John Perkins: Confessions of an Economic Hit Man

Corporatocracy: Speaking Out Louder and Louder

Dear Friends,

I wanted to highlight a comment from Elle Bee that was posted regarding my message about the Dubai Ports Deal. I share it, because again it serves as another good example for all of us. Following I offer a few thoughts in response:

MESSAGE RECEIVED FROM ELLE BEE:
Is it really about our  "motives", or is it more about who benefits from
these prohibitions?

Legislators are trying to make it illegal for people to go to Canada
(or order from Canada) and purchase their medicine - the exact same
medication they were prescribed in the US.  Why?  Because US
pharmaceutical giants stand to lose big money.

This current administration would like nothing more than to privatize
education - thereby eliminating public schools and its funding.  Who
stands to benefit from this?  Those private firms who will reap the
dollars building these schools, selling their food in them - and hiring
the  "appropriate" teachers.  Who do you think wants that voucher money?

After Hurricane Katrina, who was awarded reconstruction contracts for
the dammage?  Small, independent firms in Louisiana and Mississippi?
No.  Halliburton was called in, and with them they brought foreign
workers from Mexico to do the work (until enough stink was made...).

I could go on.

We have begun to cannibalize ourselves, our own people in the name of
profit. It isn't about an  "american" agenda.  It is about a corporate
profit.  Corporate profit knows no nation.

MY RESPONSE:
I agree. It is important to recognize that as long as large segments of our population go along with the corporatocracy -- buy into their talk about defending democracy and insuring our security -- this will continue. I am so glad that Elle Bee is speaking out.

We all need to speak out more and more and more and louder and louder -- with whatever voice we have. For some it is through writing. For others: music, dance, art, politics, protests, alternative businesses, alternative buying, joining movements, taking to the streets. . .

The important thing is to take action and to encourage everyone you come in contact with to take action. 

Thank you, Elle Bee for sharing your perspective.

John Perkins

Visit the John Perkins Collection at the Global Dialogue Center

Confessions of Economic Hit Man with new material in paperback

Dubai Ports Deal

Dear Friends,

Some of you have written to ask about my thoughts about the Dubai Ports Deal.

There are the obvious questions about the Bush Administration's involvement with oil and Middle Eastern corporations and governments. But, for me, one of the most important issues this raises concerns the general subject of foreign ownership of resources.

As part of the "debt forgiveness" deals, we often insist that debtor countries allow our corporations to privatize key elements of their economies -- for example: electric, water, sewerage, gas, and oil facilities and even their prison and educational systems -- and we usually insist on the right to station our military troops in their countries.

Yet, we do not permit the Chinese to buy into one of our oil companies and object to a Dubai company purchasing facilities at some of our ports. This should make us probe very deep into ourselves and our motives.

What does it mean to be a democracy?

What does it mean to espouse "justice and equality for all?"

How do you feel about it yourself?   Drop me a note.

John Perkins

Visit the John Perkins Collection at the Global Dialogue Center

Making the WORLD BETTER

Dear Friends,

One of the letters I received this week touched me and has inspiration for us all about how each of us can make a contribution to making the world better than we know today.  I have pasted the message in and I wanted to share my reply with all of you too.

MESSAGE RECEIVED FROM DONNIE:
Hello,

First of all, I would like to say thank you for writing such an intelligent, provocative and ultimately inspiring book.  I first heard of it as I scanned a tourism book on Ecuador, and I am so glad that I read it prior to my travels there.  After reading the book, it allowed me to understand the nation even more and allowed me to fully realize the situation it is in today.

I have been following the recent blogs on the global dialogue center, and I am glad that your book is starting to gain greater recognition.  What are your future plans with the book?  What other promotions are you planning?

I have been trying to spread the message to my friends and colleagues, but of course this is only minor.  I wish it could net an even bigger audience, and would be interested to hear what other events are planned to spread the word. 

Thanks again for writing this book, and also for promoting its message.  I just hope more people are able to discover it.  Good luck!

Sincerely,

Donnie

MY REPLY:

Dear Donnie,

Thank you for your kind words and your commitment to making this a better world.

"Confessions of an EHM" has spent many weeks on the NY Times and other bestsller lists and is now published in 20 languages -- so quite a few people are reading it. However, I agree that we must get the word out more. Fortunately we have recently been gifted with a slew of movies ("The Constant Gardner", "Syriana", ""Hotel Rwanda", "Good Night, Good Luck" and lots of "underground" ones), as well as books, that expose the underbelly of this empire and are reaching millions of people.

For my part, I am traveling a great deal to lecture at universities, the UN, and other forums (see schedule on this website and at www.dramchange.org and www.johnperkins.org ). You can also learn more www.globaldialoguecenter.com/johnperkins about things related to my ongoing mission. I am also hard at work on the next book which will tell more about EHM and jackals and also address what we all must do to create a world our children will be proud to inherit.

I urge you -- and everyone reading this -- to keep spreading the word, using whatever forum most appeals to you. Ask questions and encourage others to do the same. You don't have to try to change people or convince them that you are right (two difficult and often uncomfortable tasks); just inspire them to look deeper at all the issues. Empower them to see that everything they -- we -- do is inter-related. Every purchase we make impacts communities in other countries. Every mile we drive degrades our environment. Simply realizing this and taking responsibilty for it is a huge step in the right direction.

I hope to see you at one of the upcoming events.

John Perkins

Visit the John Perkins Collection at the Global Dialogue Center

Confessions of Economic Hit Man with new material in paperback

New Ethics in Investing Money

Dear friends,

Recently, CM shared this post on the 24seven Conversations forum at the Global Dialogue Center. His question was forwarded to me and it is a good one for us all to think about and discuss:

I'm surprised no one on here has asked about what John, or other people with a conscience do with money they have accumulated (ie. David Suzuki, Paul Hawkins, etc.)? Most people with any wealth keep their funds in the stock market to gain interest and save for retirement but as we all know, all this does is support the corporatocracy and encourage rampant captialsim. How do we ethcially save money for retirement and is this possible?

TWO ACTIONS I AM TAKING
First, I support nonprofits whose values reflect the change in consciousness I want to see in the world. Also, I am buying a farm in Massachusetts, which I intend to farm organically and take off the grid.

What about you? What small changes have you made?
Tell us what you are doing. It may inspire someone else.

John Perkins

Visit the John Perkins Collection at the Global Dialogue Center

Confessions of Economic Hit Man with new material in paperback