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Valuable Perspectives, Though Weak on Details Jun 19, 2007 (109 of 114 found this helpful)
"The Secret History's" Prologue provides an outstanding summary of the dark side of American generosity as exemplified by the World Bank's actions. The U.S. holds veto power over major World Bank decisions, and its president is appointed by the U.S. president. Perkins asserts that the World Bank's mission quickly became synonymous with proving the capitalist system superior to communism, and to further this role, its employees cultivated cozy relationships with multi-national corporations. This opened the door for economic hit men (EHM) to channel funds from the Bank into schemes appearing to serve the poor while primarily benefiting a few wealthy people.
In the most common scheme, staffers would identify a developing country possessing resources our corporations desired (eg. oil), arrange a huge loan for it, and then direct most of the money to our own corporations and a few collaborators. Infrastructure projects (eg. power plants, airports, industrial parks) would then spring up - however, they seldom helped the poor, and the nation was unable to be able to repay the loan about 50-60% of the time. The EHM could then demand eg. cheap oil, U.N. votes on key issues, and/or troops for eg. Iraq.
Perkins substantiates his "American Empire" label by asserting that the U.S. is run by a big group who collectively act much like a king. They run our largest corporations, and through them, our government. They cycle through the "revolving door" back and forth between businesses and government, fund political campaigns and the media - resulting in a great deal of control over elected officials and the information we receive, regardless of who is elected.
National disasters, like wars and aid projects, are highly profitable for big businesses. A great deal of money for rebuilding is earmarked for U.S. engineering firms and large corporations owning hotel, communications and transportation networks, banks, insurance companies, etc. Sometimes they also provide an opportunity for local governments to extend their oppression - eg. just prior to the 12/26/04 tsunami the Indonesian government was ready to reach an agreement with Aceh rebels largely favorable to them - however, after the disaster disorganized and weakened the Aceh, it instead sent in additional forces to break their resistance in the resource-rich (multinational target)Aceh sector.
Overseas bribery is usually accomplished without violating U.S. law by leasing eg. equipment from companies owned by the target (and friends) at excessive rates; they can then subcontract portions to others at inflated prices. This model can be used to contract for food, housing, cars, fuel, etc. Another means is to offer to arrange for the target's children to attend prestigious U.S. colleges while covering all their expenses and paying consultant/intern salaries while they are in the U.S. U.S. companies also pay local militias for protection, thus weakening local control over them.
Little specific proof of the preceding is offered - however, it follows Perkins' earlier "Confessions of an Economic Hit Man" and numerous other sources. "The Secret History" then goes on to reference vague specifics in Asia, Africa, and South America in a conspiracy-mongering manner.
Some useful specifics come through, however. Examples include privatizing water in South America and then significantly raising rates to the point of provoking a mini-revolt, engendering political change in another country through energy-extraction agreements that provide little for the resident nation, etc.
Our "bottom-line" seems to be "go along with us or we'll foment revolution and/or assassinate you." Mid-East examples include Iran (early 1950s), and Iraq (early 1960s). (No wonder leaders are leery of American-style democracy.) Those wondering why the U.S. is so concerned about Israel's welfare have the answer provided by Pe
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A Book That Will Change the World Jun 6, 2007 (165 of 183 found this helpful)
In his first book, Confessions of an Economic Hitman, John Perkins lifted the veil on a world rarely seen by most people. He took us on a tour of the costs and consequences of American corporate hegemony, dispelling myths of the `free market', and forcing us to peer deep into our own souls. As Perkins states in his earlier works, "The world is as you dream it," so the question is, what will you dream?
Picking up where he left off, Perkins continues down the path of redemption. Once serving the masters of modern slavery, Perkins now works tirelessly to free those who have been oppressed by the corpratocracy. His thesis? Our planet cannot survive ruthless consumerism at the expense of the world and its people. When all the trees are gone, and all the oil is tapped, what will be left? Does your shirt still feel nice when you understand the suffering involved in its production?
The world John Perkins envisions is one in which personal participation is crucial, and power does not rest in the hands of the few. We have everything we need to create a sustainable global society. We have the resources, the technology, and viable social models. What we need now is a vision, and the inspiration to create such a world. In 329 pages, Perkins provides us with the inspiration to fearlessly question ourselves, and the power structures that exist around us.
Traveling through countries like Indonesia, Brazil, Bolivia, Iraq, and Iran, Perkins paints a picture so vivid its life-altering. This is an amazing follow-up to Confessions, and I strongly recommend this book to anyone who still believes the `free market' benefits all, or anyone who is still waving a flag. This story is brutal, harsh, and real. But the good news is: life can change. We can change. Deep down we all share common values. We all want to live peacefully, we all want to prosper, and we all want to feel love.
If you wish to understand the world for how it really exists, and you seek the tools to help create positive changes, then you have to read this book.
As John says, "Today is the day for us to begin to truly change the world."
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Excellent Solutions, less balanced arguments Jun 7, 2007 (73 of 80 found this helpful)
From what I have seen first-hand in Sri Lanka, a war-torn, tsunami-hit, civilian and minority unfriendly country, I'm not sure if I can completely agree with John Perkins although I immensely enjoyed the book.
Perkins makes sweeping allegations against every move the US government and corporations make in the global front. Although there is credible evidence to most of his arguments, there are other factors to be considered too. Here is a classic example of how things work both ways.
Take Sri Lanka for example. US pledged billions of aid for Tsunami recovery. Most of them came from corporations. Amazon alone collected and contributed $50 million. And I certainly think we helped Sri Lanka purely on humanitarian basis with no hidden agenda at that time. Yet the government of Sri Lanka didn't send the much needed aid to hard hit areas citing civil war and terrorism. Basically, the Sri Lankan minority Tamils and Muslims didn't get the aid because the government of Sri Lanka was not willing to share the aid with the minorities. Then for unknown reasons, the US government didn't force the Sri Lankan government to share the aid. Condi Rice praised the Sri Lankan government. The reason was, we had a strategic business interest in Sri Lanka due to geographical proximity of its ports to East Asia, and we didn't want to spoil the relationship with a government, though it acted unfairly.
So in one hand we wanted to sincerely help, then on the other we wanted to play a "strategic" role, which turned out to be extremely unfair.
Perkin's arguments are valid and I strongly think he makes a very good point. But looking at the Sri Lankan example, we cannot make sweeping allegations at everything that we do. The aid was good. But trying to be strategic and support an evil conduct was unfair and unethical.
One of the greatest pluses of this book is the excellent solutions Perkins has laid out. Only an intelligent and clear thinker like Perkins can come up with this.
Excellent book. 4/5
N.Sivakumar
Author of
America Misunderstood: What a Second Bush Victory Meant to the Rest of the World
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A View from the Seedy Underbelly Jul 2, 2007 (22 of 23 found this helpful)
As a fifty-five year old man, my own history runs from a youthful idealism born in the frenetic 60's to a current disillusionment derived in part from a Supreme Court coup, a piecemeal destruction of the Constitution and a criminal Executive Branch that creates its own laws and ignores legislated ones.
When I read "Confessions of an Economic Hitman" a year ago, the questions we all have about how the world got to this point in history suddenly became much clearer.
From a first-person perspective, Perkins exposed the seedy underbelly of the economic giant called the United States.
As Americans we've gotten used to angry epithets being thrown at us from around the world; by "dirty commies", by "tinhorn" South American dictators, by various types of anarchists and by "ignorant" peasants.
And the chant they repeated most often over the years was that the US was an IMPERIALIST nation.
The asbsurdity of this accusation was enough to make make most Americans ignore whatever else these people might have been trying to communicate to us.
But after reading this new Perkins book about the seriously evil deeds our national government and closely allied corporations have been up to for the last sixty years, we are forced to conclude that Empire is perhaps the kindest way to describe "unofficial" American foreign policy since World War II.
Perhaps the most intriguing section of his book--and most pertinent to today's most unsettling issues--is his discussion of the the Mideast's modern history as planned and executed by the major Western powers.
The perception and understanding by these powers that economic success depended on an unlimited and uninterrupted oil supply has underscored virtually every foreign policy initiative by the West since WWII.
The anger and hatred felt by a growing number of Muslims, Asians and other third world citizens did not arise in a vacuum. It has been building for the last six decades--much longer in our own Southern Hemisphere. The West, with the US spearheading the assault, has focused with laser precision on exploiting and safeguarding any lands around the world that have oil under those lands. Most thinking people by now know that Saddam had nothing whatsoever to do with 9-11. So what the hell do you think we're over there for? For God's sake, it was our own economic hitmen and jackals (CIA) who put him in power there in the first place!
Not content with only taking their oil, the corporations that do the actual work have exemplified the worst elements of unbridled capitalism by despoiling the land and water of those countries while giving almost nothing back to the people who are the rightful recipients.
Over the years, I've seen the concept of "unquestioning patriotism" become preeminent in our nation. Those who we depend on to ask those questions--the national media--have become part of the corporatocracy that conspires to create this world empire we call The United States.
John Perkins spent the first part of his life as an important element in the drive to create this empire. He now intends to spend the rest of his life trying to undo what he helped to create.
In a more-enlightened nation, these two books together would be required reading in every high-school history class. Only by seeing past the sophomoric belief that everything we as a nation do is good and that any criticism is unpatriotic will we also be able to hear beyond the angry slogans shouted at us throughout the world by those who have been victims of this; the American Empire.
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Time to Take the Red Pill....! Apr 2, 2008 (20 of 21 found this helpful)
Funny how all the deniers and thos who rate this author's books as "impossible" or "a fabrication" do so, I am willing to bet, from the comfort of having never left their own zip code. How can it be, if their scred "free market" and the government are forces of "freedom and justice"???
As a fomer officer of the Guatemalan Army, charged at one time with guarding those "advisers" and "experts" recommended by the US Embassy, witnessing the granting of unfathomable amounts of money and visas to the US for ministers and their families, as rewards for granting this or that contract to a selected few companies, I can assure you everything Perkins says is true. For those who ask for ironclad proof, it should be an invitation to get off their behinds and do some research of their own, the facts are out there but that would be too much to ask. There is a saying in Guatemala: No hay peor ciego que el que no quiere ver. "The worst kind of blindness is the one that refuses to see"
I really despair when I see the situation the country and the world are in nowadays and still there are those who claim it's all good. But as far as these books, they are an eye opener to how business is REALLY done outside the golf and country clubs of the US.