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John Perkins

The Secret History of the American Empire: The Truth About Economic Hit Men, Jackals, and How to Change the World (John Perkins Economic Hitman Series) Paperback – April 29, 2008

by John Perkins (Author)

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New York Times bestseller

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.

Print length

384 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Plume
Publication date

April 29, 2008
Dimensions

5.3 x 0.8 x 8 inches
ISBN-10

9780452289574
ISBN-13

978-0452289574
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“A sweeping, bold assault on the tyranny of corporate globalization, full of drama and adventure, with devastating stories of greed run wild. But Perkins is undaunted, and offers imaginative ideas for a different world.—Howard Zinn, author of A People's History of the United States

“John Perkins' new book is both an eye-opening expose of global corruption and a fascinating story of adventure and intrigue. This devastating indictment of current economic policies also offers hope by showing the power of the growing movement toward a caring economics worldwide.”—Riane Eisler, author of The Chalice and The Blade and The Real Wealth of Nations

“Having made a splash with Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, Perkins offers similarly entertaining but disturbing accounts of the American government wreaking havoc around the world in support of American business. In Perkins's view, American presidents willingly comply with their CEO masters, distributing foreign aid to corrupt Third World leaders who keep a share and return the rest to U.S. business for major projects, leaving their nations poor and massively in debt, and requiring more loans and slavish obedience to U.S. policy. If any leader objects, the CIA destabilizes his government, by assassination if necessary.”—Publishers Weekly

About the Author

John Perkins is the bestselling author of the classic exposé Confessions of an Economic Hit Man. He is the founder and president of the Dream Change Coalition, which works closely with Amazonian and other indigenous people to help preserve their environments and cultures. From 1971 to 1981 he worked for the international consulting firm of Chas.T. Main, where he became chief economist and director of economics and regional planning. Perkins has lectured and taught at universities and learning centers on four continents and is a regular lecturer for the Omega Center.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0452289572
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Plume; Reprint edition (April 29, 2008)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 384 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780452289574
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0452289574
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11.4 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.3 x 0.8 x 8 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #308,301 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #438 in International Economics (Books)
- #729 in Company Business Profiles (Books)
- #808 in Economic History (Books)

Customer Reviews:
221 ratings

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5 star		74%
4 star		15%
3 star		8%
2 star		1%
1 star		3%

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Christiane Wolters

read it

Reviewed in the United States on November 16, 2019

Verified Purchase

more than interesting read. finally someone who was in the system telling the rest of us about how it was done. (for those who were or are wondering why all those resource rich countries are so poor and also why things in our own country are getting worse) warning, you might be stunned into silence at the magnitude at what has been and is happening. how did i not know about this book earlier? thank you for writing it, even after all the damage done. i know that this is not a proper "review' - but one thing for sure, this book will have an impact (if you read it)

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

Janemb35

The Bleak Underside of American Pride

Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2012

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In order to assess this new volume I have looked at notes on John Perkins' autobiography, "Confessions of an Economic Hit Man." I have read it, but needed a refresher course, and am appalled all over again at its contents.([...])

Perkins was recruited by the international consulting firm of Charles T. Main. He was an economist, with two primary objectives: justify huge loans for countries for huge engineering and construction projects to be carried out by American companies (think Haliburton, Bechtel et al.); after the companies had been paid, he was to help engineer the debtor's bankruptcy so that country would remain indebted to their creditors and remain pliable when the US wanted `favors' like military bases, access to natural resources, etc.

Starting in Indonesia in 1971, a time when Indonesia was believed to be a key to Southeast Asian stability, he made economic forecasts that won him further projects. In 1972 it was Panama. Later, Saudi Arabia came under his spell, and a deal between it and the USA was consummated. With it came a relationship between the American government and the House of Saud, the bin Laden family, and the Bush family, to the immense financial benefit of the latter.

His conscience bothered him since he felt that, by following Main's directives, he was causing much harm to the client states. Iran was his breaking point. As what Perkins called the "corporatocracy" supported the Shah, which led to class wars and hatred of the American companies, and the American government which it blamed for all its woes, especially the rampant corruption and despotic government. After the turn of the year in 1979, the Shah fled the country; less than a year later the American hostages in the Embassy were taken. He quit his job at Main in 1980.

"The Secret History of the American Empire" is another product of his reflections on his past and the changes in his work life. He talks a lot about American influence in Latin America, and the rise of home grown opponents to the Unite States with respect.

As I learned a long time ago, every one is said to have his price; United States employees were outstanding at saving skeletons from other's closets. In fact, after learning of the trap set for President Clinton, he has that information confirmed by a retired CIA officer.

Not unsurprisingly, the chickens came home to America to roost. Our policies in the Middle East blew up in our faces. Those in the Middle East caught on to our lust for oil as we established the Shah of Iran, the House of Saud, the ruling families in Kuwait and Jordan, and a friendly dictator in Egypt, and we supported Israeli militarism. They named America and the West as the enemy as the mullahs gained force, al-Qaida grew, and radical politicians replaced moderate ones, exacerbated by the hero worship of the martyrdom of suicide bombers.

Here are the roots of our current political crises internationally. Moving to the continent of Africa, Perkins addresses the problems we have inherited from the European colonial expansion. Again, once there was a crack in the system, America rushed in, knowing that it was time to expand its influence. The stories are fascinating, and appalling. A letter he cites at length tells the effects of westernization seen through the eyes of an educated young woman, employed by a NGO.

She balances the good that NGOs appear to do against the western influences that attack the fiber of their civilization. In sum she concludes that the bad outweighs the good and calls for a total change of system.

Finally, he outlines and discusses briefly the questions essential to making the change the world needs. There are things each and all of us can do, not only in the face of global warming, but also the inequalities we see around us, not only here in the Americas, but also world-wide. Furthermore, he talked to university students who had been told, and believed, that they were America's future.

I was most deeply moved by the mission statement of two high school students from Seattle who had established Global; Awareness and Change [GAC]. Perkins reduced several lines of type into this: "We commit to creating a stable, sustainable, and peaceful world far all peoples everywhere." Would that we ll could commit to this.

I really urge you to get and read this book and resolve to follow at least some of the suggestions at the end. Bear in mind that if you are not to be part of the problem, you must become part of the solution.

20 people found this helpful

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H. Ronald Hartman

WHY HAS AMERICA GONE FROM MOST LOVED NATION IN THE WORLD AFTER WORLD WAR TWO TO DESPISED BY MANY?

Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2016

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READ IT AND YOU WILL DISCOVER FOR YOURSELF WHY AMERICA NOW HAS GONE FROM THE MOST LOVED NATION IN THE WORLD AFTER WORLD WAR TWO, SINKING DOWN TO THE MOST DESPISED WITH HYPOCRITICAL AID THAT ENRICHES FAVORED U.S. CORPORATIONS AND THAT IMPOVERISHES THE POOR OF OTHER NATIONS BY SADDLING THEM WITH EXCESSIVE DEBT BURDENS WITH SKIM FROM INFLATED CONTRACTS USED TO ENRICH THE POWERFUL IN THEIR OWN COUNTRIES - THE PANAMA PAPERS IS LIKELY AN OUTCROPPING OF SOME OF THESE PRACTICES

9 people found this helpful

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Luc REYNAERT

We must never let the military-industrial complex endanger our liberties (D. Eisenhower)

Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 2008

Verified Purchase

After a life of `robbing from the poor and giving to the rich' as an economic hit man, thereby pocketing his commissions, John Perkins became an environment activist and a militant for change in the policies of the corporatocracy.

Corporatocracy
The author delivers in this book many well directed punches into the face of his former employers, transnational companies which act as imperial dictatorships in the global economy.
Together with their long arms (controlled or corrupt governments, the IMF, the World Bank, the WTO, intelligence services, infiltrated or outright controlled NGOs and the military) the corporations are building an empire for the wealthy few. Behind the rhetoric of `free trade', `free markets` and `free choice' the author discovers disinformation, corruption, oligopolies and market and export protection.
This empire claims to defend democracy, but ousts or assassinates democratically elected presidents like P. Lumumba, S. Allende, O. Torrijos, D. Roldós).
The corporations profit heavily from the empire's War Machine (a trillion dollar business) which invents its own enemies. After the fall of the Berlin Wall Islamic revolutionaries took the place of the Communists in order to justify bulging military budgets.

A few examples
In Nigeria, the great writer, Ken Saro-Wiwa was hanged for opposing environmental havoc in the territories of the Ogoni people.
In Diego Garcia the entire population was forced out of their country without compensation in order to build a military base.
In East-Timor, the slaughtering of the population by Indonesian troops was approved by the US government.
In Columbia, the drug war is a subterfuge for protecting oil interests.

Change
If the many want to change the world, they must force change on the corporations. The latter are vulnerable because they need us as clients and consumers. We should impose on them policies of ecological sustainability and social responsibility. Governments should be elected by `real' democracy.
The ultimate goal of all policies should be `a stable, sustainable and peaceful world for everybody.'

Although this book is sometimes too anecdotic, it is a must read for all those who want to understand the world we live in.

3 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

Optomistic

Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2021

Verified Purchase

After helping topple governments and make rich men richer at the expense of humanity, this author finds a way to become a positive force in business and industry for sustainability and economic well-being for all. He offers specific suggestions as to what the ordinary citizen can do to fight back against worldwide economic control by the few.

Helpful

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Fatboy Fat

... to make you shake your head in shame and/or disgust at the way the Yanks and Brits bully

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 11, 2016

Verified Purchase

The author obviously knows his onions and the incidents he writes about are apt to make you shake your head in shame and/or disgust at the way the Yanks and Brits bully, coerce, blackmail, threaten, murder and behave thoroughly horribly in order to rule the world. For me there was a bit too much storytelling (what the hotels were like, where he ate etc.) and not enough in-depth on the actual nitty gritty of our corruption however it's still an interesting book that just adds more fuel to the fire about our global ambitions and the lack of morals of our dear leaders.

One person found this helpful

merlin

Excellent

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 5, 2018

Verified Purchase

Excellent product at an excellent price with an excellent service.

One person found this helpful

Jason Sergison

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 18, 2013

Verified Purchase

Any other great book by John I read Confessions of an economic hit man & this follows on nicely MUST READ

One person found this helpful

azteca

mittlerweise ein klassiker

Reviewed in Germany on December 6, 2013

Verified Purchase

sehr interessantes buch, das sehr ausführlich die systematik und methoden beschreibt, mit denen die amis alleine in südamerika über 50 demokratisch gewählte regierungen gestürtzt, und an deren stelle diktatorische marionetten gesetzt haben, weil ihnen die politische richtung nicht gefiel.
unter anderem beschreibt perkins wie auch das aktuelle iran fiasko auf handlungen der cia in den 50er jahren zurückgehen.
wo nämlich der demokratisch gewählte premier minister muhammad mossadegh von dem amis miot gewalt abgesetzt, und durch schah resa pahlevi ersetzt wurde.
solche und dutzende andere brennende baustellen, die dei amis am planeten hinterlassen haben...
wirklich sehr empfehlenswert!!

4 people found this helpful

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Brian Griffith

Hit Man Turns Peaceful Warrior

Reviewed in Canada on January 30, 2009

Verified Purchase

In this book, Perkins makes several contrary things hang together. He tries to give an eyewitness account of secret intrigues, but also a big picture of recent world history. He damns both the American establishment and himself, but then gets motivational for changing the powers that be.

At first the book reads almost like a spy novel. Perkins wants to convey the glamor of high finance conspiracies, with the posh hotels, the geisha girls, the jackels, and the mirror sunglasses. How else did a man of conscience get sucked into all this? But then he meets more and more local leaders from countries around the world, who tell him the real scoop on the effects of US "development" policy. These people often need to remain anonymous, which sometimes leaves Perkins to vouch for his own testimony. Still, the accounts build up to an overwhelming case, which checks with lots of things we all know.

Then Perkins tries his hand as a motivational writer for global change. And here he gets downright authentic. A lot of this section comes from rather spontaneous speeches, where he set out to talk from the heart without notes. His stories of activists influencing corporate policy are practical, inspiring, and challenging to all disengaged critics. By the time he's done, you wanta be on this guy's side.

3 people found this helpful

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