The New Confessions of an Economic Hit Man

Publisher's Summary

The New York Times best seller, updated and expanded, featuring 15 explosive new chapters.

The previous edition of this now-classic book revealed the existence and subversive manipulations of "economic hit men". John Perkins wrote that economic hit men (EHM) "are highly paid professionals who cheat countries around the globe out of trillions of dollars. Their tools include fraudulent financial reports, rigged elections, payoffs, extortion, sex, and murder". In Perkins' case, the tool was debt - convincing strategically important countries to borrow huge amounts of money for enormous "development" projects that served the very rich while driving the country deeper into poverty and debt. And once indebted, these countries could be controlled.

In this latest edition, Perkins provides revealing new details about how he and others did their work. But, more importantly, in an explosive new section, he describes how the EHM tools are being used around the world more widely than ever - even in the United States. The cancer has metastasized, yet most people still aren't aware of it.

Fear and debt drive the EHM system. We are hammered with messages that terrify us into believing that we must pay any price, assume any debt, to stop the enemies who, we are told, lurk at our doorsteps. The EHM system - employing false economics, bribes, surveillance, deception, debt, coups, assassinations, and unbridled military power - has become the dominant system of economics, government, and society today. It has created what Perkins calls a "death economy". But Perkins offers hope: He concludes with dozens of specific, concrete suggestions for actions all of us can take to wrest control of our world away from the economic hit men and help give birth to a life economy.

©2004 John Perkins (P)2016 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Don't buy the first "confessions. .." buy this one

A lot of repeat information for about the first half with some, not much more detail or clarity of the first book. So I wouldn't waste the money buying the first rendering. The remaining 15 or so chapters are packed full of new and some repeat information for clarity purposes because there is a lot going on.
Now about the content, it had and has me pissed off knowing all the misinformation that has been pushed to the general public while the greedy bastards are still continuing to conquer, destroy, kill, manipulate, ..... and no one is held accountable. The outsiders pay dearly on a continuous basis without the slightest smidgen of guilt or compassion. Pure evil is the best way to describe it.

64 of 68 people found this review helpful

Good start, pathetic last half

After enjoying the first half of the book I was thoroughly disappointed with the rest. If I wanted to hear about shamanic healing and tree hugging I'd have bought a different book. The author thinks he's James Bond but comes across as more of a Walter Mitty.

11 of 12 people found this review helpful

Difficult to decipher fact from fiction

I purchased this book thinking I would learn some useful information about global economics, but instead what I got was a hard to believe story littered with left wing propaganda.

I'm sure there is truth to some of the stories outlined in this book but it difficult to decipher the truth from the padded stories that lack any real facts or research. The author tells his story with a very biased and anti-capitalist theme. I really tried to give this book a chance but I just couldn't get past the left wing agenda and constant jabs against capitalism and the Republican Party. The last straw was when the author quoted an article from Vanity Fair as fact. This is the first audible book I just could not finish.

The authors points would have been much more valid had he left out his biased views and left wing agenda. The only good part about this audio book was the narration.

It really is a shame. If you have a basic understanding of global economics then some of the authors points make great sense. This book could have been so much better if the author just stuck to the facts and presenting the story without trying to push his agenda on to the reader.

I will be returning this one to audible and getting another book that's less politically driven.

15 of 17 people found this review helpful

Vivid accounts of historic hidden truth, it's a...

Sad Necessary Awakening to the Real State of the Union. This updated edition brings us right up to 2015 atrocities and sources of hope and action.

9 of 10 people found this review helpful

Time to Open our Eyes - and Say Enough!

After listening to The Creature from Jekyll Island and others, The New Confessions of an Economic Hit Man really is a eye opener and it fills in the gaps. This book is a must listen if you really want to understand what is going on in the global economy. If your concerned for the environment and why the World Bank says they want to eradicate global poverty but in fact are the agents who support global corporations to rape the 3rd world, then your ready to swallow the red pill and buy this book.

16 of 19 people found this review helpful

Read, read, read!!

This book is a must read, especially for any American who may be struggling to understand the world we live in today and what role the US plays in it.

24 of 29 people found this review helpful

More like Liberal Hit Piece

A friend recommended this book to me and, although I know his political positions, he revealed a limited premise that really got me excited. What I found, however, was chapter after chapter of a mea culpa by a man who, while self-admittedly escaping his puritanical upbringing, claims to have known he was doing wrong, but did it anyway.

The story is actually fascinating, but rings hollow as not once during the book does he give any detail of being an economic hit man. In fact the book reads more like a loosely, tied-together, string of Wikipedia entries wherein he inserts himself into that history and then blames Capitalism for every death around the world that could plausibly be related to a western company's market entrance.

All that being said, there's plenty in this book that I do believe and admire Mr. Perkins for writing a generalized book of a highly slanted perspective of 'Corporatocracy'. At the end of the day, much of this stuff can't be denied, regardless of personal political persuasion. For me, it's really not so much the problems (although hyperbole doesn't help anyone) I disagree with, it's the solutions proposed (e.g., government sponsored via tax-payer dollars) which only continues the cycle of fraud and filling the coffers of other companies.

If only Mr. Perkins left out the political partisanship (although in two instances he does mention Democrat party officials as facilitators and benefactors of said Corporatocracy), provided some details of how his economic forecasts actually forced governments to accept these loans, some context to his accusations via similar countries that didn't accept the economic incentives and their parallel growth, and didn't just throw crap up to see what sticks (i.e., one of his last chapters he just starts citing random articles that he thinks may corroborate his work, but also says he didn't do any vetting of the articles themselves), I might have been more swayed to what he was peddling.

Apparently as an Economic Hit Man, Mr. Perkins was superb since he managed to stay and grow in that field, but I seriously doubt his claims of "recruitment by the NSA" led to anything more than a peripheral interest in him due to his association with the son of a foreign dignitary. Also, his writing and conclusions aren't the work of any seasoned intelligence officer as they are laced with conjecture, hyperbole, speculation, and partiality.

The narrator was superb and I was able to listen at 3x speed without any problem; audio was clear and crisp.

53 of 67 people found this review helpful

Confirmations of Fear

This book confirms much of what you fear goes on among massive multinational corporations and our governments. Much of the "aid" we send other countries through various financial mechanisms is a veiled attempt at strangling them with debt and dependences as those countries develop. Perkins does a great job sharing the behind the scenes activity and the reasons for it, painting a complete picture of the things we suspected were happening. Perhaps the only negative about this book is that some of the later chapters get washed out with generic suggestions to prevent this in the future albeit a very positive message. When even our political system is used against us, keeping us fighting unimportant battles with each other, it is hard to accept a simple message of buying goods from good companies and acting in good conscience after the level of moral disregard and wanton malevolence is made clear.

9 of 11 people found this review helpful

the crazy untold story of international relations

this is a compelling story, or collection of stories that will have you questioning everything you hear in the news.

5 of 6 people found this review helpful

Must read/listen for everyone.

Empires come and go. Unfortunately during their rise and demise; you, your family, your community incur debt and loss of liberty. This current day fact based book uncovers not only corporate sponsored slavery bigotry and genocide but most importantly what you can do to change it.

10 of 13 people found this review helpful

TERRIFYING!!!

As far as writing goes, it's pretty good. But, and I don't mean it as a negative review, the content is pretty depressing and demoralizing. Especially tha latter parts. It's just the realization and the scope of all the financial wrongdoing on a world scale kinda make me feel powerless. The second to lost part, when he lists all the schemes that have been exposed is deeply depressing. But in all fairness it must be told, it must be acted upon and it must be taken seriously be the society. It is strange that books such as that one, The Panama Papers and so on are recieved with perhaps some outrage by the populace, but not nearly as much as the Harvey Wainstein case (not to make it sound unimportant). It's just on a different scale, as far as the number of people that are affected negatively, yet we as a world society fail to react accodingly to it. It is a horrible trend and one may wonder whether in 40-50 years the big companies will even bother to conceal their activities...

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

More of the same

What did you like most about The New Confessions of an Economic Hit Man?

If, like I did, you expected this book to be a sequel to the first gripping tale, you will be, as I was, somewhat disappointed. It is for the most-part,the retelling of the same story, albeit with a few extra bits added. The last section of the book does indeed add fresh information which is interesting. It just felt like so much of the book was superfluous, if you had already read the original.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Angry, as I was the first time I read the book.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Made me angry, and wanting to change the system.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Riveting!

This book shines a light on the dark dealings of the corporatocracy over the past 4 decades.... absolutely riveting!

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Revealing and terrifying

What an incredible book!

The American empire is alive and well and continuing to expand and it would seem we are all pawns in a much bigger game.

This book makes me feel like dropping off the grid and living a much simpler life. It has made me re-evaluate my priorities for career and life in general. A must read.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Excellent

Informative and historical on the US empire expansion but presented in a story format. Enjoyed immensely.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Great insight into what is really going on...

Fascinating book for those keen to know what Governments get up to in our name. It took guts for John Perkins to write this book because the Jackals could easily have taken him out (and he knew that). I'd strongly recommend this book.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

one for the conspiracy theorists

Not particularly credible. Purports to be fact but clearly the this person has an overactive imagination

Good book

Americans do the things after few years they apologize for the same. Easy way to escape.

but I also appreciate the author for the braveness and guts. Writing a book which changes the views and thinking of world economics and politics requires a lot of effort. I also thank the author for such a well written book.

Mind blowingly good

Most people intuitively know the system is rigged. But John helped rig it and was part of the problem and is now part of the solution. Like Tower of Basil and Treasure Islands this book strips back and blows away all your pre conceptions about business. The system is rigged and like a casino the “masses” play against the house every day. Some win, some lose, but most lose. Thankfully John gives solutions to being part of the solution not the problem. Definitely worth reading/listening to!

Great beginning but ends poorly.

It starts off very well, with no reason to doubt the events, even if it labels them strangely. The last third, written 10 years after the first, is a notable break with a descent into self-aggrandising conspiracy theories.