Confessions of an Economic Hitman

John Perkins, author of "Confessions of an Economic Hitman" is here interviewed by Amy Goodman on Democracy Now. Perkins claims he worked, indirectly, for the NSA as an economic consultant for a private firm which analyzed the potential returns to projects which would be funded by, say, the world bank. He says that the projected benefits were always unrealistically high, by design. In that way, more dollars could be loaned to developing countries, monies which would fund projects built by US companies. When the benefits did not materialize, the "economic hitmen" would move in and point out that monies were owed, and that in compensation for this, services would need to be privatized, tariffs erased, financial systems opened to foreigners and social benefits and unions cut. Access would have to be provided to desired resources, and through these means, the US has built the largest empire in history largely without military intervention, using economic dominance and enslavement instead. If a nation's leader would not go along with this program, he would, not uncommonly, be "eliminated" by folks Perkins calls "the jackals". Have a listen.

Perkins Interview