I’ve recently finished reading The Secret History of the American Empire: Economic Hit Men, Jackals, and the truth about global corruption by John Perkins.  Besides having an absurdly long title (honestly, that’s what the description on the jacket cover is for), this is also Perkins’ follow-up to the incredibly popular Confessions of an Economic Hit Man.

Spoiler Alert: I may or may not say something that may or may not give away the salient points of this book, thus possibly ruining any surprise for yourself if you have not had the pleasure of perusing this particular book.  Also, I will make several references to his other book, Confessions, which may ruin that reading experience for you.  You’ve been warned.

Before I delve into the very interesting and shocking stories of this book I must vent about what I did not like about this book, the style and tone of his writing.

For those of  you who don’t know what this book is about let me explain.  In Confessionshe details his life as an Economic Hit Man (EHM) and his work for MAIN, an international consulting agency.  Mr. Perkins, and others like him at companies such as Bechtel and Haliburton, would go into third world countries that were rich in natural resources (oil, minerals, lumber, etc.) and would make economic predictions based on what would happen if massive improvements were made to that countries infrastructure such as new airports, power plants, roads, ports, etc. 

These economic forecasts would be inflated to give the best possible numbers (25% whereas most countries can only expect 8% at best).  And with those numbers they could then offer huge loans from USAID or The World Bank or the International Monetary Fund.  The “prediction” would be that countries would be able to pay of those huge loans because of the awesome boost to their economies they could expect.

Other forms of coaxing are used to convince government leaders to except these loans, which come with a whole set of caveats like having to award the building contracts to American companies and giving American companies special permits and tax breaks to come in and exploit the natural resources.

Inevitably, the countries are unable to pay the huge loans and are forced to acquiesce to certain demands made by the “corporatacracy” such as unfair trade agreements, military support, or votes in the UN. 

Leaders accept these deals because although their countries are being ravaged by outside forces and their people are becoming poorer and more destitute, the leaders themselves become richer and invest their growing wealth in American funds to protect themselves from the collapse of their own country.

And for two decades Mr. Perkins was an active and well-paid instigator of all of this.

Most of the problem I have with the writing tone stems from Confessions, but it continues into American Empire.  In one sentence he’ll talk about how he was directly responsible for the economic devastation that now engulfs a country.  Then, in the next sentence he’ll whine about how they used an NSA profile of him to manipulate him into doing these things.  He never really owns his actions but we’re supposed to feel bad for him because of the guilt that continues to plague him. 

And he reminds the reader of this over and over again.  We get it, you were there, you did bad things that you feel guilty about, get over yourself.

Through the course of reading both books he mentions at least two houses that I can recal (Florida and Massachusetts in the Berkshire Mountains) and there may have been a third one in the Cape Cod area.  Let’s assume he has two homes.

That’s two more than I have and considering he’s already lived a life of corporate jets, fat expense accounts, and six figure salaries I find it hypocritical that he now spouts off about the evils of rampant consumerism and the devastating effects it is having across the globe.

Not that I disagree.  I agree completely.  But if you’re going to rally people to a cause that fights big business don’t mention the fact that you own two homes and for 20 years were paid enormous amounts of money to corrupt politicians while sailing around in your own private yacht and criss-crossing the world in a private jet. 

And especially don’t whine about how guilty you feel because you obviously don’t feel guilty enough to give up some of the luxuries you’ve been enjoying for the vast majority of your life.

Okay, I’m done.  What a rant.  Next time, what I liked about the book because I actually did like it a lot.

~kbshea