:party-cat: :party-parenti: :party-cat:
edit: My post just got pinned :CommiePOGGERS: pogggies :CommiePOGGERS:
Holy smoke. I was definitely expecting to see a bunch of videos that, while unique to OP, I'd already seen a bunch of times each.
They even have a clip of him on Penn and Teller talking about the Dalai Lama: "I'm Michael Parenti: political writer, author, and notable after-dinner raconteur" :che-smile: how are you supposed to not love this man
I was pretty amazed to see that I only recognised like two or three of the videos they’d posted while quickly clicking through them
During the cold war, the anticommunist ideological framework could transform any data about existing communist societies into hostile evidence. If the Soviets refused to negotiate a point, they were intransigent and belligerent; if they appeared willing to make concessions, this was but a skillful ploy to put us off our guard. By opposing arms limitations, they would have demonstrated their aggressive intent; but when in fact they supported most armament treaties, it was because they were mendacious and manipulative. If the churches in the USSR were empty, this demonstrated that religion was suppressed; but if the churches were full, this meant the people were rejecting the regime’s atheistic ideology. If the workers went on strike (as happened on infrequent occasions), this was evidence of their alienation from the collectivist system; if they didn’t go on strike, this was because they were intimidated and lacked freedom. A scarcity of consumer goods demonstrated the failure of the economic system; an improvement in consumer supplies meant only that the leaders were attempting to placate a restive population and so maintain a firmer hold over them. If communists in the United States played an important role struggling for the rights of workers, the poor, African-Americans, women, and others, this was only their guileful way of gathering support among disfranchised groups and gaining power for themselves. How one gained power by fighting for the rights of powerless groups was never explained. What we are dealing with is a nonfalsifiable orthodoxy, so assiduously marketed by the ruling interests that it affected people across the entire political spectrum. :parenti::parenti: :parenti::parenti::parenti:
Duwuing the cold waw, the anticommuwist ideowogical fwamework could twansform any data abwout existing commuwist societies into hostile ewidence. (づ◡﹏◡)づ
If the Woviets wefused to negwotiate a point, they were intwansigent and bewwigerent; if they appeared wiwwing to make conwessions, this was but a skwillful pwoy to put us off our guard. ♡૮₍ ˃ ⤙ ˂ ₎ა💢
Commit to the bit and do the whole thing lmfao
I actually did more than half the quote originally to post on my mastodon account but decided that posting the entire thing wasn't that much funnier so I only posted the first two sentences and deleted the rest
Duwing the cowd waw, the anticommunyist ideowogicaw fwamewowk couwd twansfowm any data about existing communyist societies into hostiwe evidence. If the Soviets wefused to nyegotiate a point, they wewe intwansigent and bewwigewent; if they appeawed wiwwing to make concessions, this was but a skiwwfuw pwoy to put us off ouw guawd. By opposing awms wimitations, they wouwd have demonstwated theiw aggwessive intent; but when in fact they suppowted most awmament tweaties, it was because they wewe mendacious and manyipuwative. If the chuwches in the USSw wewe empty, this demonstwated that wewigion was suppwessed; but if the chuwches wewe fuww, this meant the peopwe wewe wejecting the wegime’s atheistic ideowogy. If the wowkews went on stwike (as happenyed on infwequent occasions), this was evidence of theiw awienyation fwom the cowwectivist system; if they didn’t go on stwike, this was because they wewe intimidated and wacked fweedom. A scawcity of consumew goods demonstwated the faiwuwe of the econyomic system; an impwuvment in consumew suppwies meant onwy that the weadews wewe attempting to pwacate a westive popuwation and so maintain a fiwmew howd uvw them. If communyists in the Unyited States pwayed an impowtant wowe stwuggwing fow the wights of wowkews, the poow, Afwican-Amewicans, women, and othews, this was onwy theiw guiwefuw way of gathewing suppowt among disfwanchised gwoups and gainying powew fow themsewves. How onye gainyed powew by fighting fow the wights of powewwess gwoups was nyevew expwainyed. What we r deawing with is a nyonfawsifiabwe owthodoxy, so assiduouswy mawketed by the wuwing intewests that it affected peopwe acwoss the entiwe powiticaw spectwum.
:cat-com:
I highly recommend watching the crossfire segment to understand that we have always been at Trumpian levels of stupid.
Reagan was to tv what Trump was to the Internet. Kings of spectacle
why don't you let me finish a sentence like you let Ms. Rabinowitz? Do I have to move to New York?
Lol
Host doing exactly what Parenti writes about in his book and doesn't even realize it lol.
I'm looking forward to listening to at least one of these at work today.
u/HornyOnMain ???!!?!? I haven't seen you since i was banned from r/196!
Yeah I got banned from 196 too for telling someone to [verb] themselves for progressively advocating for going back into Afghanistan.
I decided to delete my reddit account and I’ve only been posting on here and the new hexbear mastodon instance ever since.
sad to see, i was at least hopeful things were salvageable since i saw that i was banned not too long since we last spoke and you weren't. :deeper-sadness:
Tbf it was probably because I gave them specific instructions on how to do it.
regardless, getting banned was probably for the better for me. I was very depressed at the time and getting banned gave me the push to log off, touch grass and start to pick myself back up rather than just trying to drink away all the unhappiness I felt.
Tbf it was probably because I gave them specific instructions on how to do it.
:hero-of-socialist-labor:
I saw his book “Inventing Reality” in “very good condition” going for $13 and it’s normally $60 for just “acceptable” condition and $100+ for “like new” or “new”
I didn’t buy it because I still have so much shit to read, but now I kinda regret it. Hopefully whoever got it enjoys it more than me
It's entirely possible that I got it actually, I got a copy in what seemed like perfect condition (the spine wasn't even bent) for like £12 plus shipping about 8 months ago
Oh probably not. This was listed two days ago but someone bought it yesterday
my dreams of being able to wistfully say "It's a small, small world" have been cruelly dashed :angery:
There's been an unauthorized reprint on amazon for a few months now. It's decent, but original would be awesome.
:sankara-salute: :rat-salute-2: :fidel-salute: :kim-salute: :rosa-salute:
:parenti-hands:
it even has the traditional microphone problems .. i am more and more convinced the CIA had a guy that always messes with leftist microphones.. must be...
Someone republished his books and the cover is him doing this lol :parenti-hands:
Well that's my next batch of insomnia sorted for when it inevitably rears it's ugly head again.
Hell yeah, Blackshirts and Reds has been my go-back-to-sleep read for awhile
These talks are fire, good old fashioned oration from a real die-hard Communist. Thank you, didn't know this is what I needed!
