MICHAEL PARENTI 2 5 Fe A : nyBLACKSHIRTS & g issues of our time: fascism, capital mocracy, and ecology—terms often Jin the orginal and exci fen’ trademark Parenti shows ha nal 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, andthe disastrous impact of the “free-market” victory fon Eastern Europe andthe former Soviet Union. He affirms the rel cevance of taboo slike Marxism, demonstrating the impor tance of clas analysis in understanding political realities and dealin with the ongoing collision between ecology and global corporatism, ‘Written with lucid and compeling styl, this book goes beyond truncated modes of thought, iviting us to entertain iconoclastic views, and to ask why things areas they are, I is a bold and enter taining ‘ stcrday and today xine Omens tea —The Catholic Journalist Michael Parenti is one ofthe nation’s leading progressive thinkers, He lectures widely around the country and isthe author of Dirty area ies rae een ee aa Plitinl Mytholegy in Amerie, and many other books. He lives in WN aesBLACKSHIRTS & RED! Blact'sBy Michael Parenti MICHAEL PARENTI in ete of er te BLACKSHIRTS & The Sword and the Dollar Imperialism, Revolution, and the Rational Fascism Y© 197 by Michal Pan Aa Rights Reserved Cone ein Nig rec “Npowrapy Hare Graphics Libary of Congres Cataloging in-Pbtion Dats aren, Michal, 1933 Third orton cm ad he veto oF ISBN 0-87288-330-1 (he). —ISBN 087286-329-8 (pbk) 1 Commons 2 Foamnin Facn 4, Captaam, 3 He ene 6 Ancor movements 2. evans tie iy Lg Roose ableton tho pinay Sito: Seascan Company PO, Bx 16285 5st Mone, OR 97s0 1867370 ie oes 80-274 Fa ai rk ca i en ay te nd send bor For prone ode ad casos le we {Ci igs Boks, 2 Cubs Avent, san Fancy CA 9433 CITY LIGHTS BOOKS arte by Lawrence Feng and Nancy eter and pueda te ity Ligh Bookstore Zot columbus ave Sin Franco CA 4133 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 1 am indebted to Sally Soriano, Pagay Noton, Jane Scantlebury, and Richard Plevn for hee valuable support and helpful criticisms ‘tthe manuscript. On numerous occasions, ne also utilized her ofeshonal arian silt track down much needed information am request My thanks also to Stephanie Welch, Neala Ha, ad Kathy Cahill for valuable assistance rendered. Again, wish to express my gratitude to Nancy Peters ny itor a City Lights Boos, for her encouragement and her eicalresding tf the final text. And belted thanks are owed my publisher, the port Sd artist LawsenceFelinghet, for ivitiag me to become a City Tights author some yeats ago, Finally word of appreciation 10 Stacey Lewis and others too numerous to mention who partook in the pradtion and distribution of this book they who do the work.To the Reds and others, nameless heroes many who resisted yesterday’ Blackshirts and who Continge to Sgt today’s ruthless corporate stuffed shits. And to the memory of Sean Gervasi and Max Gundy vale frends and warirs fr or hi eons sl ir caloe bandera rss tusdevi eaenteeistere, perch a esta fa che gt ant tte lore Borghes peri, ridin seca, ei pi povero 1 sent For him who ows oly your color, red Mg you mst ely exist, so he may exist. you who already have achieved many bourgeois ‘nd workings hrs, you becomes rag again and the poorest wave you,CONTENTS Preface 1 RATIONAL FASCISM Fac hii at Ben 0 secre the interests of ge ‘Spl interes against the demands of popular demaca Then and nom car at made ational mae appeal in onder tosecure the rational ends of de domination, Pluoctts Choose Autocats ‘Whom Did the Fascists Support? Kudos for Adaph and Benito The Rational Use oflrationalLeology Patriarchy and Peudo- Revolution Friendly to Fascism 2 LET US NOW PRAISE REVOLUTION Relations ate democratic developments hepa he feedbss of people who enjoyed no festom under oppress prrools tionary regimes Rovltins rea enpomerment agit the faces oesploutatie pee They ring dramatic rection in The Cons of Countereolaton Presumptions of Power Whose Violence? Free Market forthe Few “The Fisedom of Revolution What Measure of sin?3 LEFT ANTICOMMUNISM. Uke conservative and reactionaries, moet ofthe SL get communism inthe Soviet Union and Eastern Europe with far doting, and with eines expectatons tht tok nowt Of Westen encilament nd the mri ecesi ofsson nde ge Genutetion tO: hodory Pare Socialism v, Sige Socialis, Decentralization v. Survival 4 COMMUNISM IN WONDERLAND The itera! iationales and weve of pst communis economies andthe semis reste why rode apie and refrns were oda et, Rewarding Inefficiency [Nobody Mining the Store ‘Wanting I Al Reactions tothe Surface Romantczing Capitalism 5 STALIN'S FINGERS Newly pblahe documentation onthe gulag reveals a somewhat dierent pcre ofthe reps ate of somite bush inthe standin ese imes Te hse eccomplitments jm economi development within communist counties cep tented «postive gain nthe lies of hundreds of milions, How Many Vici? Where Di the Gulag Go? Memories of Maldeslopment 6 MARKET PARADISE GOES EAST 6 THE FREE: epeson by conservative forint former commas as tribe num democrat! Pgs fom r-