RPCV Of A Lesser God

Back in 2004 John Perkins (Ecuador 1968-71) published Confessions of an Economic Hit Man.It  became something of a best seller, this story of his life and the conspiracies he was part of around the world after his Peace Corps years. Now John is back with a new book, Hoodwinked. It is out today. 

The book  John says is “by far the most important book I have written.” This is his fourth book. 

Here is what John has Hoodwinked is all about: It provides the facts – and many personal stories from economic hit men, jackals, business execs, politicians, and educators – behind the following Eight Key points:

1. The US – in fact the world – has been stolen by the very wealthy and powerful, the corporatocracy.

2. This has created a failed system – unsustainable, unjust, unstable, dangerous.

3. The cause is a mutant, viral form of capitalism – what I call “Predatory Capitalism” that began with President Reagan and the philosophy that a) the only goal of business is to make profits, b) corporations should not be regulated, and c) every major economic sector should be privatized. This virus has spread with each subsequent administration.

4. 9/11 was a shock used by the Bush administration to boost this mutant form of capitalism to unprecedented new levels: privatize the military (and introduce privatized Homeland Security); further deregulate financial institutions; radically increase military budgets; and encourage shopping and excessive materialism.

5. The 9/11 shock distracted us from the crises we really need to fear: climate change, resources diminishing at accelerating rates, increasing prices for fuel, foods, and other essentials, violence that results from exploited people living desperate, starving lives, overpopulation, general environmental and social degradation. For the first time in history, every human being – every life form – is confronted by these same crises.

6. Countries and presidents have lost power. Corporations have the power. World geopolitics may be represented by huge clouds (the multinational companies) drifting around the planet; they know no borders and obey no specific sets of laws.

7.  The good news: we control corporations. The market place is democratic. The way out is for us the people to support companies that are committed to a sustainable, just, peaceful world; to institute regulations that codify this; to recognize as heroes men and women who are dedicated to creating a world our children and their brothers and sisters around the planet will want to inherit — in essence to rid ourselves of the mutant virus and create a new type of capitalism.

8. We are all in this together and we are all communicating with each other. The Internet and cell phones offer opportunities to unite us like never before in the human experience.

You can check out his website for book signings at:  http://www.johnperkins.org .

 All I can say is that if you put three RPCVs in the same room, and have enough beer, you’ll end up with at least two good conspiracies.