Confessions of an Economic Hitman

Recently, and especially since the 1990s, a popular conception of the world is that the age of empires and superpowers is waning, rapidly being replaced by a kind of global community made up of interdependent states and deeply connected through economics and technology. In this view, the United States' role following the Cold War is one of almost benign preeminence, in which it seeks to spread liberal democracy through economic globalization, and, failing that, military intervention. Even then, however, this military intervention is framed as part of a globalizing process, rather than any kind of unilateral imperialist endeavor. However, examining the history of the United States since nearly its inception all the way up to today reveals that nothing could be farther from the truth. The United States is an empire in the truest sense of the word, expanding its control through military force with seemingly no end other than its own enrichment. The United States' misadventure in Iraq puts the lie to the notion that US economic and military action is geared towards any kind of global progression towards liberal democracy, and forces one to re-imagine the United States' role in contemporary global affairs by recognizing the way in which it has attempted to secure its own hegemony by crippling any potential threats.

As the saying goes, money makes the world go ‘round. Imperialism, the act of one country dominating another country’s power, is a prime example of money’s powerful impact on a country’s decision making, which often times has a global effect. European countries often imperialized African and Asian countries from the 1890’s to the 1910’s. From this, led to an outburst of countries wanting to imperialize other countries, especially industrialized countries looking to take advantage of non-industrialized countries. The potential economic profit available in non-industrialized countries motivated imperialists to take advantage of these countries’ resources.

At the turn of the 20th century, the forces of “new imperialism” motivated European empires to seek territorial acquisition abroad in the hopes of building their empire by obtaining political, economic, and social advantages over their fellow adversaries. This essay will show that the increasing imperial interests of the Great Powers inevitably united the colonized

The 20th century brought with it a plethora of technological advancements that acted as a catalyst for an important and lasting shift in the United State’s perception of its role in the world. Technological advancement in travel and communication changed the American people’s views of the world, therefore changing the direction of American foreign policy. This shift in foreign policy would eventually lead the United States into the grips of two horrific wars on the European continent. However, these wars would provide the necessary environment for the country to establish itself as the leader of the international system – a title it would desperately need tin order to attempt to create a new, less conflict-ridden global order. Though World War I set the stage for the United States to assume a global leadership role, which then set the stage for a second world war, it is not to say that the United States ever wanted anything to do with a European war in the first place. I argue that the U. S. failures to prevent World War I and World War II was due to a series of actions and events beginning at the turn of the century (a domino effect) that made it impossible to avoid joining either war once they began.

John Perkin is an American Author. He lived as an economic hit man ,as the CEO of an energy company, as a teacher, an activist and as a writer. He has written his autobiography, “THE CONFESSION OF AN ECONOMIC HITMAN” which became an international best seller. The confession of an economic hit man is John Perkin’s autobiography which disclose his career as an economist for an international consulting firm.

Mitchell brings to attention the two actors the principle and the agent. In the relationship between principals and agents the principal can never be certain of complete control if behavior from other bureaucracies provide a guide to the private interest of agents and their ability to hide their interests and actions from the principal contribute substantially and systematically to the human toll of the bureaucracies of repression. For some of the agents the violence may simply be a task to perform in order to achieve the leader’s goals, for others violence may be a raw end not a means. Agents can seize opportunities provided by their offices and uniforms to supply personal gratification from violence.

The struggle for economic power has modified the world. During the 1600s through the 1800s, the struggle for economic power globally has created many problems Socially, politically, the interactions, culturally, and economically. Throughout the centuries, countries have fought each other over power, leverage, wealth and influence. Imperialism is one of the results due to the struggle for economic power. This essay will inform about the effects of Imperialism and the struggle for economic power.

The United States of America was extremely successful in trailblazing a new path for the growth and development of their own country, and set out to increase their power by attempting to colonize other countries and becoming allies with other foreign countries. To achieve such allies, the US would often overthrow existing governments to place a more “suitable” candidate who essentially acted as a puppet for the US. Although America’s influence in a few communities was praised as beneficial, it generally wreaked havoc in others, resulting in the destruction of previously capable governments, instability, and the creation of terrorist organizations.

The Slave Trade gave power to many and found support from influential people, leaving those who did oppose the immorality of the operations terrified of the repercussions of speaking out against it. Lives were shaped by the slave trade; countless groups of people were growing prosperous and powerful (14). “At the top [there was] a small, high, and mighty Atlantic ruling class of merchants, planters, and political leaders, who, in ruffles and finery, sat in the American Continental Congress and British Parliament” (14). Likewise, selling, transporting, and using of slaves had become lucrative operations and were heavily protected by this ruling class. One such example is found when a pirate by the name of Bartholomew Roberts terrorized slave

And cajole me” (Belfort 174). His deep involvement in the debauchery is something that is inherently harmful, yet it serves as an inspiration to those financially below him. This sort of accepted crude behavior can be seen throughout American history. In the extreme case where slavery was condemned due to its profitability. Through the incorporation of this work into the American literary canon, individuals would be able to grasp how easy it is to become warped by the misconstrued ideals that surround capitalism.

There are two critical issues in any discussion of America's modern grand strategy: can America remain the dominant state? Should it strive to do this? In answering the latter, the former must be addressed. There is little use in arguing for deep engagement if America’s international position has declined to the point that it is unmaintainable in the long term. It is a question of whether American primacy, the military, economic, and technological domination of the United States over the rest of the world, still exists and if so whether it is sustainable . Why use such a broad approach in measuring, what the Chinese refer to as “comprehensive national power?” A combined approach is critical as no standard of power is independent, no single

For we are opposed around the world by a monolithic and ruthless conspiracy that relies primarily on covert means for expanding its sphere of influence: on infiltration instead of invasion, on subversion instead of elections, on intimidation instead of free choice, on guerrillas by night instead of armies by day. It is a system which has conscripted vast human and material resources into the building of a tightly-knit, highly efficient machine that combines military, diplomatic, intelligence, economic, scientific and political operations. Its preparations are concealed, not published. Its mistakes are buried, not headlined. Its dissenters are silenced, not

Throughout the first twelve chapters of the book, Confessions of an economic hitman, by John Perkins, the author explains what an economic hitman, referred to as an EHM, is, and what being in this role taught him. According to the author, EHMs had the job of  “ forecast[ing] the effects of investing billions of dollars in a country”(18); the data produced by the EHMs would then be used “to create large profits for the contractors, and to make a handful of wealthy and influential families in the receiving countries very happy, while assuring the long-term financial dependence and therefore the political loyalty of governments around the world”(18). When the author describes Claudine, the person who taught him what the role of an economic hitman

In this reading, Carolyn Nordstrom is juggling through a process of exploration about ethnographic and theoretical aspects of `shadows'/illegitimate/illegal. The interconnecting of vast transnational networks of goods, services, people and exchanges that flow outside formal and legal state channels and manipulate international laws for selfish interests of influential group. These networks involve millions of people and more than a trillion dollars yearly worldwide, and my research demonstrates these are more formalized, integrated and rule-bound than traditional studies have suggested. Thus, `shadow' networks broker political, economic and social power that can rival many of the world's states, and they are profoundly implicated in world markets. This article explores core characteristics and cultures defining extant extra-state systems, and the power and potentialities for social sovereignty they wield. Investigation into shadow realities prompts a reassessment of the basic theoretical ideas concerning the nexus of legality/illegality, state/non-state and formal/non-formal power relations defining the world today.

“Confessions of an Economic Hitman” by John Perkins, tells a story about his experience as an economic hitman at MAIN, with the goal to mislead and manipulate less developed countries and persuade them to give lucrative government contracts to foreign corporations. Leaving countries with massive debt to which the United States government uses as a means to exploit their resources and labor.