Book Description
"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.”John Perkins should know—he was an economic hit man. His job was to convince countries that are strategically important to the U.S.—from Indonesia to Panama—to accept enormous loans for infrastructure development, and to make sure that the lucrative projects were contracted to U. S. corporations. Saddled with huge debts, these countries came under the control of the United States government, World Bank and other U.S.-dominated aid agencies that acted like loan sharks—dictating repayment terms and bullying foreign governments into submission.
This New York Times bestseller exposes international intrigue, corruption, and little-known government and corporate activities that have dire consequences for American democracy and the world. It is a compelling story that also offers hope and a vision for realizing the American dream of a just and compassionate world that will bring us greater security.
Table of Contents
- Cover Page
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Dedication
- CONTENTS
- Preface
- Prologue
- PART I: 1963–1971
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PART II: 1971–1975
- 6 My Role as Inquisitor
- 7 Civilization on Trial
- 8 Jesus, Seen Differently
- 9 Opportunity of a Lifetime
- 10 Panama’s President and Hero
- 11 Pirates in the Canal Zone
- 12 Soldiers and Prostitutes
- 13 Conversations with the General
- 14 Entering a New and Sinister Period in Economic History
- 15 The Saudi Arabian Money-laundering Affair
- 16 Pimping, and Financing Osama bin Laden
- PART III: 1975–1981
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PART IV: 1981–PRESENT
- 26 Ecuador’s Presidential Death
- 27 Panama: Another Presidential Death
- 28 My Energy Company, Enron, and George W. Bush
- 29 I Take a Bribe
- 30 The United States Invades Panama
- 31 An EHM Failure in Iraq
- 32 September 11 and its Aftermath for Me, Personally
- 33 Venezuela: Saved by Saddam
- 34 Ecuador Revisited
- 35 Piercing the Veneer
- Epilogue
- John Perkins Personal History
- Notes
- Index
- About the Author