Blackshirts and Reds: Rational Fascism and the Overthrow of Communism

159 Pages·2020·4.039 MB·English

by  Michael Parenti

BLACKSHIRTS AND REDS
BOOKS BY MICHAEL PARENTI
Contrary Notions (2007)
Superpatriotism (2004)
The Assassination of Julius Caesar (2003) The Terrorism Trap: September 11 and Beyond
(2002) To Kill a Nation: The Attack on Yugoslavia (2001) Democracy for the Few (1974,
1977, 1980, 1983, 1988, 1995, 2001) History as Mystery (1999)
America Besieged (1998)
Blackshirts and Reds: Rational Fascism and the Overthrow of Communism (1997) Dirty
Truths (1996)
Against Empire (1995)
Land of Idols: Political Mythology in America (1994) Inventing Reality: The Politics of
News Media (1986, 1993) Make-Believe Media: The Politics of Entertainment (1992) The
Sword and the Dollar (1989) Power and the Powerless (1978) Ethnic and Political
Attitudes (1975) Trends and Tragedies in American Foreign Policy (1971) The Anti-
Communist Impulse (1969)
BLACKSHIRTS AND REDS
Rational Fascism and the Overthrow of Communism
MICHAEL PARENTI
© 1997 by Michael Parenti
All Rights Reserved Cover design: Nigel French
Book design: Nancy J. Peters
Typography: Harvest Graphics Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Parenti, Michael,
1933– Blackshirts and reds : rational fascism and the overthrow of communism / Michael Parenti.
p. cm.
ISBN 0-87288-330-1 (hc). — ISBN 0-87286-329-8 (pbk.) 1. Communism. 2. Post-communism. 3.
Fascism. 4. Capitalism. 5. Free enterprise. 6. Anti-communist movements. 7. Revolutions.
I. Title.
HX44.5.P35 1997
335.43—dc21 97-119
CIP
Visit our website: www.citylights.com
CITY LIGHTS BOOKS are edited by Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Nancy J. Peters and published at the City
Lights Bookstore, 261 Columbus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94133.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I am indebted to Sally Soriano, Peggy Noton, Jane Scantlebury, and Richard Plevin
for their valuable support and helpful criticisms of the manuscript. On numerous
occasions, Jane also utilized her professional librarian skills to track down much needed
information at my request. My thanks also to Stephanie Welch, Neala Hazé, and
Kathryn Cahill for valuable assistance rendered.
Again, I wish to express my gratitude to Nancy J. Peters, my editor at City Lights
Books, for her encouragement and her critical reading of the �nal text. And belated
thanks are owed my publisher, the poet and artist Lawrence Ferlinghetti, for inviting me
to become a City Lights author some years ago. Finally, a word of appreciation to Stacey
Lewis and others too numerous to mention who partook in the production and
distribution of this book: they who do the work.
To the Reds and others, nameless heroes many,
who resisted yesterday’s Blackshirts and who
continue to �ght today’s ruthless corporate
stu�ed shirts.
And to the memory of Sean Gervasi and
Max Gundy, valued friends and warriors for
social justice.
Per chi conosce solo il tuo colore, bandiera rossa,
tu devi realmente esistere, perchè lui esista …
tu che già vanti tante glorie borghesi e operaie,
ridiventa straccio, e il più povero ti sventoli.
For him who knows only your color, red �ag,
you must really exist, so he may exist …
you who already have achieved many bourgeois
and working-class glories,
you become a rag again and the poorest wave you.
— Pier Paolo Pasolini