Against Empire

by Parenti, Michael

• ISBN13: 9780872862982
• ISBN10: 0872862984
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1995-05-01
• Publisher: CONSORTIUM BOOK SALES

Summary

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. As much of the world suffers unspeakable misery and the Third-Worldization of the United States accelerates, civil society is impoverished by policies that benefit rich and powerful transnational corporations and the national security state. Hard-won gains made by ordinary people are swept away.

Table of Contents

Imperialism 101	1	(17)
Across the Entire Globe	1	(2)
The Dynamic of Capital Expansion	3	(2)
Not Necessary, Just Compelling	5	(1)
Myths of Underdevelopment	6	(4)
Artificially Converted to Poverty	10	(3)
Development Theory	13	(2)
Neoimperialism: Skimming the Cream	15	(3)
Imperial Domination Updated	18	(18)
Market Inequality	18	(1)
Debt Domination	19	(2)
Foreign Aid as a Weapon	21	(2)
With Rational Violence	23	(5)
Low Intensity Imperialism	28	(3)
Globalization by GATT	31	(5)
Intervention: Whose Gain? Whose Pain?	36	(19)
A Global Military Empire	36	(3)
Why Intervention?	39	(4)
Common Confusions	43	(2)
Inventing Enemies	45	(2)
Who Pays? Who Profits?	47	(3)
The Myth of Popular Imperialism	50	(2)
Cultural Imperialism	52	(3)
Strong Empire, Weak Republic	55	(16)
Exporting Jobs	55	(3)
Empire Against Environment	58	(2)
American Casualties	60	(2)
Impoverishing the Republic	62	(3)
The Few Against the Many	65	(4)
A Moral Self-Interest	69	(2)
A Dreadful Success	71	(19)
Unexamined Assumptions	72	(1)
Macho Posturing	73	(2)
In the Name of Democracy	75	(2)
The Hunt for Red Menace	77	(2)
What Are ``Our Interests''?	79	(4)
Consistent Inconsistencies	83	(4)
Arms for Profit	87	(3)
Drugs, Lies, and Video Wars	90	(23)
Driving Away Demons	90	(2)
Looking Left for Terrorism	92	(2)
Protecting Americans Abroad	94	(3)
Reaching for Pretexts	97	(3)
The Gulf War Lies	100	(2)
Some Real Reasons	102	(2)
The ``War on Drugs'': Cover Story	104	(2)
Which Side Are You On, Boys?	106	(2)
Drugs as a Weapon of Social Control	108	(5)
Worthy Causes	113	(25)
Discouraging Arms Proliferation	113	(4)
Chemical Warfare Hoax	117	(2)
Humanitarian Pretense	119	(1)
For Freedom-Mujahideen Style	120	(2)
Famine Relief for Conoco	122	(3)
Elections Yes! (Depending on Who Wins)	125	(4)
Operation Facelift	129	(3)
Coming Out of the Capitalist Closet	132	(6)
Democratic Governance vs. The State	138	(20)
The State Against Democracy	139	(5)
Conservative Consistencies	144	(1)
An Executive State	145	(3)
Expose as Cover-up	148	(1)
Keeping the Government in Line	149	(2)
Constitutional Tyranny	151	(1)
The State in Society	152	(3)
Conspiracy Theory?	155	(3)
Voodoo Economics: The Third Worldization of America	158	(17)
Trickle Down to the Free Market	158	(2)
Conservative Double Standards	160	(1)
Welfare for the Rich	161	(2)
The Tax Game	163	(3)
A Military Feast	166	(1)
A People's National Debt	167	(1)
Toward 1893	168	(4)
Old Problems, No Solutions	172	(3)
The Empire in Academia	175	(22)
A Temple of Knowledge	176	(1)
A Matter of Some History	177	(3)
The Open and Closed University	180	(4)
Lefties Need Not Apply	184	(3)
Elastic Criteria	187	(3)
Presumptions of Objectivity	190	(2)
Quarantine the Survivors	192	(2)
The Myth of the Radical Campus	194	(3)
Real Alternatives	197	(9)
``Moderate Alternative''	198	(1)
Military Spending and Peacetime Conversion	199	(1)
The National Security State	200	(1)
Electoral Reform	201	(1)
Tax Reform and Labor Law	202	(1)
Agriculture and Ecology	203	(1)
Health Care and Safety	204	(1)
Fiscal Policy	204	(1)
Social Justice and Jobs	205	(1)
Class Warfare a Two-Way Street	206