_____

If you had a hard time relating to Michelle Obama’s modesty with regard to American accomplishments, this book may surprise you.

In this tome, you get a crystal-clear peek at how rapaciously U.S. corporations have exploited and abused peoples and resources on every continent of the planet — except Antarctica and Europe.

Here’s a story told to Perkins by someone claiming to be “jackal” (a CIA-sponsored mercenary) named “Brett”:

“I walked into El Presidente’s office two days after he was elected and congratulated him.

“He sat behind that big desk grinning at me like the Cheshire Cat.

“I stuck my left hand into my jacket pocket and said, ‘Mr. President, in here I got a couple hundred million dollars for you and your family, if you play the game — you know, be kind to my friends who run the oil companies, treat your Uncle Sam good.’ Then I stepped closer, reached my right hand into the other pocket, bent down next to his face, and whispered,’ In here I got a gun and a bullet with your name on it — in case you decide to keep your campaign promises.’

“I stepped back, sat down, and recited a little list for him, of presidents who were assassinated or overthrown because they defied their Uncle Sam: from Diem to Torrijos — you know the routine.

“He got the message.”(P. 146)

The sad truth is that Perkins’ picture of U.S. history is a little too rosy.

“The United States exemplified democracy and justice for about two hundred years,” he writes on P. 105.

Except for those of us who were black, Native American, female, Mexican American, Asian or poor.

Perkins’ claim to fame is his 2004 book, “Confessions of an Economic Hit Man,” in which he describes how in his previous career he helped U.S. companies and the World Bank concoct studies supporting the need for Third World countries to obtain big loans.

“We channeled funds from the Bank and its sister organizations into schemes that appeared to serve the poor while primarily benefiting a few wealthy people,” he writes in “The Secret History.”

“Under the most common of these, we would identify a developing country that possessed resources our corporations coveted (such as oil), arrange a huge loan for that country, then direct most of the money to our own engineering and construction companies — and a few collaborators in the developing country. Infrastructure projects, such as power plants, airports and industrial parks, sprang up; however, they seldom helped the poor, who were not connected to electrical grids, never used airports, and lacked the skills required for employment in industrial parks. At some point we EHMs returned to the indebted country and demanded our pound of flesh: cheap oil, votes on critical United Nations issues, or troops to support ours someplace in the world, like Iraq.” (P. 2-3)

This process helped build what he considers the United States to be today, an empire. He offers the following six characteristics of an empire:

1. It exploits resources from lands it dominates.

2. It consumes a disproportionately large share of resources from dominated lands.

3. It maintains a large military and uses it when subtler steps fail.

4. It spreads its language and culture throughout its sphere of influence.

5. It taxes citizens of other countries.

6. It imposes its own currency on the lands it controls.

Of course, most of us associate the word “empire” with “emperor.” And if the United States has an emperor today, he or she would be hard to identify.

But empires have existed in the past without an Augustus Caesar or a Napoleon. There was the Holy Roman Empire and the British Empire, for example.

In America’s case, Perkins says it’s the “corporatocracy” that holds the world in its iron grip. He defines this as the people who run the businesses, governments and the media.

Perkins paints a grim, depressing picture of the world, but he also offers hope, for example, in the victories of indigenous peoples fighting U.S. imperialism in Latin America.

He mentions that in his public speaking, among the most common questions he gets is, “What can I, as an individual, do?”

“I tell my audiences, ‘If you want me to map out a course of action for you, then you’re asking me to do as the corporatocracy does. You don’t want that. You have your own passions and talents, different from mine. There are, of course, certain steps we can take. These are simple things that we all know about. Doing as many of them as possible will help you feel good and will also head us toward a survivable future.’”

His examples include:

“When tempted to engage in ‘retail therapy’ instead jog, meditate, read, or find some other solution.

“Shop consciously if there is something you must have; purchase items whose packaging, ingredients, and methods of production are sustainable and support life.

“Protest against ‘free’ trade agreements and sweatshops.

“Write letters telling Monsanto, de Beers, ExxonMobil, Adidas, Ford, GE, Coca-Cola, Wal-Mart and other labor exploiters and environment destroyers why you refuse to purchase from them.

“Write letters praising Home Depot, Kinko’s, Citicorp,m Starbucks, Whole Foods, and other companies that cooperate with (the Rainforest Action Network), Amnesty International and other (non-governmental organizations). …

“Downsize your car, home, wardrobe, everything in your life.

“Send money to nonprofits, radio stations and other organizations that promote just causes.

“Volunteer your time and energy to such organizations.

“Support local merchants. …

“Drink tap water. …

“Vote for enlightened school boards, commissions, ordinances , and politicians.

“Run for office.”

So, which of those are you going to do?”The Secret History of the American Empire: The Truth About Economic Hit Men, Jackals, and How to Change the World,” by John Perkins

(2007, Penguin Group, 365 pages)

.

If you had a hard time relating to Michelle Obama’s modesty with regard to American accomplishments, this book may surprise you.

In this tome, you get a crystal-clear peek at how rapaciously U.S. corporations have exploited and abused peoples and resources on every continent of the planet — except Antarctica and Europe.

Here’s a story told to Perkins by someone claiming to be “jackal” (a CIA-sponsored mercenary) named “Brett”:

“I walked into El Presidente’s office two days after he was elected and congratulated him.

“He sat behind that big desk grinning at me like the Cheshire Cat.

“I stuck my left hand into my jacket pocket and said, ‘Mr. President, in here I got a couple hundred million dollars for you and your family, if you play the game — you know, be kind to my friends who run the oil companies, treat your Uncle Sam good.’ Then I stepped closer, reached my right hand into the other pocket, bent down next to his face, and whispered,’ In here I got a gun and a bullet with your name on it — in case you decide to keep your campaign promises.’

“I stepped back, sat down, and recited a little list for him, of presidents who were assassinated or overthrown because they defied their Uncle Sam: from Diem to Torrijos — you know the routine.

“He got the message.”(P. 146)

The sad truth is that Perkins’ picture of U.S. history is a little too rosy.

“The United States exemplified democracy and justice for about two hundred years,” he writes on P. 105.

Except for those of us who were black, Native American, female, Mexican American, Asian or poor.

Perkins’ claim to fame is his 2004 book, “Confessions of an Economic Hit Man,” in which he describes how in his previous career he helped U.S. companies and the World Bank concoct studies supporting the need for Third World countries to obtain big loans.

“We channeled funds from the Bank and its sister organizations into schemes that appeared to serve the poor while primarily benefiting a few wealthy people,” he writes in “The Secret History.”

“Under the most common of these, we would identify a developing country that possessed resources our corporations coveted (such as oil), arrange a huge loan for that country, then direct most of the money to our own engineering and construction companies — and a few collaborators in the developing country. Infrastructure projects, such as power plants, airports and industrial parks, sprang up; however, they seldom helped the poor, who were not connected to electrical grids, never used airports, and lacked the skills required for employment in industrial parks. At some point we EHMs returned to the indebted country and demanded our pound of flesh: cheap oil, votes on critical United Nations issues, or troops to support ours someplace in the world, like Iraq.” (P. 2-3)

This process helped build what he considers the United States to be today, an empire. He offers the following six characteristics of an empire:

1. It exploits resources from lands it dominates.

2. It consumes a disproportionately large share of resources from dominated lands.

3. It maintains a large military and uses it when subtler steps fail.

4. It spreads its language and culture throughout its sphere of influence.

5. It taxes citizens of other countries.

6. It imposes its own currency on the lands it controls.

Of course, most of us associate the word “empire” with “emperor.” And if the United States has an emperor today, he or she would be hard to identify.

But empires have existed in the past without an Augustus Caesar or a Napoleon. There was the Holy Roman Empire and the British Empire, for example.

In America’s case, Perkins says it’s the “corporatocracy” that holds the world in its iron grip. He defines this as the people who run the businesses, governments and the media.

Perkins paints a grim, depressing picture of the world, but he also offers hope, for example, in the victories of indigenous peoples fighting U.S. imperialism in Latin America.

He mentions that in his public speaking, among the most common questions he gets is, “What can I, as an individual, do?”

“I tell my audiences, ‘If you want me to map out a course of action for you, then you’re asking me to do as the corporatocracy does. You don’t want that. You have your own passions and talents, different from mine. There are, of course, certain steps we can take. These are simple things that we all know about. Doing as many of them as possible will help you feel good and will also head us toward a survivable future.’”

His examples include:

– “When tempted to engage in ‘retail therapy’ instead jog, meditate, read, or find some other solution.

– “Shop consciously if there is something you must have; purchase items whose packaging, ingredients, and methods of production are sustainable and support life.

– “Protest against ‘free’ trade agreements and sweatshops.

– “Write letters telling Monsanto, de Beers, ExxonMobil, Adidas, Ford, GE, Coca-Cola, Wal-Mart and other labor exploiters and environment destroyers why you refuse to purchase from them.

– “Write letters praising Home Depot, Kinko’s, Citicorp,m Starbucks, Whole Foods, and other companies that cooperate with (the Rainforest Action Network), Amnesty International and other (non-governmental organizations). …

– “Downsize your car, home, wardrobe, everything in your life.

– “Send money to nonprofits, radio stations and other organizations that promote just causes.

– “Volunteer your time and energy to such organizations.

– “Support local merchants. …

– “Drink tap water. …

– “Vote for enlightened school boards, commissions, ordinances , and politicians.

– “Run for office.”

So, which of those are you going to do?