John Perkins: Confessions of an Economic Hit Man


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Latin America Strikes Back

IStock_000004877686XSmall[1]-smaller Dear Friends,

We may feel hoodwinked by the big US banks, but the Latin Americans are striking back!

On September 26, seven presidents signed the document officially starting the Bank of the South. Opening with $7 billion in capital that is expected to grow to $20 billion in coming months, the bank’s objective is to finance development projects in agriculture, energy, and health care for member nations and to boost trade throughout the hemisphere.

To a large degree this bank will replace the World Bank, IMF, USAID, and other “development” organizations that have been used by economic hit men to enrich the corporatocracy and gain control over Third World resources.

The presidents of Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela signed the document during the historic Africa-South America Summit held in Venezuela following the 2009 meetings opening the United Nations in New York.

“This is historic for the true independence of Latin America,” Ecuador’s president Correa said. “We’re done depending on the North for, on the one hand, kneeling down to ask for some dollars and, on the other, sending billions of dollars to them. We’ve had enough of that contradiction.”

As detailed in my new book, HOODWINKED, a wave is sweeping Latin America. People who have been exploited for centuries are rising up and demanding that their resources be used to lift them out of poverty. During the Africa-South America Summit, the wave spread across the Atlantic.

Now it is time for us in the US to also surf that wave!

John

John perkins New Book!
Hoodwinked
An Economic Hit Man Reveals
Why the World Financial
Markets Imploded...and
What We Need to Do to
Remake Them
by John Perkins
NY Times Bestselling Author
Pre-Order at Amazon.com
November 2009

October 05, 2009 in Corporatocracy, Current Affairs, Economics, Latin America, U.S. Foreign Policy, World Bank | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

Tags: bestselling authors, books, current affairs, economy, John Perkins, Latin America

Speaking of Democracy, Honduras, and...

John perkins Dear Friends,

In writing my new book Hoodwinked (Random House, November 2009 publication date), I recently visited Central America. Everyone I talked with there was convinced that the military coup that had overthrown the democratically-elected president of Honduras, Manuel Zelaya, had been engineered by two US companies, with CIA support. And that the US and its new president were not standing up for democracy.

Earlier in the year Chiquita Brands International Inc. (formerly United Fruit) and Dole Food Co had severely criticized Zelaya for advocating an increase of 60% in Honduras’s minimum wage, claiming that the policy would cut into corporate profits. They were joined by a coalition of textile manufacturers and exporters, companies that rely on cheap labor to work in their sweatshops.

Memories are short in the US, but not in Central America. I kept hearing people who claimed that it was a matter of record that Chiquita (United Fruit) and the CIA had toppled Guatemala’s democratically-elected president Jacobo Arbenz in 1954 and that International Telephone & Telegraph (ITT), Henry Kissinger, and the CIA had  brought down Chile’s Salvador Allende in 1973. These people were certain that Haiti’s president Jean-Bertrand Aristide had been ousted by the CIA in 2004 because he proposed a minimum wage increase, like Zelaya’s.

I was told by a Panamanian bank vice president, “Every multinational knows that if Honduras raises its hourly rate, the rest of Latin America and the Caribbean will have to follow. Haiti and Honduras have always set the bottom line for minimum wages. The big companies are determined to stop what they call a ‘leftist revolt’ in this hemisphere. In throwing out Zelaya, they are sending frightening messages to all the other presidents who are trying to raise the living standards of their people.”

It did not take much imagination to envision the turmoil sweeping through every Latin American capital. There had been a collective sign of relief at Barack Obama’s election in the U.S., a sense of hope that the empire in the North would finally exhibit compassion toward its southern neighbors, that the unfair trade agreements, privatizations, draconian IMF Structural Adjustment Programs, and threats of military intervention would slow down and perhaps even fade away. Now, that optimism was turning sour.

The cozy relationship between Honduras’s military coup leaders and the corporatocracy were confirmed a couple of days after my arrival in Panama. England’s The Guardian ran an article announcing that “two of the Honduran coup government's top advisers have close ties to the US secretary of state. One is Lanny Davis, an influential lobbyist who was a personal lawyer for President Bill Clinton and also campaigned for Hillary. . . The other hired gun for the coup government that has deep Clinton ties is (lobbyist) Bennett Ratcliff.” (1)

DemocracyNow! broke the news that Chiquita was represented by a powerful Washington law firm, Covington & Burling LLP, and its consultant, McLarty Associates (2). President Obama’s Attorney General Eric Holder had been a Covington partner and a defender of Chiquita when the company was accused of hiring “assassination squads” in Colombia (Chiquita was found guilty, admitting that it had paid organizations listed by the US government as terrorist groups “for protection” and agreeing in 2004 to a $25 million fine). (3)  George W. Bush’s UN Ambassador, John Bolton, a former Covington lawyer, had fiercely opposed Latin American leaders who fought for their peoples’ rights to larger shares of the profits derived from their resources; after leaving the government in 2006, Bolton became involved with the Project for the New American Century, the Council for National Policy, and a number of other programs that promote corporate hegemony in Honduras and elsewhere.  McLarty Vice Chairman John Negroponte was U.S. Ambassador to Honduras from 1981-1985, former Deputy Secretary of State, Director of National Intelligence, and U.S. Representative to the United Nations; he played a major role in the U.S.-backed Contra’s secret war against Nicaragua’s Sandinista  government and has consistently opposed the policies of the  democratically-elected pro-reform Latin American presidents. (4) These three men symbolize the insidious power of the corporatocracy, its bipartisan composition, and the fact that the Obama Administration has been sucked in.

The Los Angeles Times went to the heart of this matter when it concluded:
What happened in Honduras is a classic Latin American coup in another sense: Gen. Romeo Vasquez, who led it, is an alumnus of the United States' School of the Americas (renamed the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation). The school is best known for producing Latin American officers who have committed major human rights abuses, including military coups. (5)

All of this leads us once again to the inevitable conclusion: you and I must change the system. The president – whether Democrat or Republican – needs us to speak out.

Chiquita, Dole and all your representatives need to hear from you. Zelaya must be reinstated.

John 


Footnotes
(1) “Who's in charge of US foreign policy? The coup in Honduras has exposed divisions between Barack Obama and his secretary of state, Hillary Clinton” by Mark Weisbrot

 http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2009/jul/16/honduras-coup-obama-clinton(July 23, 2009)

(2) http://www.democracynow.org/2009/7/21/from_arbenz_to_zelaya_chiquita_in(July 23, 2009)

(3) “Chiquita admits to paying Colombia terrorists: Banana company agrees to $25 million fine for paying AUC for protection” MSNBC March 15, 2007 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17615143/ (July 24, 2009)

 (4) Fore more information:  http://aconstantineblacklist.blogspot.com/2009/07/eric-holder-and-chaquita-covington.html(July 23, 2009)

(5) “The high-powered hidden support for Honduras' coup: The country's rightful president was ousted by a military leadership that takes many of its cues from Washington insiders.” by Mark Weisbrot, Los Angeles Times, July 23, 2009

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-weisbrot23-2009jul23,0,7566740.story(July 23, 2009)

John Perkins COLLECTION at the Global Dialogue Center
The Secret History of the American Empire by John Perkins 
Order at Amazon.com
 

September 09, 2009 in Books, Corporatocracy, Current Affairs, Economics, Latin America, U.S. Foreign Policy | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

Tags: books, current affairs, john perkins, Latin America

What's Up with Free Trade in Colombia?

Jp2Dear Friends,

On radio interviews I am frequently asked about the "free trade agreement" the Bush administration is trying to hammer out with Colombia and about John McCain's recent trip to Colombia. Here's my answer in a nutshell:

Nine countries in Latin America have recently voted in presidents who are saying "no" to staying the course with international policies that allow foreign corporations to exploit human and/or natural resources. These democratically elected presidents have gone on the record of not seeking US aid but instead asking for reversals in policies, including "free trade agreements," that have been very destructive to their economies -- and resulted in a huge influx of  immigrants to the US.

Colombia is a major exception. Washington's push for a new trade agreement with Colombia is an attempt to bolster the Uribe administration -- a president who is held in very low esteem throughout most of Latin America and is seen  (along with Mexico's Calderón) as one of the last of the old "Washington puppets."

Uribe infuriated many Latin Americans when he illegally sent troops into Ecuador to assassinate FARC representatives who reportedly were there to try to negotiate hostage exchanges and a peace deal.  I was traveling in Central America at the time and heard first-had the anger directed at the Colombian president for the way he ignored Ecuador's sovereign rights and escalated hostilities.

This "free trade agreement" is Washington's desperate attempt to shore up one of its few remaining Latin puppets and at the same time tilt the playing field even further in favor of the big corporations.

What you can do:

  • Speak out against "free trade agreements" that are written to help multinational corporations exploit other countries.
  • Email your representatives and the corporations whose goods and services you buy. Tell them you know that what is best for the US are strong Latin American economies where local resources are channeled to the poor through health, education and other social services.

Best wishes,
John Perkins

The Secret History of the American Empire by John Perkins 
Order at Amazon.com
Learn more about the new book

Visit the
Confessions of Economic Hit Man with new material in paperback

John Perkins COLLECTION at the Global Dialogue Center

July 08, 2008 in Books, Corporatocracy, Current Affairs, Economics, Latin America, U.S. Foreign Policy | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Tags: free-trade, Latin America, McCain

Signs of Progress

Jp2Dear Friends,

This time of year gives us the opportunity to stop and appreciate the signs of progress toward a better world for our children and grandchildren. It all starts within each one of us and it shows up in different ways to remind us. Sometimes, it comes in the acknowledgements we give one another that inspire us and help us know we are headed in the right direction:

Recently, I received a hand-written,  signed note from Rafael Correa Delgado, President of Ecuador in Spanish on his official  notepaper. The English translation is:

"I would like to thank you for your trust and support, as well as for your book "Confessions of an Economic Hit Man", which represents a great contribution to the new universal way of thinking in search  of innovative and better approaches  to coexistence."

As I talk about in my mini-podcast series, Our Geo-Political Crisis and YOU that was inspired by my newest book, The Secret History of the American Empire, we all have our own passions and unique talents to contribute. I am grateful for the tens of thousands of you that have shared your inspiring stories with me as I've traveled around the world. As we work toward the close of this year, I invite you to look for additional ways to expand your influence just by the way you live and work. In my book there is an extensive list of ideas to get you started.

Warm wishes of peace and love to you all,

John Perkins

The Secret History of the American Empire by John Perkins 
Order at Amazon.com
Learn more about the new book

Visit the John Perkins COLLECTION at the Global Dialogue Center
Confessions of Economic Hit Man with new material in paperback

December 14, 2007 in Books, Current Affairs, Economics, Latin America, U.S. Foreign Policy | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

Tags: Books, Current Affairs, John Perkins, Latin America

Washington REJECTS 370 Million's Self Determination

Jp2Dear Friends,

The under-reported stories are a clear sign of the need for each of us to be paying attention. We must shake our country awake! Below is an excerpt from a recent example. Did you read or hear about this victory for 370 Million indigenous peoples' right for self-determination and control of their land and resources in the face of U.S. opposition?

Haider Rizvi
OneWorld US
Fri., Sep. 14, 2007
<http://us.oneworld.net/article/view/153160/1/>

UNITED NATIONS, Sep 13 (OneWorld) - Despite strong objections from the United States and some of its allies, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution Thursday calling for the recognition of the world's 370 million indigenous peoples' right to self-determination and control over their lands and resources.

The adoption of the Universal Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples comes after 22 years of diplomatic negotiations at the United Nations involving its member states, international civil society groups, and representatives of the world's aboriginal communities.

An overwhelming majority of UN member countries endorsed the Declaration, with 143 voting in favor, 4 against, and 11 abstaining.

The United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand stood alone in voting against the resolution.

It is a terrible shame that Washington decided to object to, and vote against, the UN General Assembly resolution calling for the recognition of the world's 370 million indigenous peoples' right to self-determination and control over their lands and resources. Fortunately, most of the rest of the world is more conscious. An overwhelming majority of UN member countries endorsed the Declaration, with 143 voting in favor, 4 against, and 11 abstaining.

Please let everyone -- your elected officials, neighbors, family -- know how ashamed you are that we were one of the 4 who voted against. Insist that we shapeshift ourselves and never make such a horrible mistake again.

You and I must shake our country awake!

John Perkins

The Secret History of the American Empire by John Perkins 
Order at Amazon.com
Learn more about the new book

Visit the John Perkins COLLECTION at the Global Dialogue Center
Confessions of Economic Hit Man with new material in paperback

John Perkins FALL EVENTS

RELATED:
PERSPECTIVES at the Global Dialogue Center
by Debbe Kennedy, Founder
370 Million People Stand Up - U.S. Stands Down?

September 30, 2007 in Africa, Asia Pacific, Books, Corporatocracy, Current Affairs, Economics, Latin America, Middle East, Nigeria, U.S. Foreign Policy, World Bank | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Liberty and Equality: A Renewed Sense of Hope

Jp4RELATED PODCASTS:
Our GEO-Political Crisis and YOU
with John Perkins at the Global Dialogue Center

John talks up-close and personal with you and offers ideas of what you learn and do to contribute to a better world. It is a powerful primer to his new book, The Secret History of the American Empire. Six mini-podcasts; free to the world.

Dear Friends,

I'm spending most of the summer on the road, traveling  across the US, speaking about The Secret History of the American Empire, and encouraging audiences to commit to creating a sustainable, stable,  and peaceful world for everyone every where. Thousands of people have  promised to do so.

Thanks to you and your support, Secret History  made it to the New York Times bestseller list after just 5 days in  book stores. Confessions of an Economic Hit Man is back on the  list (now in its 63rd week in on the list. Both books are at #22 (one as a hardback, the  other as a paperback) on the July 15 list.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN; WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

To me,
It is a strong indication that  people want to know. They want to be informed . . . and they want to take action. We all want a  better world.

On July 4th, I watched the fireworks and thought about all the  courageous people who have fought in so many ways to defend the ideals of liberty and equality. I thought about us and our growing community throughout the world. I felt a  renewed sense of hope.

Thank you for all you are doing to change the dream!

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

Much love,   John

P.S. SPREADING THE WORD
Many of you ask if there is anything you can do  to help spread the word. YES! Here's a simple one: Please submit a review of  Secret History to at Amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com/)  or  whatever on-line vendor you use. If you buy from a local book store, God bless you -- submit an on-line review anyway! Letting the world know your  feelings, thoughts, and ideas, is a powerful expressions of your First Amendment  rights.

The Secret History of the American Empire by John Perkins 
Learn more about the new book
Order at Amazon.com

Visit the John Perkins COLLECTION at the Global Dialogue Center
Confessions of Economic Hit Man with new material in paperback

July 06, 2007 in Africa, Asia Pacific, Books, Corporatocracy, Current Affairs, IRAQ War, Latin America, Middle East, Nigeria, Religion, Terrorism, U.S. Foreign Policy, World Bank | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

People are the Difference Makers Once Again!

Jp3

John writes from the ROAD...

Dear Friends,

This first week for The Secret History of the American Empire has been remarkable. I continue to be moved by how many of you are committed to make the world a better place our children and grandchildren.

Once again, I am deeply grateful for all your hard work to spread the word. Today, I received a message saying that The Secret History made the New York Times Bestseller Extended List at #22 in its first week! This also influenced Confessions... again landing at #26 (previously 59 weeks on the list).

Jpaenewbook2_1_2This response is again a symbol of our collective power to create change. I feel absolutely confident that as each person reading The Secret History finishes it, we will do the right thing. As I wrote, "Together we will utilize the resources providence has provided to establish human societies that reflect our highest goals."

Many of you continue to ask how you can help. Spreading the word for the good of all is a big step forward. So, I welcome your help. There are a couple resources that you may find helpful as you reach out to help others get informed and learn how they can join you in a plan of action.

I've asked the Global Dialogue Center to share the details with you below.

I look forward to meeting many of you as I continue my book tour and welcome your comments.

John Perkins

RESOURCES TO SHARE WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS

1. DEMOCRACY NOW! Interview with Amy Goodman
This is a full hour interview that I did live on June 5, 2007.  Read|Listen|Watch|Print

2. The Moments of Insight Series at the Global Dialogue Center
This is a series of six short audio programs, I recorded based on requests from many of you. It is based on The Secret History...:

Our GEO-Political Crisis and YOU
with John Perkins, New York Times Bestselling Author
The Secret History of the American Empire and Confessions of an Economic Hit Man
Six-episode audio learning program:
Listen NOW www.globaldialoguecenter.com/insights
1-Wake-UP Calls
2-Lessons from Asia Pacific
3-Lessons from Latin America
4-Lessons from the Middle East
5-Lessons from Africa
6-Changing the Dream; Changing the World

The Secret History of the American Empire by John Perkins 
Learn more about the new book
Order at Amazon.com
 

Visit the John Perkins COLLECTION at the Global Dialogue Center
Confessions of Economic Hit Man with new material in paperback

June 13, 2007 in Africa, Asia Pacific, Books, Corporatocracy, Current Affairs, Economics, Halliburton, IRAQ War, Latin America, Middle East, Nigeria, Religion, Terrorism, U.S. Foreign Policy, World Bank | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

On the Road Again --- The Secret History of the American Empire Launches

Jpaenewbook2_1_2Message from the Road...

Dear friends,
I'm  on the road again beginning my book tour. It has been a remarkable beginning already. My message to you is to get people talking. Get people thinking. We all need to look differently at the world. Help your neighbors. Help your family get informed. We all impact people every day. Remember, your attitude---what you say and do has an influence on others. Instead of lecturing, look for ways to encourage others. Sometimes watching a movie, reading an article, sharing a book or listening to a radio or TV program can help broaden someone's view of the world, so they can join you and millions of others that really want to make the world a better place for our children and grandchildren.

TO SHARE WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY
One of the requests many of you had when I wrote Confessions was to have something downloadable to share with friends and family. This time, I recorded a series of six short podcasts based on my new book, The Secret History of the American Empire. I've asked the Global Dialogue Center to share the information on how you can access them. See below.

I look forward to hearing what you think and what you are doing to reach others.

Hope to see many of you as I travel around!

John Perkins

Insighticon_moi_albumsm_2 Moments of Insight at the Global Dialogue Center
Our GEO-Political Crisis and YOU
with John Perkins, New York Times Bestselling Author
The Secret History of the American Empire and Confessions of an Economic Hit Man
Six-episode audio learning program: Listen NOW www.globaldialoguecenter.com/insights
1-Wake-UP Calls
2-Lessons from Asia Pacific
3-Lessons from Latin America
4-Lessons from the Middle East
5-Lessons from Africa
6-Changing the Dream; Changing the World

The Secret History of the American Empire by John Perkins 
Learn more about the new book
Order at Amazon.com
 

Visit the John Perkins COLLECTION at the Global Dialogue Center
Confessions of Economic Hit Man with new material in paperback

June 05, 2007 in Africa, Asia Pacific, Books, Corporatocracy, Current Affairs, Economics, Halliburton, IRAQ War, Latin America, Middle East, Nigeria, Terrorism, U.S. Foreign Policy, World Bank | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)