Confessions of an Economic Hit Man

by Perkins, John

• ISBN13: 9780452287082
• ISBN10: 0452287081
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-12-27
• Publisher: Plume

Summary

The runaway bestseller that has generated a major movie deal?and an international dialogue?with over 170,000 copies sold in hardcover and seven weeks on the New York Timeslist ?Economic hit men,? John Perkins writes,? are highly paid professionals who cheat countries around the globe out of trillions of dollars. Their tools include fraudulent financial reports, rigged elections, payoffs, extortion, sex, and murder. They play a game as old as Empire but one that has taken on terrifying dimensions during this time of globalization.? John Perkins should know?he was an economic hit man for an international consulting firm that worked to convince developing countries to accept enormous loans and to funnel that money to U.S.corporations. Once these countries were saddled with huge debts, the American government and international aid agencies were able to request their ?pound of flesh? in favors, including access to natural resources, military cooperation, and political support. Confessions of an Economic Hit Manis the story of one man?s experiences inside the intrigue, greed, corruption and little-known government and corporate activities that America has been involved in since World War II, and which have dire consequences for the future of democracy and the world. ?[A] gripping tell-all book.??The Rocky Mountain News ?Astonishing.??Boston Herald ?This riveting look at a world of intrigue reads like a spy novel . . . Highly recommended.?? Library Journal ?Here are the real-life details?nasty, manipulative, plain evil?of international corporate skullduggery spun into a tale rivaling the darkest espionage thriller.??Greg Palast, author of The Best Democracy Money Can Buy

Author Biography

John Perkins is the author of Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, which spent over a year on the New York Times bestseller list. He is a founder and board member of Dream Change and The Pachamama Alliance, two nonprofit organizations dedicated to creating a stable, sustainable, and peaceful world.

Table of Contents

Preface	xi
Prologue	xix
PART I: 1963 -- 1971
An Economic Hit Man Is Born	3	(11)
``In for Life''	14	(10)
Indonesia: Lessons for an EHM	24	(4)
Saving a Country from Communism	28	(5)
Selling My Soul	33	(10)
PART II: 1971 -- 1975
My Role as Inquisitor	43	(5)
Civilization on Trial	48	(6)
Jesus, Seen Differently	54	(5)
Opportunity of a Lifetime	59	(7)
Panama's President and Hero	66	(6)
Pirates in the Canal Zone	72	(4)
Soldiers and Prostitutes	76	(5)
Conversations with the General	81	(6)
Entering a New and Sinister Period in Economic History	87	(5)
The Saudi Arabian Money-laundering Affair	92	(15)
Pimping, and Financing Osama bin Laden	107	(10)
PART III: 1975 -- 1981
Panama Canal Negotiations and Graham Greene	117	(9)
Iran's King of Kings	126	(6)
Confessions of a Tortured Man	132	(5)
The Fall of a King	137	(4)
Colombia: Keystone of Latin America	141	(5)
American Republic Versus Global Empire	146	(8)
The Deceptive Resume	154	(11)
Ecuador's President Battles Big Oil	165	(6)
I Quit	171	(8)
PART IV: 1981 -- PRESENT
Ecuador's Presidential Death	179	(6)
Panama: Another Presidential Death	185	(5)
My Energy Company, Enron, and George W. Bush	190	(6)
I Take a Bribe	196	(7)
The United States Invades Panama	203	(11)
An EHM Failure in Iraq	214	(8)
September 11 and Its Aftermath for Me, Personally	222	(9)
Venezuela: Saved by Saddam	231	(8)
Ecuador Revisited	239	(10)
Piercing the Veneer	249	(11)
What You Can Do	260	(6)
Epilogue	266	(12)
John Perkins Personal History	278	(4)
Notes	282	(13)
Index	295	(10)
About the Author	305