Like I’d go so far as to call him the modern Lenin from the American perspective. He’s applied his deep Marxist analysis on the modern American condition so much that it vod be it’s own modern theory specifically tailored for America both historical and present.

In Democracy for the Few he deep dives from America’s founding and it’s history to it’s modern day economics and laws and Socio-political realities. I would go as so far as to also call “Parentism” as a theory into itself; Socialism applied to American conditions if you will. It blows me away that we’ve had chances for proportional representation and that it was struck down because conservatives have always been to ones to call it “unfair” despite proportional representation being more democratic. Ain’t that funny? The people who claim they’re democratic get nervous when democracy world a little too well.

Set a cap on campaign spending? No we should spend however much we want. Make it so every candidate could only spend on campaigns from a public fund? No way, private spending private spending! Allow for all citizens to directly vote for the president? No no no!

It never seizes to amaze, this country that claims has the highest of democracy, is constantly outdone by west European countries and even south american countries despite the American meddling. Because God forbid if those nasty poor people vote constantly for progressive leaders that will nationalize healthcare and instill strict and healthy environmental standards and make all levels of school free and demand strong workers rights.

One of the things I enjoyed about reading Parenti is how it’s always the conservatives who despite their reactionary nature are the ones who engage in behaviors they themselves call “degenerate”. In the end though it’s the people who constantly put pressure and force the government and ruling classes to give up more a piece of the pie who are the ones who further progressive causes.