Though the book this talk is based on came out in 1989, its themes remain absolutely relevant in light of the genocide in Gaza, America’s bombing of Iran, the bloody civil war in Sudan, America’s kidnapping of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro, Israel’s invasion of Lebanon, and numerous other examples of empire and imperial intervention worldwide. America’s grip on the world is weakening with the rise of China, Russia and other non-western nations, and with increased weakness comes desperate violence as the empire seeks to maintain control. Nonetheless, we see heroic acts of resistance against empire: we see Iran effectively kicking the US out of its bases in the Middle East, we see the defeat of its ally Saudi Arabia in Yemen, and the severe blows inflicted on Apartheid Israel by the Palestinian and Lebanese Resistance. Increasingly, we see a world where the forces of empire cannot stand and this should give us hope for the future.
Michael Parenti, "The Sword and the Dollar: Imperialism, Revolution and the Arms Race", St Martin's Press, 1989
Back in the USSR Blog: https://proletarianguardbackintheussr.blogspot.com/2026/09/michael-parenti-sword-and-dollar.html
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