The Economic Hitman (EHM) narrates his fate in the world stage as a puppetry of the modern power seeking tool; the company. John Perkin, one of the paid hitman makes a confession regarding the role of American institutions in the world economical, political and social order. EHM are professionals who are hired, trained and paid to serve the interest of American policy via giant companies like MAIN, at a cost indispensably shocking and higher to the third world and developing countries including Ecuador, Panama, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran and many more. These countries go through a folly of exaggerated economic forecast, rigged elections, exploitation of natural resources, murder and sex business staged under the shadow of economic development.
It all starts with the will of the secret agencies, who are the real drivers of the cult institutions that work for the creation of a global empire. Once John Perkins is in their spotlight the recruiters spend no time in gathering his life account to treat him in a way that he becomes their ‘slave’ for life. The book thus gives a vivid illustration of the constraints of individual liberty and the role of powerful factors other than the self in deciding our destiny in life. While Perkins gets an offer for service in MAIN with the hope of getting a luxurious life but, the real face of economics shows up to him where instead of market forces it would be Perkin himself who will decide the sketch of Indonesian economy. Therefore, the first lesson to Perkin and all is that as far as America and its Institutions get their ‘fuel’ to keep their engines running, it is by all means incumbent on any targeted nation to act in the opposite direction of what would keep them sovereign. For example, if communism is working for them, replace them with puppet democracy or autocracy with the masters being the Americans or depicting how certain decisions would boost the economy of a targeted country where as in fact the decisions will deteriorate their economy.
The progress of an employee in general and an economic hitman in particular depends upon the extent of deception promoted by them. With a successful role played in Indonesia, Perkins gets the role of inquisitor, but at the same time Howard Parker who is adamant in putting forward false electricity forecast data gets fired. Instead, in order to distort the truth in the best possible way to serve the companies in their best capacity people like Perkins (EHMs) get promoted and that is what Bruno the vice president of MAIN did. And latter the same business graduate man i.e. Perkins, got the role of the Chief Economist under the role of EHM.
The world empires and government are built and demolished purely based on how much the interest of the companies is served. That is how the Shah of Iran suffered in the 1970s in the hands of Teddy Roosevelt, when he did not agreed to the terms and conditions set with the USA. While the one man in Panama: Torrijos, was stubborn in his determination to help the poor people of his country and even made negotiations with the condition that his people will benefit, these people are the least desired breed of rulers for the companies seeking their own survival on others blood to promote their national interest. So were the people like Fidel and Muammar Gadhafi of Libya. And in the international politics therefore, it is not just what the people of certain country want their leader to be, but who the EHM, the Jackals and the Army of the US want to see.
The game does not just stop at limiting the freedom of EHM and employees, nations around the world and their leaders, but it is just the beginning. With the overestimations and double standard economic forecasts, the ‘target countries’ are made to believe in a very prosperous future. Like after the threats of OPEC in the Middle East, America turned its attention towards Saudi Arabia. With the promise to provide lavish and easy lifestyle to the Saudis, EHM devised a plan that fit to their formula, as Claudine told Perkins in his training: “First, justify huge international loans that would funnel money back to MAIN and other U.S. companies (such as Bechtel, Halliburton, stone Webster, and Brown & Root) through massive engineering and construction projects. Second, work to bankrupt the countries that received those loans so that they would be forever beholden to their creditors, and so they would present easy targets when needed favors, including military bases, UN votes, or access to oil and other natural resources.” This happened with Saudi Arabia when EHM planned for their modernized city based on their psyche, and it required electricity and other compliment projects, all the contracts taken by the American companies. This gave birth to SAMA (Saudi Arabia Money Laundering Affair) while all the money went into the American companies; in return they got oil on cheaper price for the next 100 years and broke the OPEC.
The world terrorism and war against terrorism saga also relates to the same theory of business companies and their service in return of their fair share. With entry into Iraq, USA marked a success for access to oil, at the same time it served the ammunition industry to prosper. Similar was the case with the event of 9/11 and the entry into Afghanistan solely for obtaining natural resources like Lithium. On the contrary Osama Bin Laden and his family has been a long ally of the Bush family and had been their business partner. Be it in the name of good or bad motive the underling rule is basic, let American Institutions serve America to remain an economic giant and expand to a global empire.
On the contrary the book gives hope for recovering from the folly and trap set by the giant economies. After all people constitute these mega institutions and their projects. While the planners are less in number but the sufferers are millions; like the destitute people in Ecuador, the helpless in the suburbs of Indonesia or the terrified and tortured people in Iran. As it is said that where there is a will there is a way, out of the thousands of EHM few like Perkins could help in informing the masses of the real game and their responsibility. While Perkins was on his way to prosper but his meeting with Graham Greene during the Panama Canal negotiations and his meeting with the unanimous person in Iran and his motivation gave courage to surrender to non but himself.
In short, the world has become a globalized village with the expansion of giant companies, but limited has become peoples’ individuality. While, states run on the merci of the large corporations, but corporations have based their growth on the blood of common people. Strong nations like America in the process of securing their future misuse the companies and professionals to capture the earth’s natural resources and do so by attempting to be a global empire based on false foundation and on the cost of the social, economical and political affairs of developing countries. But, few people like Perkins and mass consciousness around the globe is badly required to force the companies play their real role and stop destabilizing the global environment.
