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Confessions of an Economic Hit Man [2005, PDF/EPUB, ENG]

by John Perkins

(2,930 ratings)
Book cover
From the author of the phenomenal New York Times bestseller, Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, comes an exposé of international corruption, and an inspired plan to turn the tide for future generations

With a presidential election around the corner, questions of America's military buildup, environmental impact, and foreign policy are on everyone's mind. Former Economic Hit Man John Perkins goes behind the scenes of the current geopolitical crisis and offers bold solutions to our most pressing problems. Drawing on interviews with other EHMs, jackals, CIA operatives, reporters, businessmen, and activists, Perkins reveals the secret history of events that have created the current American Empire, including:
 
  • How the defeats in Vietnam and Iraq have benefited big business
  • The role of Israel as Fortress America in the Middle East
  • Tragic repercussions of the IMF's Asian Economic Collapse
  • The current Latin American revolution and its lessons for democracy
  • U.S. blunders in Tibet, Congo, Lebanon, and Venezuela


From the U.S. military in Iraq to infrastructure development in Indonesia, from Peace Corps volunteers in Africa to jackals in Venezuela, Perkins exposes a conspiracy of corruption that has fueled instability and anti-Americanism around the globe, with consequences reflected in our daily headlines. Having raised the alarm, Perkins passionately addresses how Americans can work to create a more peaceful and stable world for future generations.
 

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Book details


  • Author : John Perkins
  • Publisher : Plume
  • Published : 12-26-2005
  • Language : English
  • Pages : 303
  • ISBN-10 : 0452287081
  • ISBN-13 : 978-0452287082
  • Reader Reviews : 2,930 (4.5)
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About the Author


John Perkins


John Perkins is an author and activist whose 10 books on global intrigue, shamanism, and transformation including 'Touching the Jaguar,' 'Shapeshifting' and the classic 'Confessions of an Economic Hit Man' have been on the New York Times bestseller list for more than 70 weeks, sold over 2 million copies and are published in at least 35 languages.

As chief economist at a major consulting firm, John advised the World Bank, United Nations, Fortune 500 corporations, US and other governments. He regularly speaks at universities, economic forums, and shamanic gatherings around the world and is a founder and board member of the Pachamama Alliance and Dream Change, nonprofit organizations that partner with indigenous people to protect environments and that offer global programs to change the destructive ways of industrial societies.

John advises corporations, executives, and entrepreneurs on ways to make the transition from a Death Economy (exploiting resources that are declining at accelerating rates) to a Life Economy (cleaning up pollution, recycling, and other technologies that create regenerative life-styles and economies) -- a subject that is detailed in 'Touching the Jaguar.'

John has lived four lives: as an economic hit man (EHM); as the CEO of a successful alternative energy company, who was rewarded for not disclosing his EHM past; as an expert on indigenous cultures and shamanism, a teacher and writer who used this expertise to promote ecology and sustainability while continuing to honor his vow of silence about his life as an EHM; and as a writer who, in telling the real-life story about his extraordinary dealings as an EHM, has exposed the world of international intrigue and corruption that is turning the American republic into a global empire despised by increasing numbers of people around the planet.

John's Books:

Touching the Jaguar: Transforming Fear into Actions to Change Your Life and the World

The New Confessions of an Economic Hit Man

Hoodwinked

Confessions of an Economic Hit Man

The Secret History of the American Empire

Shapeshifting

The World Is As You Dream It

Psychonavigation

The Stress-Free Habit

Spirit of the Shuar

To learn more about John and his work and subscribe to his newsletter: www.johnperkins.org

Connect with him online at: facebook.com/johnperkinsauthor; at instagram.com/johnperkinsauthor; at twitter.com/economic_hitman

For further information about events where John Perkins is speaking or teaching visit: http://johnperkins.org/events

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Reader Reviews

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Michael Emmett Brady
Needs to incorporate Adam Smith's analysis into his critique
Reviewed in the United States on 07-04-2007
Perkins' description of the exploitative actions undertaken by American multinational corporations and international banking houses operating in 2nd and 3rd world countries,often with the aid and support of corrupt African,Asian,and Latin American leaders ,is very similar to the exploitative actions undertaken by the various monopolies(for example,the British East Indies Company) set up by King George III to dominate and extract a trade surplus from the 13 colonies.This set off a 7 year civil war(the American Revolution)where 1/3 of the population supported the rebels,1/3 supported the King(loyalists),and 1/3 were fence sitters who were waiting to see which side would get the upper hand and win.The fence sitters joined the rebels openly only around 1780.

An important intellectual source of support for the rebels (George Washington,Alexander Hamilton,Benedict Arnold)was the revolutionary book on political economy written by the great philosopher,Adam Smith,in 1776 called The Wealth of Nations.Perkins(and also President Chavez of Venezuela,for example) appears to be completely unaware that Smith provides a complete system for opposing precisely the same type of exploitative behavior faced by the American colonialists over 230 years ago.What are the policies that Smith would recommend,for instance,to President Chavez ? First,Smith would recommend that huge retaliatory and revenue tariffs be placed on all imported goods coming from countries that are heavily subsidizing products being produced by multinational corporations.Second,Smith would recommend that all monopolies be broken up.Third,Smith would recommend that the central bank of Venezuela impose a low,fixed rate of interest on all loans to all residents of Venezuela that would not be higher than the equivalent of the existing prime rate of interest in Venezuela now.Fourth,Smith would suggest that all loans to prodigals,projectors(Keynes's speculators),and imprudent risk takers be prevented.Fifth,Smith recognized that the capitalist system of wealth generation(The Invisible Hand of the Market process that starts with comparative advantage ,leading to the specialization of labor ,leading to the division of labor ,leading to the extension of the market ,leading to economic growth and ending with real free trade(both national and international),while powerful,generated very severe negative,undepletable externalities that would be detrimental to the entire work force.Smith made it clear that only government action and interference in this process could mitigate/reduce/eliminate these negative consequences of trade.Sixth,Smith would advocate that all public goods beneficial to the country of Venezuela as a whole be financed out of the general tax revenue.Finally,Smith would suggest that the tax system in Venezuela be a progressive one overall.This would entail that the rich and multinational corporations/international banks pay higher overall taxes.These policy recommendations can be found on the following pages of the Modern Library(Cannan)edition of the WN:pp.298-302,322-328,339-340,434-439,681-682,716-768,especially 734-735,777-780,and 794.

Smith's economic policies would vastly improve the political,social,economic,and institutional aspects of life in Venezuela (or any other 2nd or 3rd world country when combined with Smith's dictum of the necessity of implementing the rule of law and eliminating economic and political corruption in the ruling party).There is no need to nationalize the oil companies,banks, or the private sector.This is a mistaken solution to a real problem.

In summary,Perkins needs to rewrite his book.This can be done by adding an additional chapter that deals with Adam Smith's entire system of thought.It is apparent that Perkins was never exposed to the real Adam Smith in any of his economics classes.This is not surprising since there are no more than a couple of dozen economists currently living today in the world who have read The Wealth of Nations in its entirety.The vast majority of economists,if they read Smith at all,read pp.1-150 and 421-427 and call it a day.It is tragic that Smith's path breaking work is ignored by,for example, the economists at the World Bank and International Monetary Fund,all of whom Smith would fire for gross incompetence and negligence for failing to carry out his very clearly specified recommendations on pp.434-439..
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J
'アンソニー^_^'
if that's true.
Reviewed in Japan on 04-28-2005
If that is true, so, should we ask ourselves what capitalism and demoracy means? Japanese always claimed the internatiaonl standard is AMERICAN standard, which an economic hit man is too much like a fiction that I have to ask, if that is really true, so, anyone will think this is something we have to rethink?
A very good book on golden week reading, in order to think about what demoracy is, and what so-called globalization and capitalism mean.
Hope that japanese version will be released, but still recommend in sticking in English version, which the hilarious style is a sort of entertainment either..
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J
TJ
How 3rd world economies grow
Reviewed in Australia on 10-20-2015
Opens your eyes to how the economics of the world are manipulated by the greed of some at the expense of so many .. well researched + 1st hand experience of someone who was actually there in each country 'helping' to build their economy -.
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