This is the way the world works.

I had this book recommended to me by A LOT of people and I’m glad I finally got around to it because it is a jaw-dropping first person account of how the US has covertly destabilized other nations for decades in a form of neoimperialism. John Perkins was a man who grew up in a privileged state, yet always feeling under the class that his parents desired. Through mostly happenstance, he found himself in the position in his 30s to be the lead “economist” for a company in the 1970s called Main (now gone). He was literally told he would be an “Economic Hitman” or EHM and his job was blatantly described to him: go to a developing country and set them up to be a US puppet state.

The way Perkins achieved this was by dreaming up an economic plan and forecasting good fortune for a foerign country, getting them to agree to infrastructure building. He knowingly knew that the funds would come from an American bank (or world bank, IMF) and that only an American company would be contracted to build the infrastructure plan. So dollars would never flow into the foreign country. From there, the intent was to burden the country with a subprime loan, knowing full well that they would not have the economic windfall promised. The country would then be trapped with debt and become a puppet state of the American corporatocracy. There is clearly state and corporate collusion going but with no paper trail. This has happened in sooooo many countries: Ecuador, Panama, Indonesia, Chile, Venezuela, Iran, Iraq so many others that this would review would never end if I kept listing them.

Perkins then explains what happens to countries that don’t fall victim to the debt trap. The “Jackals” are then sent in—the CIA which covertly ousts usually the democratically elected leader and supplants them with a puppet dictator setting up a crony capitalism system. If the country is still recalcitrant to the CIA, the US just sends in the military to get rid of the leader by violence and war.

This is what imperialism looks like today.

I found the book to be highly engaging because the author is speaking from his own experiences and has tons of insider knowledge about the economic world order that most people aren’t even aware of. Yet with the personal accounts, there is no doubt unwitting embellishments that likely come along with a book like this. At any rate, I found this to be an extremely worthwhile read. But be careful, it’s one of those books that could upend your world view and change your life.

Other similar books I'd recommend:
The Jakarta Method
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

How to Hide and Empire
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The friend who lent me this book recommended it highly. I think he was too easily impressed.

International aid is obviously tied in to international politics and diplomacy. Aid has an agenda – obviously. And yes, it is true that, especially with US aid in the period being discussed, a lot of money was funnelled back to the USA, paid to American contractors who implemented the projects the aid was supposed to fund. But this is old news, and pretty much what one might expect anyway.

Nearly all international aid comes with strings attached. The thing is, everyone's pulling on those strings at once. I myself have worked as a planning facilitator in the development sector and seen how all the different parties involved in a project try to further their own agendas and make certain their own slice of the cake is as big as they can make it. Every party involved in the development-aid process, not just donors and foreign contractors but governments in recipient countries, local contractors, industrial, commercial and community interests, all have their own agendas. That's human nature; it is hardly news.

I went to Perkins's book hoping for some specific revelations of corruption or wrongdoing, or new insights on old revelations, with perhaps the identification of specific, real-world wrongdoers. Instead of that, he simply makes out that all of the above is news, and although he disclaims the existence of any overt conspiracy, he is essentially pushing a conspiracy theory. The who are the conspirators? Oh, the tired old military-industrial complex, their 'puppets' in Washington, and a few third world tyrants.

Ho hum.

Perkins talks about how he was encouraged to inflate his forecasts of economic growth to help justify higher aid budgets and contractors' fees. Yes, well, it happens all the time. Forecasting is an uncertain business, and people milk it for what they can. More ho hum.

And then the big 'revelation': Perkins tells us that what can easily be explained by simple greed, international power politics and human nature is actually a deliberate conspiracy. How does he know? A colleague told him – a female colleague who was assigned to train him when he joined MAIN, a big engineering consultancy firm, and with whom he had an affair, and who subsequently disappeared. When did she tell him? During one of their secret assignations at an apartment she had rented. Who was she, then? He only gives us a first name. What was her evidence? None.

How convincing.

He also offers accounts of a bargain he made with Omar Torrejos, the late president of Panama, to present honest forecasts in exchange for Panamanian infrastructure contracts for MAIN. Secret meeting again; no witnesses, not even a date or time given for the meeting. He talks about meeting a secret opponent to the Shah of Iran and being given various (dull) revelations. Who was the opponent? He is only identified as 'Doc'. What did he look like? Perkins doesn't know, because the man's face was in shadow, but he does tell us – a nice creepy touch – that the man had had his nose cut off.

I somehow made it past the halfway mark of this pile of generally known fact, conspiratorial speculation and not-very-exciting innuendo. I shall go no farther. What a load of old rubbish. That it was a best-seller simply revalidates the old saying that nobody ever lost money underestimating the intelligence of the public.

- مثير إلى حد بعيد ،يجلب الانتباه إلى الطرق التي تنتهجها بعض الدول لقتل الأمم الأخرى اقتصاديا من خلال السلاح الاستعماري اللاعسكري المتمثل بالقروض المالية المقنعة التي تفترس مقدرات وموارد الدول ومستقبل أبنائها.
أعجبتني سلاسة الترجمة الخالية من إظهار العضلات اللغوية. أما كثرة حديث الكاتب عن نفسه بداية كل موضوع فكان مزعجا بعض الشيء.

بالمجمل يستحق القراءة.

مؤلم وصادم، أحيانا يتخيل المرء أنه لن يسمع أسوء مما عايشه في العالم العربي لكن يستمر الواقع في ابهارنا بمدى قبح ووحشية الإمبريالية.
الكتاب مقبض لأبعد حد.
وأشيد بالترجمة المتقنة..

I read this book because it was heavily recommended by a lot of people who are in the same circles I run with. Massively overrated.

As someone who is extremely sympathetic to the plights of the developing world caused by historic underdevelopment, imperialism, and colonialism if I had read this as an unsympathetic reader, I legitimately couldn't be brought to care for the author's highly flawed recounting. Perkins' account of the shady operations of multinational financial systems and their effects are glossed over in favor of a very performative "I am sorry" tale that ineffectively tries to gain the reader's pity for his participation in onerous acts against the developing world that is full of low budget action film tropes (the mysterious but friendly native explains the minutia of a foreign culture to the white protagonist, the protagonist has his way wit the ladies, etc.).

None of the intricacies of how these countries economies are brought to heel by the developed imperialist powers is ever discussed, and Perkins' half-concealed chauvinist ideas about the superiority of western values and capitalism as a tepid "they unwittingly roped me into these evil schemes" justification really weakens the book in my eyes as his confession gives nothing practical to fight back against international oppression.

Overall, this book was quite a letdown considering what people say about it and there are far better accounts of the phenomenon of imperialism in the age of financialization by vaguely left wing economists, who were also industry insiders (the whole selling point of this book), like Michael Hudson that give the reader facts and figures as well as the "juicy details" and biographical aspects of their time working in American finance.

اعترافات مخيفة!! ... يتركك الكتاب حائرا .. فبعدما شرح لك حقيقة العالم الحالى انت حقا لا تعرف ماذا تفعل لتوقف رحى هذه الحرب المستعرة .. فجأة تجد نفسك قاب قوسين أو أدنى من ذات المصير الذى مرت به بنما والاكوادور وكولومبيا وغيرها الكثير .. وهاهى أخبار قرض البنك الدولى تدق الأبواب علينا فى مصر .. فماذا نحن فاعلون؟؟؟

I was expecting much more of an information-dense account of what multilateral finance agencies do behind the scene. I really hate that journalistic/storytelling approach to telling information. If you want information, stick to Cheryl Payer and Walden Bello.

John Perkins lifts the lid on the workings of what I am convinced is the American Empire. Perkins worked as an 'Economic Hit Man' for years pursuing the coordinated interests of the American State and Corporate sector. This involved visiting 3rd world countries, performing an inflated economic assessment of their future growth prospects, persuading them to take out enormous loans they will never be able to afford to repay to pay American companies to build massive infrastructure projects that won't deliver the promised results. The local elites and politicians get rich, the American corporations get rich, the poor get trampled over and then get left footing the bill for the loans they had nothing to do with taking and which they receive no benefit from. When they inevitably cannot afford to repay the loan they become the pawns of the American state, who can then force them to vote their way at the UN, or accept American military bases on their soil, or get them to imprison and torture their enemies. This quote demonstrates the premiss nicely:-

For every $100 of crude taken out of the Ecuadorian rain forests, the oil companies receive $75. Of the remaining $25, three-quarters must go to paying off the foreign debt. Most of the remainder covers military and other government expenses - which leaves about $2.50 for health, education and programs aimed at helping the poor

This book rings true to me. Everything I have read about Iraq supports what this book has to say, and it also resonates for me because I've been reading a lot about the Roman Empire recently and it sounds an awful lot like what they did in their day.

This book also put me in mind of The Names by Don Delillo, which explored similar themes in 1981, over 20 years before this was published (because he's a brilliant and prescient genius), The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohson Hamid, and the work of Graham Greene (who makes an appearance in the book when the author meets him in Panama).

From Developing Countries into Debt Driving Saul to Philanthropic Paul.

Please note that I put the original German text at the end of this review. Just if you might be interested.

What a career the man has laid down, someone has to imitate him first. By getting married, he comes into position, at a very young age, to assist in building up the structures to destabilize the economy of countries in Africa, Latin America, and Asia, and to move up rapidly. He does not shy away from believing only statistics that he has falsified in the interests of the client and can justifiably be considered as one of the birth assistants of recent semi-legal white-collar crime.
To the point where his conscience surpasses him, and he becomes a dedicated political activist, which costs him the impeccable nimbus of his American clients and because of the devastation he has done the discreetly hypocritical effect. However, still around worlds better than the spearhead of predatory capitalism to direct and train.
The tactics are terrifyingly simple and quickly explained. Billions of credits are offered to emerging countries, although they may be invested in meaningful infrastructural measures, this rarely happens. Somewhat, large-scale projects such as dams, power plants, heavy industry, access roads and logistics capacities for the exploitation of raw materials, including the awarding of contracts to American and European consortiums, are being pushed forward.
It should be noted, however, that these are credit spreads which should never be given to states from the perspective of a realistic repayment option. Moreover, the loan installments, the term or even the loan interest after signing the contracts to change one or the other comma, belongs to the product portfolio of men and women, let's put it polemically, business killers.
Fails a state now desperate for credit, debt cuts or national bankruptcy puffing on the hook, in his desperation to hold on to any straw, comes the generous offer. One could merely privatize and save to death the entire infrastructure, water, electricity, social services, healthcare or take the whole of natural resources at dumping prices for debt repayment. No problem, let's talk.
John Perkins still looks like an excellent, glittering, distinguished gentleman compared to the alternatives that can be offered... For who comes when the provided billion credits are scandalously rejected? Those, as he calls them, jackals, the specialists washed with all the finesse of asymmetric warfare and incitement tactics. Among other things, it was to start a coup, to bring demagogues and dictators to power and annoying democratically legitimized, to make matters worse perhaps even from the indigenous population originating supporters to catch the right flight.
Also, if that does not help, they quickly declare war and march in. Regardless of how many economically motivated battles have taken place over the past few decades, let everyone get a picture of themselves, opinions differ widely, but a few dozens will.
The entire history of the second half of the twentieth century and beyond, including the stories of one John Perkins, is to be viewed under a different light, subtly deviating from official historiography. Sometimes his explanations of events are much more coherent, logical and understandable than other well-founded and scholarly essays on the subject such as: "These are communists, terrorists, TINA, etc.!"

Vom Entwicklungsländer in Schulden treibenden Saulus zum philanthropischen Paulus.

Was für eine Karriere der Mann hingelegt hat, muss ihm erst mal jemand nachmachen. Durch gutes Einheiraten gelangt er in recht jungen Jahren in die Position, beim Aufbau der Strukturen zur Destabilisierung der Wirtschaft von Ländern in Afrika, Lateinamerika und Asien mitzuwirken und rasch aufzusteigen. Er scheut nicht davor zurück, nur Statistiken, die er selbst im Sinne des Auftraggebers gefälscht hat, Glauben zu schenken und kann mit Fug und Recht als einer der Geburtshelfer der modernen halblegalen Wirtschaftskriminalität gelten.
Bis zu dem Punkt an dem ihn sein Gewissen überkommt und er zum engagierten Politaktivisten wird, was ihm zwar den einwandfreien Nimbus bei seinen amerikanischen Auftraggebern kostet und angesichts der Verheerungen, die er angerichtet hat, dezent scheinheilig wirkt. Aber immer noch um Welten besser ist als weiter die Speerspitze des Raubtierkapitalismus zu dirigieren und auszubilden.
Die Taktik ist erschreckend simpel und schnell erklärt. Armen Ländern werden Milliardenkredite angeboten, wobei es auch aus Versehen vorkommen kann, dass diese in sinnvolle infrastrukturelle Maßnahmen investiert werden, was aber selten passiert. Viel eher werden Großprojekte wie Staudämme, Kraftwerke, Schwerindustrie, Erschließungsstraßen und Logistikkapazitäten zur Ausbeutung der Rohstoffe samt der Vergabe von Aufträgen an amerikanische und europäische Firmenkonsortien forciert.
Wohlgemerkt in Kreditgrößenordungen, die den Staaten unter dem Gesichtspunkt einer realistischen Rückzahlungsmöglichkeit niemals vergeben werden dürften. Und die Kreditraten, die Laufzeit oder überhaupt gleich die Kreditzinsen nach Unterzeichung der Verträge mal flugs um das eine oder andere Komma zu modifizieren, gehört zum Produktportfolio der Herren und Damen, formulieren wir es polemisch, Wirtschaftskilller. Zappelt ein Staat nun verzweifelt nach Kreditaufschub, Schuldenschnitt oder Staatsbankrott schnaufend am Haken, um sich in seiner Verzweiflung noch an irgendeinem Strohhalm festhalten zu können, kommt das generöse Angebot. Man könne doch die gesamte Infrastruktur, Wasser, Strom, Sozialleistungen, Gesundheitswesen schlichtweg privatisieren und zu Tode sparen oder die gesamten natürlichen Ressourcen zu Dumpingpreisen zur Schuldentilgung hernehmen. Alles kein Problem, die lassen mit sich reden.
Wobei John Perkins im Vergleich zu den Alternativen, die geboten werden können, noch wie ein feiner, mit Glacehandschuhen agierender, distinguierter Gentleman wirkt. Denn wer kommt, wenn die angebotenen Milliardenkredite skandalöserweise abgelehnt werden? Die, wie er sie nennt, Schakale, die mit allen Finessen der asymmetrischen Kriegsführung und Verhetzungstaktik gewaschenen Spezialisten. Unter anderem darin, einen Putsch anzuzetteln, Demagogen und Diktatoren an die Macht zu bringen und lästige demokratisch legitimierte, zu allem Überfluss vielleicht auch noch aus der indigenen Bevölkerung stammende Staatsüberhäupter, den richtigen Flug erwischen zu lassen.
Und wenn auch das nichts hilft, erklärt man flugs den Krieg und marschiert ein. Darüber, wie viele wirtschaftlich motivierte Kriege in den letzten Jahrzehnten stattgefunden haben, möge sich jeder selbst ein Bild machen, die Meinung divergiert diesbezüglich stark, ein paar Dutzend werden es aber doch gewesen sein.
Die gesamte Geschichte der zweiten Hälfte des 20 Jahrhunderts und darüber hinaus ist unter Einbeziehung der Erzählungen eines John Perkins unter einem anderen, dezent von der offiziellen Geschichtsschreibung abweichenden, Licht zu betrachten. Mitunter sind seine Erklärungen für Ereignisse wesentlich schlüssiger, logischer und nachvollziehbarer als andere wohlfundierte und wissenschaftliche Abhandlungen zu dem Thema wie: „ Das sind Kommunisten, Terroristen, TINA, usw.!“

John Perkins provides an insider's perspective on the world of government contractors and more specifically, the role that inflated economic growth projections plays in attracting foreign direct investment. The book is somewhat of a revelation because it is written by a long-time insider who, in spite of his considerable corporate achievements and obvious intelligence, is not an American first ideologue nor is he a trained economist. He is clearly well schooled in the University of Ambition and Greed. Throughout the book, he repeatedly documents familiar dark periods of America's involvement in the developing world: coup d'etats in Panama, Iran, Guatemala, Bolivia, and the list goes on. He accurately paints a picture of a multi-tentacled corporate and political American empire, which effectively subjugates the developing world largely through staggering debt service and contractual dependence on Western industry. The strongest section of the book is his discussion of JECOR, a sweeping redevelopment plan of Saudi Arabia conducted by a joint American Saudi committee requiring no Congressional approval - an security and diplomatic arrangement which foreshadowed numerous recent wars. The plan effectively funneled back lost petro dollars into the US economy through long term development contracts with notorious corporate villains like Bechtel, KBR and effectively, the Bin Ladin group. A very interesting book but I really tired of his constant hand wringing but ultimate justification to remain in this world in spite of the injustice of it all. His insincerity and false deprecation was a bit nauseating and sometimes laughable (the guy practically married into the Bechtel family). In spite of the sinister entrenched inequity of globalism, this former Peace Corps volunteer relentlessly leverages his power into a continued role in the "corporatocracy." Ultimately, his only act of truly giving back may have been writing this tell-all tome - and that's a pretty big move, so kudos. A good book but I tired of the apologetic, tortured hero angle.

Really interesting perspective of US economic "development" abroad. It reads like a memoir, but it's mostly about the ways private US companies mess with other regimes. I wish everyone would read this book.

bildigimiz manada somuru duzeninin bittigi dunyamizda modern somurgecilik devam ediyor. bunun bas mimari da tabiki amerika. biz dostuz diyerek iclerine girdigi az gelismis ama petrolu bol ulkelere neler yaptigini ogrenmek icin bu kitap okunmali. ustelik de iclerinden biri anlatiyor. ozellikle su paragraf ustunde kafa yorulmasi gereken bir paragraf:
"dunya ticaret merkezinin, 1960 senesinde David Rockefeller tarafindan baslatilan bir proje oldugunu ve yapinin son yillarda bir yuk olarak nitelendirildigini okudugumu hatirladim. finansal garabet olarak bir sohreti vardi. modern fiber optik ve internet teknolojileri ile uyumsuzdu. ustelik verimsiz ve pahali bir asansor sistemine sahipti. o iki kule bir zamanlar David ve Nelson olarak adlandirilmisti. simdiyse yuk gitmisti."