Dr. Stephen J. Sills

Associate Professor, Sociology

The Face of Imperialism
by Michael Parenti

Economic globalism has been characterized by instantaneous and perpetual flows of capital across borders and the rapid industrialization of developing countries. It has brought about the existence of a world economy with "a single division of labor and multiple cultural systems" (Wallerstein 1974, 390). Yet, as Parenti demonstrates in his book, the hegemonic power of the US and other Western nations through corporate and military power, has resulted in the expropriation of resources from developing countries, the erosion of democracy, and a growing and universal class divide. I have selected "The Face of Imperialism" as I share Parenti's view of the destructive nature of corporate capitalism.