Preview
  • Blackshirts and Reds

  • Rational Fascism and the Overthrow of Communism
  • By: Michael Parenti
  • Narrated by: Timothy Andrés Pabon
  • Length: 5 hrs and 29 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (486 ratings)

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Blackshirts and Reds

By: Michael Parenti
Narrated by: Timothy Andrés Pabon
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Publisher's summary

A bold and entertaining exploration of the epic struggles of yesterday and today.

Blackshirts and Reds explores some of the big issues of our time: fascism, capitalism, communism, revolution, democracy, and ecology. These terms are often bandied about but seldom explored in the original and exciting way that has become Michael Parenti's trademark.

Parenti shows how "rational 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, and the disastrous impact of the "free-market" victory on Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. He affirms the relevance of taboo ideologies like Marxism, demonstrating the importance of class analysis in understanding political realities and dealing with the ongoing collision between ecology and global corporatism.

Written with lucid and compelling style, this book goes beyond truncated modes of thought, inviting us to entertain iconoclastic views and to ask why things are as they are.

©1997 Michael Parenti (P)2022 Tantor
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What listeners say about Blackshirts and Reds

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wonderfully done

outstandingly nuanced writing of history of the economics and political systems of the former Soviet republics and Warsaw Pact states before, during, and after the collapse of the Soviet society.

the narrator is also clear in his enunciation and has a very good speech flow. His pleasantly light style of speaking when in conjunction to the heaviness of the history he's reading comes off as a bit absurd in a similar manner to Terry Pratchett's narrator voice in his novels.

most excellent work, hope to see more releases from Michael Parenti!

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7 people found this helpful

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Great Book

Entertaining, easy to listen and understand. A must. Everyone should listen to this great book.

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Highly recommended

Parenti’s best work besides ‘Democracy for the Few’. Both are must reads, although ‘Blackshirts & Reds’ works better in an audiobook format in my humble opinion.

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Fantastic Book!

I really loved Blackshirts and Reds. Really puts fascism and socialism's history in perspective!

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Must read

Parenti wrecks the fake capitalist history of America through a wonderful analysis of propaganda and power.

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Best intro of the unspoken economic contradictions

A must read introduction that correlates persistent economic contradictions which are parallel to class conflict.

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Capitalism is unjustifiable

delete your audible and get audiobooks through the library. it is free and capitalism hurts everyone.

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A must read

This book not only challenges the preconceived notions about the “evils” of communism, confronting the myths head on. It also will challenge a leftist’s view of the USSR, showing that not everything was sunshine and rainbows, but how their material conditions were made difficult because of western influences.

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A must read, must listen.

Everyone should read this to educate themselves on the reality we live in. Go get it.

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Excellent reframing of the Cold War

Parenti definitely goes into great detail to explain how the capitalist west consistently defended fascism while communist governments were aiding decolonization around the world.

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