Michael Parenti
John_Parulis Sat, 01/26/2008 - 5:17pm
At a recent City Lights book reading from his latest; "Contrary Notions", Michael Parenti dissects the mechanisms for official deceit to reveal a deliberate methodical power grab by the ruling class.
Parenti touches on the Bush lies around 9/11. Give this important progressive a listen. Michael creates a welcome atmosphere for inquiry with his ability to analyze official motives.
Parenti touches on the Bush lies around 9/11. Give this important progressive a listen. Michael creates a welcome atmosphere for inquiry with his ability to analyze official motives.
- John_Parulis's blog
- Login to post comments
I love...
Dr. Parenti. He so brilliantly and simplistically tells people how it is.
Who Is? Archives
This is about as much truth as the Cali Ma Jones crew can handle
Well I suppose we should be grateful that one of the recognized "Liberal intellectuals" has been brave enough to make these statements, or to even attempt to raise the spectre of doubt concerning 9/11 to his audience.
I note how quickly he resorts to using the phrases 'Conspiracy Theory' etc. when discussing his rather "luke-warm", "top dipping" and really not too controversial questions about the massive fraud which is 9/11.
He goes on to say he doesn't want to get into it being an "Inside Job" etc, so thanks to him for even mentioning the possibility that it could have been, or some "Conspiracy Theorists" think that it was an inside job - and suggesting as much to his audience. Because he doesn't think it was, or doesn't want to talk about it in any case.
It was dangerous ground for him, to say these things to those that pay to buy his books, I know the California Bay Area Mother Jones reading liberals would have mauled him there and then had he gone any further. This is about as much "truth" Mother Jones readers can handle.
Michael woulda punched back
Michael would have mauled back. This guy is a fighter. I don't think he wanted to go too deeply into the guts of 9/11, not because he withers at controversy, but because it is an extensive info rich topic, that wasn't the focus of his book or this talk. That he raised the specter of Bush lies around 9/11 mustn't be overlooked and must be placed in the context of an important left intellectual raising a difficult issue for other left intellectuals to ponder. When Michael talks....people listen. How are we to welcome in other left intellectuals if we constantly denigrate their movements toward the larger evils of 9/11? The official lies around 9/11 are among a growing focus of left scholarship. Let's give it a chance before we throw the baby out with the bath water.
Parenti hints at MIHOP
For the deconstruction of the incompentence/psychological ineptness fallacy, Parenti sites a numebr of examples for his thesis that government action is indeed highly rational and based on interests: Iran Contra (Reagan declaring himself being out of touch), the Iraq War (as a Bushist psychological compulsion) and 9/11 (incompetence).
That means - and Parenti elaborates on that (PNAC, Intel warnings, false flag operations) - according to the logic of this speech Parenti clearly defines 9/11 as a willful act (=Inside Job).
I'm not throwing the baby
I'm not throwing the baby out with the bath water, it's a great talk, certainly ranks highly in terms of general intellectual content. I would have enjoyed listening to it live, not to mention hang out with the left of center babes of the Bay Area. OK, the talk isn't about 9/11.
After 6 years, this is what Mr Parenti can say while waving his arms in the air and saying "Conspiracy Theory", that's interesting.
Here's some guy from Japan,
he went further than Mr Parenti, who is an intellectual analyst of propaganda, ever did. This "according to the logic of his speech" which you've kindly elaborated for me. Note, the Japanese guy doesn't not wave his arms in the air and say the words "Conspiracy Theory" in a Japanese accent during his recitation.
I'm afraid to say I couldn't follow "the logic" of his speech because despite having a degree in Mathematics and having studied Logic & Number theory for the final year of my degree; I'm obviously still intellectually inept.
I attribute this to "Chomskyesqe" logic, that I can't understand, I won't understand, because it doesn't obey the laws of logic.
Attached is a nice picture of two of my favorite textbooks on Logic, ones that I used while studying for my degree.
I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for a used copy Parenti's book, seriously, I'll post a picture when I buy it!
You're barking up the wrong tree, Sherlock
Parenti has written extensively on the bullshit uses of "conspiracy theory" on the left, and he has trashed people such as Chomsky and Cockburn for their refusal to see the JFK assassination for what it was. He defends Oliver Stone's movie in this clip, just as he defended it when it came out. He has defended Peter Dale Scott, Mark Lane, Jim Garrison, Jim Marrs, and a host of people dismissed by mainstream liberal intellectuals.
Parenti is one of the good guys. Read his book Dirty Truths for his thoughts on conspiracy theory.
Interesting...
thanks for that Simuvac.
---------------------------------
Youtube 1/27/08: Republicans throw another Warhawk into the race
I agree!
Parenti is tearing apart the imcompetence theory that so many mainstream progressives spout.
This is key to dismantling that particular worldview in which Bush and Co are just too stupid to be successful at any operation let alone something like 911.
I remember when Bush was installed as President for his first term I thought to myself...I should invest in oil if I want to make some money....Then I thought "he wouldn't dare it's too obvious everyone would see through him" Well oil is a hundred dollars a barrel and the price at the pump is around 3.50 a gallon in my neck of the woods etc etc...
So obvious ...but 911 was and continues to be the cover for these policies...stupid yea right!!
Seems to me they have gotten everything they wanted and more...I would say "Mission Accomplished" for
for GWB is right on the mark. Let's hope Parenti can start getting through to the progressives.
Any doubt as to how Parenti
Any doubt as to how Parenti feels about the phrase "conspiracy theory" will be allayed by listening to this wonderful speech. He rips apart the usual left gatekeeping suspects, and says that ugly large-scale conspiracies are a part of U.S. standard operating procedure, which should be included in any institutional analysis.
http://www.radio4all.net/index.php?op=program-info&program_id=22611&nav=&
Fantastic speech...this is a classic.
Thanks for posting LEH.
Radical Pragmatist
Damn that was good
Yes, we have a gangster government and Parenti has never, never shied away from exposing it for what it is.
Dr. Michael Parenti: "Terrorism, Globalism and Conspiracy"
Dr. Michael Parenti: "Terrorism, Globalism and Conspiracy"
working TV
1 hr 0 min 41 sec - Oct 9, 2002
www.workingtv.com
OCTOBER 9, 2002, VANCOUVER: Dr. Michael Parenti, one of North America's leading radical writers on U.S. imperialism and interventionism, ... all » fascism, democracy and the media, spoke to several hunded people at St. Andrews Wesley Church in Vancouver.
Dr. Parenti has taught political science at a number of colleges and universities in the United States and other countries. He was written 250 majro magazine articles and 15 books and is frequently heard on public and alternative radio.
"Formation... TRADEMARK!!!"
I WISH they'd jump out of planes, link arms into that precision Conspire-Star formation... and pull the rip cords on confetti parachutes... oops.... HAYYYYYYY!
I think the desire to
I think the desire to envision the world excessively in terms of bad & good guys- mostly bad- is a bit depressing and self-defeatist. Assuming a modicum of intelligence in his audience, Parenti comes out pretty strongly regarding the authorities' guilt/lack of innocence relating to 911.
And his point about people's assuming of stupidity with such people is very well made.