Confessions of an Economic Hitman

Book #1: "Confessions of an Economic Hit Man" by John Perkins






My brother recommended this book to me. It's the confessions of John Perkins, hired as an economist with the goal of getting developing countries to take out large loans, which were difficult to pay back and went straight into the pockets of large corporations, and thus the borrower countries were under the United States' thumb. If you have ever heard of the Washington Consensus (discussed in many a political science class), you're well aware of the practice of large loans to small countries. 


The book isn't terribly well written, nor is the protagonist likable. He constantly complains about how depressed he is because he is involved in a system that prevents many from escaping poverty, as well as exploiting their natural resources. But then he takes a bribe to not talk about it. He feels bad again and once again, doesn't do anything about it. This tug-of-war about doing something/nothing makes up the last 3/5 of the book. The beginning explains his involvement and how it came about.


I don't recommend this book for its elegant prose; however, it is an interesting perspective on American foreign policy and what exactly the World Bank and similar international organizations stand for. Is there an American empire in the works? Perkins states that these heavy debts were designed to never be paid off and to force countries to bend to US will. An American empire doesn't seem too far fetched after reading his book. Is there a solution? He doesn't offer one besides 'tell your friends to read my book.' I guess I've done my part.


If you would like to learn more about American empire (a more counter culture perspective of US foreign policy), pick this up. However, you could just read the first half to get the point.