The New Confessions of an Economic Hit Man Read online

  Praise for The New Confessions of an Economic Hit Man

  “When I read Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, I could not have known that, some years later, I would be on the receiving end of the type of ‘economic hit’ that Perkins so vividly narrated. This book resonates with my experiences of the brutish methods and gross economic irrationality guiding powerful institutions in their bid to undermine democratic control over economic power. Perkins has, once again, made a substantial contribution to a world that needs whistle-blowers to open its eyes to the true sources of political, social, and economic power.”

  —Yanis Varoufakis, former Minister of Finance, Greece

  “I loved Confessions of an Economic Hit Man. Ten years ago it exposed the real story. The New Confessions tells the rest of that story—the terrible things that have happened since and what we all can do to turn a death economy into a life economy.”

  —Yoko Ono

  “The New Confessions offers deep insights into the nefarious ways economic hit men and jackals have expanded their powers. It shows how they came home to roost in the United States—as well as the rest of the world. It is a brilliant and bold book that illuminates the crises we now face and offers a road map to stop them.”

  —John Gray, PhD, author of the New York Times #1 bestseller Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus

  “John Perkins probed the dark depths of global oligarchy and emerged into the light of hope. This true story that reads like a page-turning novel is great for all of us who want the better world that we know is possible for ourselves, future generations, and the planet.”

  —Marci Shimoff, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Happy for No Reason and Chicken Soup for the Woman’s Soul

  “Perkins provides a profound analysis of two forces vying to define the future. One is intent on preserving systems that serve the few at the expense of the many, while the other promotes a new consciousness of what it means to be human on this beautiful, fragile planet. This powerful book inspires and empowers actions that manifest an awakening to our collective ecosystem and the rebirth of humanity—an ECOrenaissance.”

  —Marci Zaroff, ECOlifestyle pioneer/serial entrepreneur and founder of ECOfashion brands Under the Canopy and Metawear

  “The New Confessions is an amazing guide to co-creating a human presence on our planet that honors all life as sacred. It exposes our past mistakes; offers a vision for a compassionate, sustainable future; and provides practical approaches for making the transition between the two. A must-read for anyone who loves our beautiful home, Earth.”

  —Barbara Marx Hubbard, bestselling author and President, Foundation for Conscious Evolution

  “As one who has helped thousands of people grow their businesses, I’ve learned firsthand the importance of facing the crises old economic models created and acting positively to develop new approaches. Perkins’s experiences, his exposé of the failures, his clear vision of what needs to be done, his call to action, and the sense of joy he feels for being part of this consciousness revolution are deeply inspiring.”

  —Sage Lavine, women’s business mentor; CEO, Conscious Women Entrepreneurs; and founder of the Entrepreneurial Leadership Academy

  Samples of What the Media Said about Confessions of an Economic Hit Man

  “[This] book seems to have tapped into a larger vein of discontent and mistrust that Americans feel toward the ties that bind together corporations, large lending institutions and the government—a nexus that Mr. Perkins and others call the ‘corporatocracy.’”

  —New York Times

  “This riveting look at a world of intrigue reads like a spy novel…Highly recommended.”

  —Library Journal

  “[A] parable for all Americans who try to deny the heartbreaking fact that our society’s affluence often comes at the wider world’s expense.”

  —Utne Reader

  “Imagine the conceptual love child of James Bond and Milton Friedman.”

  —Boston Herald

  “Perkins claims may seem unthinkable to most Americans. But the evidence, looking at the world economy, is damning…the citizens of this country need to be willing to examine the actions of our political and corporate leaders and demand that they stop the destruction that is making the world an increasingly dangerous place to live.”

  —Charlotte Observer

  THE NEW CONFESSIONS OF AN ECONOMIC HIT MAN

  THE NEW CONFESSIONS

  OF AN ECONOMIC HIT MAN

  JOHN PERKINS

  The New Confessions of an Economic Hit Man

  Copyright © 2016 by John Perkins

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at the address below.

  Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.

  1333 Broadway, Suite 1000

  Oakland, CA 94612-1921

  Tel: (510) 817-2277, Fax: (510) 817-2278

  www.bkconnection.com

  Ordering information for print editions

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  Second Edition

  Paperback print edition ISBN 978-1-62656-674-3

  PDF e-book ISBN 978-1-62656-675-0

  IDPF e-book ISBN 978-1-62656-676-7

  2015-1

  Cover design: Wes Youssi, M.80 Design. Interior production and design: VJB/Scribe. Proofreader: Elissa Rabellino. Index: George Draffan. Author photo: Connie Ekelund.

  To my grandmother, Lula Brisbin Moody, who taught me the power of truth, love, and imagination, and to my grandson, Grant Ethan Miller, who inspires me to do whatever it takes to create a world he and his brothers and sisters across the planet will want to inherit.

  CONTENTS

  Preface

  Introduction: The New Confessions

  PART I: 1963–1971

  1 Dirty Business

  2 An Economic Hit Man Is Born

  3 “In for Life”

  4 Indonesia: Lessons for an EHM

  5 Saving a Country from Communism

  6 Selling My Soul

  PART II: 1971–1975

  7 My Role as Inquisitor

  8 Civilization on Trial

  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 Affa
ir

  16 Pimping, and Financing Osama bin Laden

  PART III: 1975–1981

  17 Panama Canal Negotiations and Graham Greene

  18 Iran’s King of Kings

  19 Confessions of a Tortured Man

  20 The Fall of a King

  21 Colombia: Keystone of Latin America

  22 American Republic vs. Global Empire

  23 The Deceptive Résumé

  24 Ecuador’s President Battles Big Oil

  25 I Quit

  PART IV: 1981–2004

  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

  PART V: 2004–TODAY

  34 Conspiracy: Was I Poisoned?

  35 A Jackal Speaks: The Seychelles Conspiracy

  36 Ecuador Rebels

  37 Honduras: The CIA Strikes

  38 Your Friendly Banker as EHM

  39 Vietnam: Lessons in a Prison

  40 Istanbul: Tools of Modern Empire

  41 A Coup against Fundación Pachamama

  42 Another EHM Banking Scandal

  43 Who Are Today’s Economic Hit Men?

  44 Who Are Today’s Jackals?

  45 Lessons for China

  46 What You Can Do

  47 Things to Do

  Documentation of Economic Hit Man Activity, 2004–2015

  John Perkins Personal History

  Notes

  Acknowledgments

  Index

  About the Author

  PREFACE

  Economic hit men (EHMs) are highly paid professionals who cheat countries around the globe out of trillions of dollars. They funnel money from the World Bank, the US Agency for International Development (USAID), and other foreign “aid” organizations into the coffers of huge corporations and the pockets of a few wealthy families who control the planet’s natural resources. Their tools include fraudulent financial reports, rigged elections, payoffs, extortion, sex, and murder. They play a game as old as empire, but one that has taken on new and terrifying dimensions during this time of globalization.

  I should know; I was an EHM.

  I wrote that in 1982, as the beginning of a book with the working title Conscience of an Economic Hit Man. The book was dedicated to the heads of state of two countries, men who had been my clients, whom I respected and thought of as kindred spirits — Jaime Roldós of Ecuador and Omar Torrijos of Panama. Both had just died in fiery crashes. Their deaths were not accidental. They were assassinated because they opposed that fraternity of corporate, government, and banking heads whose goal is global empire. We EHMs failed to bring Roldós and Torrijos around, and the other type of hit men, the CIA-sanctioned jackals who were always right behind us, stepped in.

  I was persuaded to stop writing that book. I started it four more times during the next twenty years. On each occasion, my decision to begin again was influenced by current world events: the US invasion of Panama in 1989, the first Gulf War, Somalia, the rise of Osama bin Laden. However, threats or bribes always convinced me to stop.

  In 2003, the president of a major publishing house that is owned by a powerful international corporation read a draft of what had now become Confessions of an Economic Hit Man. He described it as “a riveting story that needs to be told.” Then he smiled sadly, shook his head, and told me that since the executives at world headquarters might object, he could not afford to risk publishing it. He advised me to fictionalize it. “We could market you in the mold of a novelist like John le Carré or Graham Greene.”

  But this is not fiction. It is the true story of my life. It is the story of the creation of a system that has failed us. A more courageous publisher, one not owned by an international corporation, agreed to help me tell it.

  What finally convinced me to ignore the threats and bribes?

  The short answer is that my only child, Jessica, graduated from college and went out into the world on her own. When I told her that I was considering publishing this book and shared my fears with her, she said, “Don’t worry, Dad. If they get you, I’ll take over where you left off. We need to do this for the grandchildren I hope to give you someday!” That is the short answer.

  The longer version relates to my dedication to the country where I was raised; to my love of the ideals expressed by our Founding Fathers; to my deep commitment to the American republic that today promises “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” for all people, everywhere; and to my determination after 9/11 not to sit idly by any longer while EHMs turn that republic into a global empire. That is the skeleton version of the long answer; the flesh and blood are added in the chapters that follow.

  Why was I not killed for telling this story? As I will explain in more detail in the pages of The New Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, the book itself became my insurance policy.

  This is a true story. I lived every minute of it. The sights, the people, the conversations, and the feelings I describe were all a part of my life. It is my personal story, and yet it happened within the larger context of world events that have shaped our history, have brought us to where we are today, and form the foundation of our children’s futures. I have made every effort to present these experiences, people, and conversations accurately. Whenever I discuss historical events or re-create conversations with other people, I do so with the help of several tools: published documents; personal records and notes; recollections — my own and those of others who participated; the five manuscripts I began previously; and historical accounts by other authors — most notably, recently published ones that disclose information that formerly was classified or otherwise unavailable. References are provided in the endnotes, to allow interested readers to pursue these subjects in more depth. In some cases, I combine several dialogues I had with a person into one conversation to facilitate the flow of the narrative.

  My publisher asked whether we actually referred to ourselves as economic hit men. I assured him that we did, although usually only by the initials. In fact, on the day in 1971 when I began working with my teacher, Claudine, she informed me, “My assignment is to mold you into an economic hit man. No one can know about your involvement — not even your wife.” Then she turned serious. “Once you’re in, you’re in for life.”

  Claudine pulled no punches when describing what I would be called upon to do. My job, she said, was “to encourage world leaders to become part of a vast network that promotes US commercial interests. In the end, those leaders become ensnared in a web of debt that ensures their loyalty. We can draw on them whenever we desire — to satisfy our political, economic, or military needs. In turn, they bolster their political positions by bringing industrial parks, power plants, and airports to their people. The owners of US engineering/construction companies become fabulously wealthy.”

  If we faltered, a more malicious form of hit man, the jackal, would step to the plate. And if the jackals failed, then the job fell to the military.

  Now, nearly twelve years after Confessions of an Economic Hit Man was first published, that original publisher and I know that it is time for a new edition. Readers of the 2004 book sent thousands of e-mails asking how its publication impacted my life, what I am doing to redeem myself and change the EHM system, and what actions they can take to turn things around. This new book is my answer to those questions.

  It is also time for a new edition because the world has changed radically. The EHM system — based primarily on debt and fear — is even more treacherous now than it was in 2004. The EHMs have radically expanded their ranks and have adopted new disguises and tools. And we in the United States have been “hit” — badly. The entire world has been hit. We know that we teeter on the edge of disaster — economic, pol
itical, social, and environmental disaster. We must change.

  This story must be told. We live in a time of terrible crisis — and tremendous opportunity. The story of this particular economic hit man is the story of how we got to where we are and why we currently face crises that often seem insurmountable.

  This book is the confession of a man who, back when I was an EHM, was part of a relatively small group. People who play similar roles are much more abundant now. They have euphemistic titles; they walk the corridors of Fortune 500 companies like Exxon, Walmart, General Motors, and Monsanto; they use the EHM system to promote their private interests.

  In a very real sense, The New Confessions of an Economic Hit Man is the story of this new EHM breed.

  It is your story, too, the story of your world and mine. We are all complicit. We must take responsibility for our world. The EHMs succeed because we collaborate with them. They seduce, cajole, and threaten us, but they win only when we look the other way or simply give in to their tactics.

  By the time you read these words, events will have happened that I cannot imagine as I write them. Please see this book as offering new perspectives for understanding those events and future ones.

  Admitting to a problem is the first step toward finding a solution. Confessing a sin is the beginning of redemption. Let this book, then, be the start of our salvation. Let it inspire us to new levels of dedication and drive us to realize our dream of balanced and honorable societies.

  John Perkins

  October 2015

  INTRODUCTION

  The New Confessions

  I’m haunted every day by what I did as an economic hit man (EHM). I’m haunted by the lies I told back then about the World Bank. I’m haunted by the ways in which that bank, its sister organizations, and I empowered US corporations to spread their cancerous tentacles across the planet. I’m haunted by the payoffs to the leaders of poor countries, the blackmail, and the threats that if they resisted, if they refused to accept loans that would enslave their countries in debt, the CIA’s jackals would overthrow or assassinate them.