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Blackshirts and Reds
Blackshirts and Reds: Rational Fascism and the Overthrow of Communism | Michael Parenti
5 posts | 1 read | 2 to read
Blackshirts & Reds explores some of the big issues of our time: fascism, capitalism, communism, revolution, democracy, and ecology-terms often bandied about but seldom explored in the original and exciting way that has become Michael Parenti's trademark. Parenti shows how "rational fascism" renders service to capitalism, how corporate power undermines democracy, and how revolutions are a mass empowerment against the forces of exploitative privilege. He also maps out the external and internal forces that destroyed communism, and the disastrous impact of the "free-market" victory on eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. He affirms the relevance of taboo ideologies like Marxism, demonstrating the importance of class analysis in understanding political realities and dealing with the ongoing collision between ecology and global corporatism. Written with lucid and compelling style, this book goes beyond truncated modes of thought, inviting us to entertain iconoclastic views, and to ask why things are as they are. It is a bold and entertaining exploration of the epic struggles of yesterday and today. Michael Parenti is one of the nation's leading progressive thinkers. He lectures widely around the country and is the author of Dirty Truths, Against Empire, Democracy for the Few, Land of Idols: Political Mythology in America, and many other books. He lives in Berkeley, California.
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blurb
Trashcanman
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“What happened to the U.S businesses that collaborated with fascism? Corporations like DuPont, Ford, General Motors, and ITT owned factories in the enemy countries that produced fuel, tanks, and planes that wreaked havoc on allied forces. After the war instead of being prosecuted for treason ITT collected 27 million from the U.S government for war damages inflicted on its German plants by allied bombings. G.M collected over 33 million

Trashcanman You can‘t make this shit up. 11h
Bookwormjillk You really can‘t 10h
See All 10 Comments
Deblovestoread Unbelievable 🤯🤬🤬🤬 10h
TheBookHippie Blows my mind everytime. 10h
wanderinglynn Every time the rich will take care of themselves and ultimately get richer. Often on the backs of the poor and minorities. A recurring theme throughout history. 9h
mcctrish It‘s just so disgusting 9h
Mimi28 This is a nightmare and I want to wake up and go home - oh, wait, I am awake and this IS home. 9h
30 likes10 comments
quote
Trashcanman
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“What distinguishes fascism from ordinary right-wing patriarchal autocracies is is the way it attempts to cultivate a revolutionary aura”

Sound familiar?
#Thewholethingithinkitssick
#gobacktosleep

BookwormAHN Unfortunately 🤦🏼‍♀️ 7d
Leftcoastzen Indeed 7d
29 likes2 comments
quote
Trashcanman
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“Is fascism merely a dictatorial force in the service of capitalism? That may not be all it is, but that certainly is an important part of fascism‘s raison d‘être.“

The Cheeto and his minions co-opt nationalist rhetoric and militarism to channel discontent away from economic inequality and toward scapegoated groups. The Cheeto wants workers to remain divided and unable to organize effectively against exploitation.

#gobacktosleep

Deblovestoread Yep, this is where we are. Unbelievable, isn‘t it? 💔 7d
32 likes1 comment
quote
Trashcanman
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History teaches us that all ruling elites try to portray themselves as the natural and durable social order, even ones that are in serious crisis, and that threaten to devour their environmental base in order to continually recreate their hierarchical structure of power and privilege.

#Firstlinefridays @ShyBookOwl

I tag @MommyWantsToReadHerBook @Yuki_Onna @jen_the_scribe

quote
Trashcanman
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Third World revolutionaries are branded as the enemies of stability.
“Stability” is a code word for a society in which privileged social
relations are securely entrenched. When popular forces mobilize
against privilege and wealth, this causes “instability,” which is judged
to be undesirable by U.S. policymakers and their faithful flacks in the
U.S. corporate media.