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Summary:
John Perkins started and stopped writing Confessions of an Economic Hit Man four times over 20 years. He says he was threatened and bribed in an effort to kill the project, but after 9/11 he finally decided to go through with this expose of his former professional life. Perkins, a former chief economist at Boston strategic-consulting firm Chas. T. Main, says he was an "economic hit man" for 10 years, helping U.S. intelligence agencies and multinationals cajole and blackmail foreign leaders into serving U.S. foreign policy and awarding lucrative contracts to American business. "Economic hit men (EHMs) are highly paid professionals who cheat countries around the globe out of trillions of dollars," Perkins writes. Confessions of an Economic Hit Man is an extraordinary and gripping tale of intrigue and dark machinations. Think John Le Carré, except it's a true story.
Perkins writes that his economic projections cooked the books Enron-style to convince foreign governments to accept billions of dollars of loans from the World Bank and other institutions to build dams, airports, electric grids, and other infrastructure he knew they couldn't afford. The loans were given on condition that construction and engineering contracts went to U.S. companies. Often, the money would simply be transferred from one bank account in Washington, D.C., to another one in New York or San Francisco. The deals were smoothed over with bribes for foreign officials, but it was the taxpayers in the foreign countries who had to pay back the loans. When their governments couldn't do so, as was often the case, the U.S. or its henchmen at the World Bank or International Monetary Fund would step in and essentially place the country in trusteeship, dictating everything from its spending budget to security agreements and even its United Nations votes. It was, Perkins writes, a clever way for the U.S. to expand its "empire" at the expense of Third World citizens. While at times he seems a little overly focused on conspiracies, perhaps that's not surprising considering the life he's led. --Alex Roslin
Customer Reviews:
Average Customer Rating:
As expected.
Customer Rating:
I was happy with the purchase of the book "Confessions of an economic hit man" as everything went smoothly and effectively. The book was in the condition as advertised and it came in the timeframe stated.
Excellent Book
Customer Rating:
This is the one book that everyone should read no matter what your political or economic views are.
Ok book
Customer Rating:
Reads as if the author is remorseful and his reflections are now skewed looking back.
Business racketeering rules the world
Customer Rating:
John Perkins is not the first to call attention to how big business runs the world. General Smedley D. Butler's book "War Is A Racket" is also a must read. Perkins is not a hero to be admired. He always made sure his own nest was well feathered as he continued to participate in what he knew were crimes against humanity. Towards the end of his career he found a safe (for him) time to write this book exposing the whole despicable enterprise. It's hard to believe that this book and his other books and lectures on the subject were done as an act of penance. Most likely they are an attempt to cement his own legacy as a good guy working undercover. Nevertheless, the information presented here is crucial for the public to understand. America's government, now and for most of our history, has been run by the rich and privileged. Our major influences globally are aimed at supporting our private business interests. We've used out-right military intervention wherever needed, or most recently, loans to incur debt that can hardly ever be repaid to force the debtor nations to do business with us. Perkins provides details of the operations he was involved in as an economic hit man. It's ugly americanism with some new twists.
Great Book
Customer Rating:
Who would guess that a benevolent organization like the Peace Corps would have ulterior motives as outlined in the book. This book redefines what it means to be an American.
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