inheritance taxes, defeat of unions, and the suspension of civil liberties.

Part four/four
THE REAL CAUSES OF WORLD WAR II
Who inside Germany was resisting the rise of Hitler and why were they not supported by Britain and France? Why did the Western Allies allow Hitler to take over Austria and Czechoslovakia? Why did Britain and France refuse to enter an anti fascist alliance with the Soviet Union? Why did Britain and France do nothing while Hitler conquered Denmark and Norway even though they had finally already declared war against Germany in 1939. The West, says Parenti, saw Hitler as a bulwark against communism and the Soviet Union and were hoping that the two countries would bleed each other white.

Michael Parenti is among our leading progressive political analysts. He received his Ph.D. in political science from Yale University in 1962 and has taught at colleges in the US and abroad. The focus of his lectures is American democracy, US foreign policy, and the invented reality of the media.
Code MP001CD  SET of two CDs: $18.00
Code MP001tape  SET of two cassettes: $16.00

JUST ADDED (Feb. 2007):
Five more CDs from the archives:

The JFK Assassination
The gangster nature of the state
Recorded in Berkeley, CA,  54 min
code: MP025 , CD $10
To order a CD click here: $10.00

Struggles in the Land of Idols
Recorded in Berkeley, CA,  54 min
code: MP042 , CD $10
To order a CD click here: $10.00

The Political Uses of Religion
Speech to the American Atheist Convention
Recorded in Denver, CO, 48 min
code: MP004, CD $10
To order a CD click here: $10.00

Superpatriotism and the
Importance of Being Number One
KGNU Boulder, CO, 86 minutes
code: MP008  CD $10
To order a CD click here: $10.00

Dirty Truths
Recorded in Berkeley, CA, 09/25/02. 70 min
code: MP032 on CD only: $10
To order a CD click here: $10.00

RE-ISSUE OF PARENTI'S
MOST FAMOUS VIDEOS ON DVD
If you have never seen Michael Parenti give a public lecture you are in for a surprise. He is funny, engaging and full of intellectual surprises.
 
These DVD's are copies of the videos in the collection that was once in distribution by People's Video in Seattle.
Most of them are shot by amateurs and have that home-made touch. On the other hand they were all shown on cable access in many parts of the country. Use a DVD player built after 2005.


JUST ADDED (Feb. 2007):
Five more DVDs from the archives:

Executive Power and Democratic Needs
The national security gangster state in the Clinton era.
Recorded in Sebastopol, CA, June 1993, 84 min
code: MP026, DVD $16
To order: $16.00

The Sword and the Dollar (updated)
The history of imperialism and the forced maldevelopemnt of the Third World.
Recorded in Marin, CA, September 1993, 71 min
code: MP007, DVD $16
To order: $16.00

Democratic Government VS the State
The dangers of executive power and state conspiracy.
Recorded in Long Beach, CA, September 1991.
96 min
code: MP019, DVD $16
To order: $16.00

The Pretexts of U.S. Interventionism
Why the U.S. global empire persists in the post cold war era and the lies that sustain it.
Recorded in Los Angeles, CA, May 1995 , 64 min
code: MP031, DVD $16
To order: $16.00

Voodoo Economics and Class Warfare
How government for the rich produces oppressive taxes, a huge debt and economic recession.
Recorded in Long Beach, CA, Feb. 1992
68 min code: MP020, DVD $16
To order: $16.00

Remastered in Dec. 05
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: How I Became an Activist
Recorded in Berkeley, CA June 6, 2003. Length 64 min
Produced by Brian Barry, re-mastered by Maria Gilardin
code: MP033 To order a CD click here: $10.00

Michael Parenti: Globalization and Imperialism
Recorded in Columbus, Ohio 11/10/01. Length 53 min
Produced by Brian Barry
code: MP029 To order a CD click here: $10.00

Michael Parenti: The Pretexts of US Interventionism
Recorded in Los Angeles, CA, May 1995. Length 65 min
Produced by Brian Barry
code: MP031 To order a CD click here: $10.00

Michael Parenti: The Struggle for Democracy
Recorded in Berkeley, CA 10/23/92. Length 55 min
Produced by Brian Barry
code: MP013 To order a CD click here: $10.00

Michael Parenti: Racism and the Ideology of Slavery
Recorded in Berkeley, CA 10/23/92. Length 68 min
Produced by Brian Barry
code: MP012 To order a CD click here: $10.00

Michael Parenti: Terrorism and Globalization
Recorded in Santa Cruz, 09/25/02. Length 70 min
Produced by Brian Barry
code: MP030 To order a CD click here: $10.00

Michael Parenti: The Hidden Ideology of the Media
Recorded in Burlington, VT, 04/09/97. Length 75 min
Produced by Brian Barry
code: MP024 To order a CD click here: $10.00

Michael Parenti: The US War on Yugoslavia
Recorded in Seattle, WA 05/16/99. Length 54 min
Produced by Brian Barry
code: MP037 To order a CD click here: $10.00

Michael Parenti: Fascism: The False Revolution
Recorded in Berkeley, CA 09/23/95. Length 55 min
Produced by Brian Barry
code: MP022 To order a CD click here: $10.00

Michael Parenti: Marxism and the Crisis in Eastern Europe
( Part I of II) Speech
Recorded in Boulder, CO 04/04/90 Length 51 min
Produced by Brian Barry
code: MP006 To order a CD click here: $10.00

Michael Parenti: Marxism and the Crisis in Eastern Europe
( Part II of II) Question & Answer
Recorded in Boulder, CO 04/04/90 Length 51 min
Produced by Brian Barry
code: MP006QA 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 cassette copy click here: $8.00

Michael Parenti: A Republic Against Caesar/ The Assassination of Julius Caesar
Who was Julius Caesar, a dictator or a populist? And who really was Brutus, who murdered him on the Ides of March? A young hero or a participant in a deep seated conspiracy? This intriguing lecture by the noted author, speaker, activist and scholar Michael Parenti provides surprising new insights and parallels to today that are both shocking and amusing. 60 minutes Produced by TUC Radio
code: A134 To order a copy click here: $8.00
code: MP034 To order a CD copy the 2003 version of the talk click here: $10.00

Democracy, What Went Wrong? 
A series of commentaries on the issues, institutions, and political affairs of the day. Drawn from his research and presenting the highlights of his work, the series responds to the limits that are being placed  on democratic self-determination. Parenti comments on major institutions such as the military, the CIA, media, corporations, universities, police, and the Supreme Court, offering suggestions on how to regain influence and control.
(Recorded and produced by Maria Gilardin for TUC Radio in 1995)

Each tape or CD is one hour long 12 lectures, 29 minutes each
Total running time: 6 hours
To order a the set of 6 tapes click here: $40.00
To order a the set of 6 CDs click here: $50.00
To order individual CDs in this series choose from the descriptions below

RD 1: The Two-Party Monopoly
How the electoral system is rigged to favor the major parties and discourage the emergence of more diversified and inclusive political views
and  Justice for Sale How the criminal Justice system accommodates the affluent and influential, while coming down hard on the poor.
code: RD 1 To order a cassette copy click here: $8.00
code: RD 1CD To order a CD click here: $10.00

RD 2: Welfare for the Wealthy
How corporate America feeds out of the public trough while preaching virtues
of self-reliance to the rest of us.
and The US Military Empire at Home and Abroad
How our massive defense establishment drains our budget and defiles the
environment.
code: RD 2 To order a copy click here: $8.00
code: RD 2CD To order a CD click here: $10.00

RD 3: Lazy Law and Social Control
The police and the law are dedicated less to fighting crime and more to defending the socio-economic status quo.
and The National Security State How the FBI, CIA, and other agencies suppress dissident points of view and endanger democracy.
code: RD 3 To order a copy click here: $8.00
code: RD 3CD To order a CD click here: $10.00

RD 4: The Myth of the Liberal Press
How conservatives dominate media ownership and commentary, and why they complain about "liberal bias" in the media.and Who Governs? Who makes the decisions and occupies the positions of power in the US: plutocrats, lobbyists, or labor?
code: RD 4 To order a copy click here: $8.00
code: RD 4CD To order a CD click here: $10.00

RD 5: The Supremely Political Court
While portrayed as above the political fray, the Supreme Court has always been up to its ears in politics - mostly of the conservative variety.
and Made in Our Own Image The pretexts used by the US policy establishment to justify military interventions abroad, and the real reasons for such actions.
code: RD 5 To order a copy click here: $8.00
code: RD 5 To order a CD click here: $10.00

RD 6: The Ivory Tower Myth
Far from independent citadels of learning, our universities are wedded to the military- industrial complex and have a history of violating their own professed standards of academic freedom. and Real Alternatives A look at the false political alternatives posed today by political leaders, and practical suggestions for fundamental changes in policies and priorities.
code: RD 6 To order a copy click here: $8.00
code: RD 6CD To order a CD click here: $10.00

Michael Parenti:
Z-Net COMMENTARIES
Written from late 2005 to to late 2006 and published in Z-Net, these commentaries address the urgent issues of our time.

PART ONE
HOW THE FREE MARKET KILLED NEW ORLEANS and
RIGHT WING JUDICIAL ACTIVISM
How the Free Market Killed New Orleans
Parenti explains how the free market system was instrumental in the destruction of New Orleans and the deaths of so many residents – and ultimately in the total mismanagement of the rescue operations.

Right Wing Judicial Activism
In his commentary on Right Wing Judicial Activism Parenti proves how right-wing judicial activists – from the Civil War to now – have stretched the constitution in matters of slavery, segregation, child labor, the first amendment, and the awarding of the presidency to George W. Bush.

PART TWO
GOVERNMENT BY GIVEAWAY and
GOOD THINGS ARE HAPPENING IN VENEZUELA
Government by Giveaway
Parenti's commentary on Government by Giveaway was written in response to the cuts by the Bush administration of $42 billion from the human services budget. Parenti assembles a long list of government handouts to Corporate America, including tax cuts for corporations and the superrich, hidden and not so hidden subsidies to transnational corporations, allowing big business to exploit the nation's oil, coal and mineral reserves on public land for a pittance, tariff protections and trade supports, loopholes for agribusiness and much more. In the end it becomes obvious that, compared to corporate America, ordinary working Americans get the least support while carrying the heaviest financial burden.

Good Things are Happening in Venezuela
Parenti returned from Venezuela with an inspiring and long list of “good things” that are happening there - from education, health care, indigenous rights, worker and farming cooperatives, and resistance to neo-liberal plans for privatization of the oil industry.
For a broadcast quality mp3 version of Part ONE click HERE
For a broadcast quality mp3 version of Part TWO click HERE
Code MP040CD  To order a one hour CD click here: $10.00
Code MP040tape  To order a one hour tape click here: $10.00
Code MP040DVD  To order a one hour film on DVD click here: $16.00