STWR - Share The World's Resources

James Petras is a former Professor of Sociology, an adviser to the landless and jobless in Brazil and Argentina, is co-author of Globalization Unmasked (Zed Books) and a regular contributer to STWR. A full list of his articles can be found below and he can be reached at: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Public intellectuals and the Anglo-American left have overlooked the one grievance which cuts across all regimes of the world - namely inflation, especially in vital necessities such as food and fuel costs, writes James Petras.

Latin America is defined by a series of paradoxes that befuddle commentators, from the economy and popular support for leftist movements, to profits, growth and hunger, writes James Petras.

The US military has followed two principles - direct military invasions and fomenting separatist movements, with the 'right to self-determination' for separatist regimes used as a pretext to extend the American empire.

Decisions for war by the US government are not made in 'public' - but reinforced through lies and propaganda to enable imperial attacks in the name of defense

From the middle of the 19th century but especially after the Second World War, two models of empire building competed on a world scale. 

Venezuela ’s President Hugo Chavez remains the world’s leading secular, democratically elected political leader who has consistently and publicly opposed imperialist wars in the Middle East, attacked extra-territorial intervention and US and European Union complicity in kidnapping and torture.

The Venezuelan political process in the post-referendum period (after December 2, 2007) has experienced a wide-ranging debate, in which both critics and supporters of the Venezuelan road to socialism have participated.

The Zionist Power Configuration Defeats Big Oil, the Military Industrial Complex, the White House and the Pentagon, writes James Petras.

Venezuela’s democratically elected Present Chavez faces the most serious threat since the April 11, 2002 military coup. Violent street demonstrations by privileged middle and upper middle class university students have led to major street battles in and around the center of Caracas. 

Sociology professor emeritus James Petras surely ranks as one of the most astute scholars and chroniclers of capitalism and imperialism, as well as being a realistic appraiser of progressivist movements in the world. His latest book — Rulers and the Ruled in the US Empire: Bankers, Zionists, Militants — is a valuable compendium of how power is distributed and wielded in society and among states.

James Petras writes about the contemporary socio-economic and political similarities and differences between Turkey and Latin America, with a particular emphasis on the neoliberal cycle of expansion and crisis.

Latin America and the Caribbean are passing through a deep process of devolution during the last quarter century of the 20th century, and experiencing the restoration of pre-national forms of property ownership, the reversal of social relations of production, writes James Petras.

The word to anti-war critics of the world is that over sixty percent of the US public opposes the war but our streets are empty because our peace movement leaders are spineless and politically impotent, writes James Petras.

China’s billionaires, twenty in number, unlike India’s, are on average younger, have less advanced educational degrees, were almost all educated in China and only 10% (2) inherited wealth.  Sixty-five percent are fifty years or younger.  Their total wealth is .8 billion dollars.

We live in a time of imperial-driven destructive wars in the name of “democracy,” savage exploitation in the name of “emerging world powers,” massive forced population displacement in the name of “immigration” and large-scale pillage of natural resources in the name of “free markets.” We live in a time of barbarism and the barbarian elites employ an army of linguistic and cultural manipulators to justify their conquests.

In reality there are four competing blocs of nations in Latin America, contrary to the highly simplistic dualism portrayed by the White House and most of the Left. Each of these four blocs represents different degrees of accommodation or opposition to US policies and interests. Moreover much depends on how the US defines or re-defines its interests under the new realities.

Transcript of a debate between James Pertas and Norman Finkelstein on Radio Intifada discussing the relationship between Israel and the United States.

On March 16, 2007, Philippine police arrested veteran journalist, activist, former political prisoner and torture victim, Congressman Satur Ocampo, on the steps of the Philippine Supreme Court.  One day earlier, in Washington DC, California Senator Barbara Boxer opened hearings on the mounting death squad executions and kidnappings in the Philippines.  Nearly a thousand union leaders, clergy members, lawyers, human rights activists, peasants and elected officials of the social action party lists led by Representative Ocampo have been victimized.

James Petras examines the recent proliferation of billionaires and argues that countries of ‘surging billionaires’ produce burgeoning poverty, submerging living standards, and that the making of billionaires means the unmaking of civil society – the weakening of social solidarity, protective social legislation, pensions, vacations, public health programs and education.

A highly critical open letter to General Patraeus, the US Commanding General of the Multinational Force in Iraq, written by Professor James Petras.

With foreign investors owning 47% of all marketable US Treasury bonds in 2006 compared to 33% in 2001 and foreign holdings of US corporate debt up to 30%, James Petras provides a detailed examination of the financial ruling classes and asks 'who really owns America?'.

Economic empire building (EEB) is the driving force of the US economy and became more central over the past five years. More than ever before in US economic history, the principal US banks, oil companies, manufacturers, investment houses, pension and mutual funds all depend on exploiting overseas nations and peoples to secure high rates of profit. Increasingly the majority of banking and corporate profits accrue from overseas plunder.