Imperialism 101

Imperialism has been the most powerful force in world history over the last four or five centuries, carving up whole continents while oppressing indigenous peoples and obliterating entire civilizations. Yet, it is seldom accorded any serious attention by our academics, media commentators, and political leaders. When not ignored outright, the subject of imperialism has been sanitized, so that empires become “commonwealths,” and colonies become “territories” or “dominions” (or, as in the case of Puerto Rico, “commonwealths” too). Imperialist military interventions become matters of “national defense,” “national security,” and maintaining “stability” in one or another region. In this book I want to look at imperialism for what it really is.


http://www.michaelparenti.org/Imperialism101.html

[FONT=Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif]R[FONT=Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif]ichly informed and written in an engaging style, Michael Parenti’s Against Empire exposes the ruthless agenda and hidden costs of the U.S. empire. Documenting the pretexts and the lies used to justify violent intervention and maldevelopment abroad, he demonstrates how the conversion to a global economy is a victory of finance capital over democracy.
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[FONT=Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif] As much of the world suffers unspeakable misery, and as the Third-Worldization of the Unites States accelerates, civil society is impoverished by policies that benefit the rich and powerful transnational corporations and the national security state. The empire feeds off the resources of the republic, and the hard-won gains made by ordinary people are swept away. [/FONT]