Book Review: Confessions of an Economic Hit Man

Submitted by fyl on 2 April, 2007 - 07:02.
Book Review: Confessions of an Economic Hit Man

[ Info/Order] This is a hard book to summarize but possibly the most significant book I have read in 20 years as far as helping fill in the "big picture". Whether you think the US should "run the world" or not, this first-hand account is so different from those writing from afar.

Mr. Perkins was an Economic Hit Man (EHM) with personal experience from Panama to Java. The story starts in 1963 and with the added epilogue in the paperback edition takes you up into the Iraqi war. This book shows how an EHM tries to take control of a country by doing "research" on how to develop it and get the country to borrow money (to hire US contractors) it can never pay back. Only when the EHM fails are the CIA-sponsored jackals sent in and then, if they don't succeed, invasion is the last resport.

Virtually all the content is from personal experience--generally where he was in charge of the operations. The countries involved include Panama, Columbia, Ecuador, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Java and more. While there is only mention of Nicaragua it is because he doesn't have personal experience here. Based on where he worked and what he did it is easy to see how the US actions here fit the same pattern.

If thoughts like "But, the US loans money to people to help them", "the IMF/World Bank have been very nice to countries forgiving their debts" or "Private enterprise, not governments, do all the work" come to mind, this book is a must read. Here, the man on the inside explains exactly who the players are, how it works and why it works that way.

Unlike so many "political" books, this is fun to read as it is a personal adventure story. And, yes, it is available in Spanish as well as many other languages.

The paperback edition in English is published by Plume. ISBN 0-452-28708-1. US$15. I ordered the Spanish version from Powells.

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Article about Perkins

Submitted by fyl on 25 October, 2007 - 07:26.

A friend just sent me a link to an article in New Dawn Magazine about Perkins. It is titled From Economic Hitman to Shaman: Can a Thoughtful, Spiritual James Bond Save America?

Interesting article looking at yet another side of Perkins.

Just finished reading it...

Submitted by travelgrl on 9 July, 2007 - 09:26.

Just finished reading it... outstanding book!

Muchas gracias.

Submitted by migs on 7 April, 2007 - 16:45.

I bought the book, and started reading it.

Loved it!

Submitted by emanuel on 3 April, 2007 - 16:50.

I loved the book! I also saw him speak in Portland, Oregon. Here is an interesting critique, however. I don't agree with everything this author says, but it's always good to hear another side.

http://www.fromthewilderness.com/free/ww3/010705_economic_hitmen.shtml

Emanuel Ometepe

amazon

Submitted by markwayne on 2 April, 2007 - 22:40.

Thanks Phil!

Just bought a "used" new copy on Amazon for $7

Saw him speak last year

Submitted by Nicamatt on 2 April, 2007 - 20:22.

I saw Mr. Perkins speak at a local bookstore in the Twin Cities, MN about 1 year ago. He is an interesting man with some interesting perspectives and insights.

The book was a good read overall, although between you, me and the wall I think Mr. Perkins is a bit full of himself as a writer and a speaker. Never the less, the things he has to say are important for people to hear, understand and to deal with. We are all part of the problem unless we chose be part of the solution, as Mr. Perkins might say ;-)

It's an interesting problem

Submitted by fyl on 3 April, 2007 - 09:33.

I have been in this same "how much to toot your own horn" position with regard to Linux. Toot too much and you get the "full of himself" comment. Toot too little and you get ignored as insignificant. It's a tough call.

But, in either case, we both know some things from personal experience that others cannot. While you don't have to agree with us, you need to know what we know just to be able to form a valid position.

In the case of John Perkins, I don't know how much "he was there" but I do know what he talks about happens and reading the book helped fill in a lot of "whys" for me. Well, plus it was fun to read.

Agreed

Submitted by Nicamatt on 3 April, 2007 - 12:20.

I'm not saying I don't believe him, because I do, but I think the information should be able to stand on its own. However, I understand that we are talking about money, power etc...and some of the things Mr. Perkins talks about could be construed as out in left field by those who haven't seen first-hand how this system works.

That being said, I think Mr. Perkins could be a bit more humble and let the facts speak for themselves. His "horn-tooting" tends to make people think he has something to personally gain instead of something to uncover for the larger good. That's just my opinion however.

sama sama

Submitted by monoCongo on 7 April, 2007 - 12:00.

Seems pretty accurate to me. My Father was an EHM. He got his start as an accountant working for an oil company on the North Slope in Alaska in the early 60’s. Worked his way into managing a drilling rig in the Java Sea in the early 70’s. Spending a lot of time in Saudia Arabia, Libia and Iran in between.

Don’t know about the technical stuff of the job, but can confirm that the descriptions of Jakarta is how I remember it when visiting. The Indonesian InterContinental Hotel was the only building over a couple of stories except for the building next to it that was started by the Japanese and never finished. There were no traffic lights, only rotundas and not much traffic to speak of in 1970. In a little over a year the traffic became gridlocked with traffic lights all over the city, tall buildings being constructed, people streaming into the city from the outer islands looking for work.

Tida bagose for the people of Indonesia, but Suharto and the Pertimina Oil Company profited. I saw the lepers and families living in cardboard boxes. This is the year the US put a man on the moon, you would think we could do more to solve humanitarian problems here on earth.

Online interview with John Perkins

Submitted by monoCongo on 2 April, 2007 - 09:49.

Sounds like a good book. Here is an interview with John Perkins on DemocracyNow: http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/11/09/1526251

I wouldn't mind getting a copy

Submitted by dirtbag on 2 April, 2007 - 08:02.

Can you please post the Publisher and the ISBN number if you have it.

ISBN

Submitted by honky1 on 2 April, 2007 - 20:43.

ISBN 1576753018-10

Ingram Pub. Services

Added

Submitted by fyl on 2 April, 2007 - 08:05.

I added that to the review. Good idea, actually, to put that info in each review.

great

Submitted by dirtbag on 2 April, 2007 - 08:08.

Thanks, now I can order it online.

very important book

Submitted by des00s on 2 April, 2007 - 11:05.

If you cant get the book at least do a search on youtube or googlevideo there are speaches by him. This is some of the most important material you will ever learn in your life. It will change everything you thought you know about the way this world works.

confession

Submitted by honky1 on 2 April, 2007 - 11:03.

You can find it online used from 6.00 @ half.com