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Breaking the Boundaries in Government Corruption |
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Written by By Morgan Kriz
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Tuesday, 15 July 2008 |
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Breaking Boundaries is an on-going series that highlights exceptional individuals from around the globe. Their inspirational stories show what it takes to change the world. The next event in the series will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday, July 22 in the Prim Library at the Sierra Nevada College, 999 Tahoe Blvd., Incline Village, Nev.
The theme of the event is Breaking the Boundaries in Government Corruption and the featured speaker is John Perkins, best-selling author of “Confessions of an Economic Hit Man.” He will speak about the secret history of the American empire, what’s next and how to change it. Event will also include a raffle and cash bar.
Tickets are $10 in advance, $15 at the door and $10 for students/faculty.
Call (775) 832-5032 to reserve tickets. In addition, there will be a private book signing and cocktail party before the Sierra Nevada College presentation at a local lakeside residence. The cocktail party will begin at 4 p.m. Tickets are $125 per person and include entrance to the SNC presentation.
READ Global
Breaking Boundaries is sponsored by READ Global, an award-winning, local nonprofit that is breaking the barriers to global literacy and sustainable community development by pairing non-profit libraries with for-profit businesses. All proceeds from the event go towards supporting the organization’s mission.
 About the John Perkins, author of “Economic Hit Man”
“Economic Hit Men,” John Perkins writes, “are highly paid professionals who cheat countries around the globe out of trillions of dollars.”
He should know — as an economic hit man for an international consulting firm, John convinced developing countries to accept enormous loans and to funnel that money to US corporations. The American government and international aid agencies then requested their “pound of flesh” including access to natural resources, military cooperation and political support.
Photo by Daniel Miller
“Confessions of an Economic Hit Man” is the story of one man’s experiences inside the intrigue, greed, corruption and little-known government and corporate activities that America has been involved in since World War II, and which have dire consequences for the future of democracy and the world.
During its first week in publication, “Confessions of an Economic Hit Man” rose to number four on Amazon.com, then it spent more than a year on The New York Times Bestseller list. Rights have been sold to be published in over thirty languages.
According to John Perkins, “It is accomplishing an important objective: inspiring people to think and talk and to know that we can change the world.”
For more on John Perkins, visit www.johnperkins.org or www.johnperkins.org
Author John Perkins will be a featured speaker at local nonprofit READ Global’s fundraising event Breaking Boundaries at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, July 22 at Sierra Nevada College in Incline Village.
Tahoe World: What exactly is an “Economic Hit Man”?
John Perkins: EHMs have created the world's first truly global empire and we've done it primarily without the military.
The most common approach for EHMs is to identify a third world country with resources our corporations covet, like oil, then arrange a huge loan to that country from the World Bank or a sister organization. But the money does not go to the country. Rather it goes to US corporations to build power plants, industrial parks, and other infrastructure projects in that country. These benefit a few wealthy local families, as well as the US corporations, but do not help the majority of the people who are too poor to use electricity, not skilled enough to work in industrial parks, and basically live outside the economic system. The country ends up owing a huge debt that it can not repay. So we EHM go back to the country and say “since you can’t pay your debts, give us a pound of flesh: sell your oil real cheap to our oil companies, or vote with us on the next UN vote, or send troops to support ours in Iraq.”
On the few occasions when we fail, the jackals are sent in to overthrow the government or assassinate the leaders we EHM were unable to corrupt. This happened with me in Panama and Omar Torrijos was assassinated as a result. If the jackals fail too, then the US military goes in — like in Iraq.
TW: Can you give me a brief overview of your experience as an “Economic Hit Man”?
JP: I was recruited by the National Security Agency, then eventually ended up working as Chief Economist for a private consulting firm where I was trained as an EHM. Today EHMs and jackals usually work for private companies, not directly for the NSA or CIA.
TW: How did this impact developing countries?
JP: General answer to this in 1) above. In addition, once countries are in debt, the IMF offers to re-finance or, in some case, to drop debts, but always only if the country agrees to "conditions" such as to sell its utilities and other resources to foreign companies, to privatize the public sector. The consequences are, in essence, to bring these countries under the umbrella of the empire
TW: Is it still happening?
JP: Yes. Even worse today because, in addition to the process I have already explained, now every major multinational corporation — from Exxon to Nike — has its own version of EHMs. They corrupt government officials specifically in order to gain favors for their corporations.
TW: Tell me a bit about your new book, “Secret History of the American Empire.”
JP: It takes up where "Confessions" left off, bringing readers up to date with recent EHM and jackal actions in Asia, Africa, The Middle East and Latin America. It also devotes an entire section to a plan for all of us to change this very dangerous world situation and to create a sustainable, just, and peaceful future for ourselves and our children. I am optimistic that we can do so democratically and nonviolently and explain how in "Secret History."
TW: Please feel free to add anything else ...
JP: We are at a time in history when everyone on this planet is faced with the same crises — global warming, resource shortages, rising prices. We are also — for the first time ever — highly interdependent. We communicate through the Internet and cell phones with the most remote areas. We recognize that we are a fragile species living on a small planet.
Now is the time for us to come together and devote ourselves to solving these problems in ways that will establish better lives for all of us, on every continent.
Tahoe World: Have you ever been to Lake Tahoe?
What are you most looking forward to?
JP: No, but I am very excited about visiting you. Seeing an area I have heard such wonderful things about and meeting your people. I look forward to hearing your thoughts, concerns, questions, and how you see the future, to sharing ideas with you.
TW: What are you up to now?
JP: Working on the next book and doing a great deal of public speaking — helping people understand what we can, and must, do to create a sustainable, just, and peaceful world. I am also a grandfather and am deeply motivated to spend the rest of my life making a better world for my 9-month old grandson and all his brothers and sisters around the globe.
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 15 July 2008 )
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