Michael Parenti, an American political scientist, historian, and author known for his Marxist and anti-imperialist perspectives, died on January 24 at the age of 92. Over several decades, Parenti wrote and lectured extensively on issues of capitalism, imperialism, democracy, media, and U.S. foreign policy. His work consistently challenged dominant political and economic narratives, particularly those associated with Western liberal democracies and global capitalism.
Parenti argued that political systems should be analysed through the lenses of class, power, and historical struggle. Drawing on Marxist and Leninist traditions, he maintained that scholarship should remain accountable to material social realities rather than institutional or professional considerations. His critiques of imperialist wars and U.S. foreign interventions were central to his public work and contributed to both his recognition and marginalisation within academic institutions.
Born on September 30, 1933, in New York City, Parenti grew up in a working-class family. He often described how his early experiences shaped his political outlook. He earned a PhD in political science from Yale University and later taught political science and history at several universities. He also lectured widely across North America and internationally and authored numerous books aimed at both academic and general audiences.
In May 1970, while serving as an associate professor at the University of Illinois, Parenti participated in a campus protest following the killing of four students by the National Guard at Kent State University. During the protest, he was arrested and charged with aggravated battery of a state trooper, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest. Despite witness testimony contradicting the charges, he was convicted. Following this episode, Parenti took up a position at the University of Vermont. Although his department voted unanimously to renew his contract, the university’s board of trustees declined to do so, citing “unprofessional conduct,” reportedly under pressure from state legislators. He did not secure a permanent academic position thereafter and later stated that his political views and activism had affected his academic career.
Throughout his career, Parenti produced a substantial body of work examining capitalism, fascism, imperialism, media, religion, and historical interpretation. Among his most widely cited books are “Democracy for the Few”, “Inventing Reality: The Politics of News Media”, “Against Empire”, “The Culture Struggle”, “The Assassination of Julius Caesar”, and “Blackshirts and Reds: Rational Fascism and the Overthrow of Communism”. In these works, he argued that political and economic power in capitalist societies is concentrated among elites and that media institutions often function in ways that reinforce existing power structures.
In “Blackshirts and Reds: Rational Fascism and the Overthrow of Communism”, published in 1997, Parenti analysed fascism and communism in the twentieth century, rejecting the idea that they represented equivalent forms of totalitarianism. He argued instead that fascism historically emerged as a response to crises within capitalism, while communist movements represented attempts to challenge capitalist domination. The book also examined the consequences of the collapse of the Soviet Union, which Parenti viewed as a loss for global working-class movements.
Following the dissolution of the USSR, Parenti continued to defend the historical record of state-socialist societies against what he regarded as one-sided or hostile interpretations in Western media and scholarship. He argued that despite significant bureaucratic inefficiencies and political repression, the Soviet Union achieved large-scale advances in education, healthcare, employment, and social equality. He maintained that the end of the USSR did not reflect popular will but was driven by sections of the political leadership. Parenti viewed the post-1956 period as one of gradual ideological and political weakening that ultimately contributed to the system’s collapse.
Parenti was also critical of left-wing intellectual traditions that rejected or distanced themselves from existing socialist experiments. He argued that such critiques often aligned, intentionally or not, with broader anti-communist narratives. In his writings, he maintained that revolutionary movements should be evaluated within their historical and material constraints rather than against abstract or idealised standards.
In his analysis of post-Mao China, Parenti argued that the country had moved toward a form of state-directed capitalism. While acknowledging rapid industrial growth, he criticised the expansion of market mechanisms, pointing to rising inequality, labour exploitation, environmental degradation, and the partial privatisation of social services, including healthcare. He contended that these developments represented a departure from earlier socialist policies.
Despite operating largely outside mainstream academic institutions for much of his later life, Parenti continued to write, lecture, and engage with political movements concerned with war, inequality, and social justice. His work remains influential among scholars, activists, and readers interested in critical political economy and alternative interpretations of modern history.
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*Freelance journalist
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