The Secret History of the American Empire: Economic Hit Men, Jackals, and the Truth about Global Corruption

Front Cover
Penguin, 2007 - Biography & Autobiography - 365 pages
A riveting expos? of international corruption?and what we can do about it, from the author of "Confessions of an Economic Hit Man," which spent over a year on the "New York Times" bestseller list.

In his stunning memoir, "Confessions of an Economic Hit Man," John Perkins detailed his former role as an ?economic hit man? in the international corporate skullduggery of a de facto American Empire. This riveting, behind-the-scenes expos? unfolded like a cinematic blockbuster told through the eyes of a man who once helped shape that empire. Now, in "The Secret History of the American Empire," Perkins zeroes in on hot spots around the world and, drawing on interviews with other hit men, jackals, reporters, and activists, examines the current geopolitical crisis. Instability is the norm: It's clear that the world we?ve created is dangerous and no longer sustainable. How did we get here? Who's responsible? What good have we done and at what cost? And what can we do to change things for the next generations? Addressing these questions and more, Perkins reveals the secret history behind the events that have created the American Empire, including:
? The current Latin-American revolution and its lessons for democracy
? How the ?defeats? in Vietnam and Iraq benefited big business
? The role of Israel as ?Fortress America? in the Middle East
? Tragic repercussions of the IMF's ?Asian Economic Collapse?
? U.S. blunders in Tibet, Congo, Lebanon, and Venezuela
? Jackal (CIA operatives) forays to assassinate democratic presidents
From the U.S. military in Iraq to infrastructure development in Indonesia, from Peace Corps volunteers in Africa to jackals in Venezuela, Perkins exposes a conspiracy of corruption that has fueled instability and anti-Americanism around the globe. Alarming yet hopeful, this book provides a compassionate plan to reimagine our world.

 

Contents

I
1
II
11
III
13
IV
19
V
25
VI
30
VII
35
VIII
39
XXXVII
183
XXXVIII
189
XXXIX
194
XL
199
XLI
205
XLII
209
XLIII
214
XLIV
217

IX
45
X
50
XI
54
XII
59
XIII
62
XIV
66
XV
71
XVI
75
XVII
81
XVIII
83
XIX
87
XX
94
XXI
99
XXII
104
XXIII
110
XXIV
114
XXV
120
XXVI
128
XXVII
134
XXVIII
138
XXIX
141
XXX
146
XXXI
157
XXXII
163
XXXIII
165
XXXIV
169
XXXV
173
XXXVI
178
XLV
221
XLVI
223
XLVII
227
XLVIII
230
XLIX
235
L
239
LI
243
LII
246
LIII
249
LIV
253
LV
256
LVI
260
LVII
266
LVIII
269
LIX
271
LX
275
LXI
279
LXII
284
LXIII
288
LXIV
292
LXV
298
LXVI
302
LXVII
306
LXVIII
310
LXIX
312
LXX
317
LXXI
322
Copyright

Other editions - View all

Common terms and phrases

About the author (2007)

John Perkins was born on January 28, 1945 in Hanover, New Hampshire. He attended Brown University, and Boston University School of Management during the 1960s. His best-known book is Confessions of an Economic Hit Man (2004), an insider's account of the exploitation or neo-colonization of Third World countries by what Perkins describes as a cabal of corporations, banks, and the United States government. His 2007 book, The Secret History of the American Empire, provides more evidence of the negative impact of global corporations on the economies and ecologies of poor countries, as well as offering suggestions for making corporations behave more like good citizens. Since the late 1980's he has been heavily involved with non-profit organizations in Ecuador and around the world.