Land of Idols: Political Mythology in America

by Michael Parenti

Arguing against the presumption that the U.S. has no dominant ideology, the author confronts the myths in American society that limit the perception of political reality and constrain progressive reform

Genres: Politics, History, American, Theory, American History, Philosophy, Economics

208 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1993

About the author

Michael John Parenti, Ph.D. (Yale University) was an American political scientist, academic historian and cultural critic who wrote on scholarly and popular subjects. He taught at universities and also ran for political office. Parenti was well known for his Marxist writings and lectures. He was a notable intellectual of the American Left and he was best known for his criticism of capitalism and American foreign policy.

Reviews

[Public Scott]

Classic Parenti. If you've caught any of Parenti's speeches you'll recognize the chapters on conspiracy and superpatriotism. The chapter on superpatriotism seems like it could have been an embryonic draft of the book-length treatment. I loved this book. I love Michael Parenti. The man is a national treasure.

[E.R. Carlin]

A class-ic primer for any leftist that needs a kick-in-ass to put the primacy back on cl-ass struggle. Highlights: Parenti having the balls to say Mother Teresa was a media-fabricated hypocrite and his illuminating last chapter highlighting the theories of innocence counterpoint to conspiracy theories, which "serve as a dismissive label applied to any acknowledgment of ruling-class power, both its legal and illegal operations" (161). I'll tell you, I went through about every one of these rightist-approaching 'innocence theories' back in the cold-state Day when I was trying to come to terms with the sexism, cronyism, and downright corruption I observed and experienced everyday at one college workplace. In that high-context sub-culture everyone seemed to take a familiar cold comfort in repeating "plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose," but I feel free now of this dreary repetition of human folly (thanks in a small way to this powerful book) and ready to expose these injustices through the breath of my own writing again, 'making hay' as Eddie Veder puts it.

[Heather]

It is sad the way history repeats itself and how prophetic Parenti is in many ways. The parallels between this an Orwells On Wigan Peer are also interesting

[Pushon Bhattacharya]

A funny and intelligent evisceration of all the worst aspects of American society.

[Arsuoy]

Parenti is a genius at pedagogy.

[Roberto Yoed]

Seventh book I've read from Parenti.

Another work that makes a great synthesis of his previous writings (specifically about the US imperialistic practices, history, racism, sexism, class struggle, etc.).

Nonetheless, this book really shines, in my opinion, because of the new critics Parenti makes about postmodernism, poststructuralism and 'New Age' "philosophies". All of these are distinguished as capitalist ideologuies that help to maintain the stablished order.