Land of Idols: Political Mythology in America

Michael Parenti

19947834 pages

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.

Preface Acknowledgments PART I: Political Notions CHAPTER 1: Myths of Political Quietism "YOU CAN'T FIGHT CITY HALL""OUR LEADERS KNOW BEST""YOU CANNOT LEGISLATE MORALITY""PLUS ÇA CHANGE, PLUS C'EST LA MÊME CHOSE"CHAPTER 2: The New Age Mythology NEW CONSCIOUSNESS, OLD PROMISES HYPER-INDIVIDUALISM AND SELF-EMPOWERMENT PERSONALIZED OMNIPOTENCE—WITH NO VICTIMS "GOD IN ACTION": MONEY AND POWER CHAPTER 3: Superpatriotism: The Importance of Being "Number One"PATRIOTISM AS MILITARISM THE "NUMBER ONE" SYNDROME BULLY THRILLS AND INVERTED MORALITY SUPERPATRIOTISM AS AN IMPERIAL PRODUCT REAL PATRIOTISM CHAPTER 4: The Politics of Religiosity GOTT MIT UNS: DIVINE POLITICOS OBEY AND FORGIVE SELLING GOD—FOR A PRICE CLASS RELIGION A PEOPLE'S god: liberation theology PART II: Class and Culture CHAPTER 5: The Stampede from Class THE FEW AND THE MANY IDEOLOGISTS AGAINST CLASS CONSCIOUSNESS TWO DEFINITIONS OF CLASS MANY CLASSES?"NO REVOLUTION, NO CLASS"WEALTH AND POLITICAL POWER CHAPTER 6: System without Spirit: The Relevance of Marxism MATERIAL REALITIES AND THE HUMAN SPIRIT NEED WE BURY MARX?MARXIST PREDICTIONS, MORE RIGHT THAN WRONG Business Cycles and the Tendency toward Recession Capital Concentration Growth of the Proletariat Increasing Misery of the Working Class Proletarian Revolution CHAPTER 7: Monopoly Culture STATE POWER AND THE CONTROL OF INSTITUTIONS SCHOOLS AND UNIVERSITIES LAW MEDICINE AND HEALTH CARE NEWS AND ENTERTAINMENT MEDIA THE ARTS LABOR UNIONS THE FUNCTIONS OF CULTURAL DOMINANCE LEGITIMACY AND IMPERFECT CONTROL CHAPTER 8: Class Myth and Class Bigotry PLURALISM AND THE MYTHS OF "DEMOCRATIC CAPITALISM"MYTHS OF NATURAL SUPERIORITY AND MUTUAL UTILITY CLASS DISTANCES CLASS INJURY: HATING THE POOR PART III: Oppression and Conspiracy CHAPTER 9: Racism and the Ideology of Slavery TRIBAL "CAMPANILISMO"FROM DEUTERONOMY TO THE GOOD SAMARITAN THE THEORY AND PRACTICE OF SLAVERY THE FUNCTIONS OF RACISM CHAPTER 10: Race and the Hidden Dimension of Class CLASS OR RACE—OR BOTH?IGNORING THE CLASS DIMENSION RACISM AS RACISM: A MOMENTUM OF ITS OWN CHAPTER 11: The Victimization of Women THE PRACTICE AND IDEOLOGY OF MALE DOMINATION ECONOMIC REALITIES SEXISM, CAPITALISM, AND SOCIALISM MALE TERRORISM CHAPTER 12: Conspiracy and Intent CONSPIRACY AND CLASS RULE THEORIES OF INNOCENCE DENYING INTENT DETERMINING INTENT IS IT PARANOIA?INSTITUTIONAL INTEREST NOTES Chapter 1 Myths of Political Quietism Chapter 2 The New Age Mythology Chapter 3 Superpatriotism: The Importance of Being "Number One"Chapter 4 The Politics of Religiosity Chapter 5 The Stampede from Class Chapter 6 System without Spirit: The Relevance of Marx Chapter 7 Monopoly Culture Chapter 8 Class Myth and Class Bigotry Chapter 9 Racism and the Ideology of Slavery Chapter 10 Race and the Hidden Dimension of Class Chapter 11 The Victimization of Women Chapter 12 Conspiracy and Intent