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CONTENTS

PrefaceIntroduction:TheNewConfessions

PARTI:1963–1971

1DirtyBusiness

2AnEconomicHitManIsBorn

3“InforLife”

4Indonesia:LessonsforanEHM

5SavingaCountryfromCommunism

6SellingMySoul

PARTII:1971–1975

7MyRoleasInquisitor

8CivilizationonTrial

9OpportunityofaLifetime

10Panama’sPresidentandHero

11PiratesintheCanalZone

12SoldiersandProstitutes

13ConversationswiththeGeneral

14EnteringaNewandSinisterPeriodinEconomicHistory

15TheSaudiArabianMoney-LaunderingAffair

16Pimping,andFinancingOsamabinLaden

PARTIII:1975–1981

17PanamaCanalNegotiationsandGrahamGreene

18Iran’sKingofKings

19ConfessionsofaTorturedMan

20TheFallofaKing

21Colombia:KeystoneofLatinAmerica

22AmericanRepublicvs.GlobalEmpire

23TheDeceptiveRésumé

24Ecuador ’sPresidentBattlesBigOil

25IQuit

PARTIV:1981–2004

26Ecuador ’sPresidentialDeath

27Panama:AnotherPresidentialDeath

28MyEnergyCompany,Enron,andGeorgeW.Bush

29ITakeaBribe

30TheUnitedStatesInvadesPanama

31AnEHMFailureinIraq

32September11andItsAftermathforMe,Personally

33Venezuela:SavedbySaddam

PARTV:2004–TODAY

34Conspiracy:WasIPoisoned?

35AJackalSpeaks:TheSeychellesConspiracy

36EcuadorRebels

37Honduras:TheCIAStrikes

38YourFriendlyBankerasEHM

39Vietnam:LessonsinaPrison

40Istanbul:ToolsofModernEmpire

41ACoupagainstFundaciónPachamama

42AnotherEHMBankingScandal

43WhoAreToday’sEconomicHitMen?

44WhoAreToday’sJackals?

45LessonsforChina

46WhatYouCanDo

47ThingstoDo

DocumentationofEconomicHitManActivity,2004–2015

JohnPerkinsPersonalHistory

NotesAcknowledgmentsIndexAbouttheAuthor

CHAPTER43

WhoAreToday’sEconomicHitMen?

Backinthe1970s,economicallydevelopingcountrieswerelookeduponasnestsofcorruption.Peoplelikemepliedourtradequietly,butjustabouteveryoneassumedthatLatinAmerican,African,andAsiangovernmentofficialsthrivedonbribes.TheimageofthebananarepublicpoliticianacceptinganenvelopestuffedwithdollarsinexchangeforfavorsgrantedwasingrainedinthepressandinHollywood.TheUnitedStates,ontheotherhand,wasconsideredtobe—andforthemostpartwas—abovesuchmassivecorruption.

Thathastotallychanged.Drastically.Activitiesthatwouldhavebeenviewedasimmoral,unacceptable,andillegalintheUnitedStatesinmyEHMdaysarenowstandardpractice.Theymaybecoveredinapatinaofobliquerhetoric,butbeneaththatsurface,thesameoldtools—includingacombinationofthreats,bribes,falsifiedreports,extortion,sex,andsometimesviolence—areappliedatthehighestlevelsofbusinessandgovernment.EHMsareubiquitous.TheystrollfromthecorridorsoftheWhiteHousethroughtheUSCongress,alongWallStreet,andintotheboardroomsofeverymajorcompany.CorruptionatthetophasbecomelegitimizedbecausecorporateEHMsdraftthelawsandfinancethepoliticianswhopassthem.

ThelasttimeIsawHowardZinn,Iaskedhimwherehe’dturntolearnmoreaboutthemodernEHM.“StudypoliticianslikeDaschleandDodd,”headvised.

Ididn’tgetaroundtofollowingthatadviceuntilafterHoward’sdeath,whenIstartedwritingthisbook.ThenIdiscoveredthat,onceagain,hehadknownexactlywheretolook.

TomDaschleandChrisDoddhavealotincommon.Bothservedasdistinguished,long-termmembersoftheUSSenate—Daschlefrom1987to2005,Doddfrom1981to2011.BothwererisingstarsintheDemocraticParty.DaschlewasSenatemajorityleader.DoddwasgeneralchairmanoftheDemocraticNationalCommitteeandchairmanoftheSenateBankingCommittee,aswellasapresidentialcandidate.BothwerepowerfulmenwithaccesstothepresidentoftheUnitedStatesandtheleadersofcountriesandcorporationsaroundtheplanet.

DaschleandDoddportrayedthemselvesasmenofthepeopleratherthanWashingtoninsiders.Daschle’searlycampaignsshowedhimdrivingabeat-upPontiac.Doddpromisedhewouldneversuccumbtothegreedyopportunismoflobbyists.Eventually,however,bothDaschleandDoddbetrayedtheirimagesandthepromisestheyhadmadetotheirconstituents.Theyrepresentanew,powerful,andverydangerousgroupofpeople,thecontemporaryclubofEHMs.

AfterleavingtheSenate,Daschlejoinedalawfirmthatnetsmillionsofdollarsthroughpoliticallobbyingforhealth-careandothercorporations;hissalaryplusbonuseswasreportedtobeover$2million,inadditiontoincomefromaprivateequityfirm.Adoptingambiguoussobriquetssuchas“politicaladviser,”hetriedtoavoidtheclassificationof“lobbyist,”althoughhisjobwasexactlythat—tolobbyforlucrativedealsthatbenefitedhisclients.

OnetellingexamplehappenedafteragarmentfactoryinBangladeshcollapsedin2013,killingmorethan1,100people.AlthoughthereisnoindicationthatDaschlehimselfwasinvolved,hislawfirm,DLAPiper,foughttheimplementationofaBangladeshplanforlegallybindingsafetyreformsaimedatprotectinglow-incomeworkers.Instead,DLAPiperlobbiedforlegislationthatwoulddrasticallylimittheliabilityofwealthyUSretailers.JoinedbyretiredDemocraticsenatorGeorgeMitchellandformerSenateaideCharlieScheeler,DLAPipersoughttoprotecttheavariciousinterestsofitsclients,includingoneoftheretailersidentifiedwiththefactorycollapse(Gap),attheexpenseofthepeopleandeconomyofBangladesh.1

LikeDaschle,SenatorDoddworkedhardtoprojecttheauraofapoliticianwithdeepintegrity.HeinsistedthathewouldnotsellouttocorporateAmericaandwouldneverjointhecluboffellowpoliticianswhohadbecomelobbyists.Yet,whenheranforpresidentoftheUnitedStates,hiscampaignacceptedfundingfromthefinancialservicesindustry—theverybusinessesthatwereregulatedbytheSenateBankingCommitteethathechaired.ThisapparentconflictofinterestwassurpassedbywhathedidafterheretiredfromtheSenate,in2010.Despitehisrepeatedpromisesnevertobealobbyist,in2011hereplacedDanGlickmanaschairmanandchieflobbyistfortheMotionPictureAssociationofAmerica.2

Howardhadsetmeonapath.AsIfollowedit,IfoundthatsuchconversionsarebynomeanslimitedtoDemocrats.Amongthebetter-knownRepublicanswho’vejumpedfromtheSenateintothelobbyistclubareJohnAshcroft,BobDole,NewtGingrich,PhilGramm,ChuckHagel,TrentLott,WarrenRudman...ThelistofbothDemocratsandRepublicansseemsendless.Andtherearestillmore,fromtheUSHouseofRepresentatives,whohavetransformedthemselvesintoEHMs.3

Mostofthesepoliticians,alongwiththousandsofothermenandwomenwhopassthroughthe“revolvingdoor,”don’tcallthemselveslobbyists.Theyworkforlawfirmsandgobyeuphemistictitlessuchas“counselor,”“consultant,”or“adviseringovernmentaffairs”—justasIofficiallywas“chiefeconomist”forahighlyregardedconsultingfirm.However,theirrealjob,asminewas,istocongovernmentsandthepublicintosubmittingtopoliciesthatmaketherichricherandthepoorpoorer.TheyareEHMs,paidtosupportthecorporatocracy,expandthecorporateempire,andspreadthetentaclesofthedeatheconomyacrosstheplanet.Theyhideintheshadows,yettheirinfluenceisimmeasurable.

ItissignificantthattheAmericanLeagueofLobbyists—aprofessionalassociationfortheindustry—changeditsnametotheAssociationofGovernmentRelationsProfessionals,in2013.Althoughthenumberofregisteredlobbyistsdroppedtoitslowestlevelinmorethanadecadeduringthatsameyear,itsranksstillnumbered12,281—awhoppingtwenty-threelobbyistsforeverymemberoftheUSSenateandHouseofRepresentatives,manytimesthenumberofEHMsduringmytime.Yet,eventhisshockingnumberishighlyunderstated.

ResearchbyAmericanUniversityprofessorJamesThurber,anexpertinlobbyingformorethanthreedecades,suggeststhatthetruenumberofworkinglobbyistsisclosertoonehundredthousand.Officialfiguresindicatethatannualspendingtosupportlobbyistcampaignswasmorethan$3billionin2013,butThurberestimatesthatitwascloserto$9billion.4

Thelackoftransparency,thesecrecysurroundingtheinfluencepeddlingoflobbyists,makesitimpossibletoaccuratelymeasurethefullimpactofsuchactivities.However,eachofthebiggestcompaniesdoingbusinessintheUnitedStatestodayhasupwardofonehundredlobbyists.Thesecorporationsandtheirassociationsspendmorethanthirtydollarsforeverydollarinvestedbyallthelaborunionsandpublicinterestgroupsthatrepresent“wethepeople”inactivitiesthatpromoteworkers’rights,theenvironment,healthcare,education,andothersocialservices.5

Officialschargedwithenforcingthelawsareafraidtochallengethelobbyistsandthecorporationstheyrepresent.ThispassagefromCommonDreamsaddressesthearmsindustry,butthestatementisrepresentativeofglobalcorporationsingeneral:

Outofthetopteninternationalarmsproducers,eightareAmerican.ThearmsindustryspendsmillionslobbyingCongressandstatelegislatures,anditdefendsitsturfwithanefficiencyandvigorthatitsproductsdon’talwaysemulateonthebattlefield.TheF-35fighter-bomber,forexample—themostexpensiveweaponssysteminUShistory—willcost$1.5trillionanddoesn’twork.It’soverbudget,dangeroustofly,andriddledwithdefects.Andyetfewlawmakersdarechallengethepowerfulcorporationswhohaveshovedthislemondownourthroats.6

Oneofthesearmsproducers,Boeing,madebignewsinthestatewhereIlive.Washington’slargestemployer,withmorethaneightythousandemployees,itranksamongthethreelargestdefensecontractorsintheworld(theothertwo,LockheedMartinandNorthropGrumman,arelikewisebasedintheUnitedStates).7BoeinglobbyistsworkednightanddaytoconvinceWashingtonStateofficialstogivethecompanyhugetaxbreaks,andthecompanythreatenedtomoveproductionfacilitiesforthe777Xplanetoanotherstateifthepoliticiansdidnotdeliver.

Iheardstoriesabout“legal”bribesthatwerealltoofamiliar:consultantretainersandjobsofferedtorelativesandfriendsofgovernmentofficials;entrapmentintocompromisingsituationsinvolvingsexordrugs.Althoughsuchallegationswereneverproven,themereexistenceofthestorieshadanimpact.Peoplewithmaritalproblemsorwhohadtriedanillicitdrug—orfelttheycouldbeframed—bowedtothepressuresofanyonetheyfearedmightexposethem.

Intheend,theWashingtonStatelegislaturepassedalawthatactivatedthelargestcorporatetaxbreakinanystate’shistory,withanestimatedlifetimevaluetoBoeingof$8.7billion.Thatlawensuredtheaerospacegiant’spositionastheUnitedStates’numberonecorporaterecipientofstateandlocalsubsidies.8ItwasaspectacularvictoryforBoeing’sEHMs,andahugelossforWashingtonStatetaxpayerssuchasme—andfordemocracyingeneral.

ThewayBoeingmanipulatedWashingtonStateofficialsillustratesthemethodsusedbya

specialclassofEHMsknownas“sitelocationconsultants.”Althoughtheytechnicallycouldbeclassifiedaslobbyists,theyarehighlyspecialized.Foryears,theyhavebeeninvolvedintheeconomicallydevelopingcountries.However,today,astheBoeingcaseshows,theyareamajorfactorintheUnitedStates.

Businessschoolsandplannersmayclaimthatcorporatedecisionsaboutlocatingtheirjob-creatingfacilitiesarebasedonrationalanalysesofsuchobjectivefactorsasproximitytosuppliersandcustomers,labormarkets,existinginfrastructureconditionsoftransportationnetworks,andthepriceofenergy,butthegreatestdeterminantinmanycaseshasbecomethedealmadewithlocalgovernments.Sitelocationconsultantsplaytofearsthatcommunitieswillberejectedunlesstheyofferthemostlenientenvironmentalandsocialregulations,thelowesttaxrates,andotherincentives.Althoughpublicofficialsareusuallyeagertoarrangesuchdeals,theyoverlookthelong-termconsequences—deterioratingschools,roads,recreationalfacilities,andnaturalresources—eventhough,ironically,suchcommunityassetsbenefittheentirecommunity,includingthecorporation’sownemployees.9

Onefurtheraspectofsitelocationconsultantsisthattheyoftenarepaidbythecommunityand,intheend,mayalsoreceiveacommissionashighas30percentonthesubsidiestheymanagetonegotiate—theirpaymentfromthecorporation.

TheBoeingdealwasreminiscentofthingsI’ddoneinArgentina,Colombia,Ecuador,Egypt,Indonesia,andPanama.Themaindifferenceisthat,insteadofWorldBankloans,modernEHMsintheUnitedStatesusetaxpolicyandsubsidies.Thesestratagemsareevenmoreeffectivethanloans.Corporationsavoidtheneedtoregisterthemoneyortosigncontractsthatforcethemtosetupsystemstoensurethatthedebtoractuallypays.InthisUSversion,noonehastoputupthefunds.Instead,themoneyissimplyremovedfromthetaxbaseandhandedtothecorporation;inessence,themoneyisstolenfromtheUStaxpayer.Fundsthathadbeenearmarkedforhealthcare,education,andothersocialservicesaredivertedtothecoffersofgreedycorporations—giftsfromthelobbyistEHMsandcorruptpoliticians.

MyresearchtookmetoGoodJobsFirst,anationalpolicycenterthatreviewsthegrants,loans,andothersubsidiesdistributedbythefederalgovernmentsince2000.Accordingtoitsreports,overthecourseofthepastfifteenyears,thefederalgovernmenthasdistributed$68billioningrantsandspecialtaxcreditstobusinesses.Two-thirdsofthatmoneywastransferredtolargecorporations.

GoodJobsFirstidentifiedthemajorcompanieswhoselobbyistshavebeenmostsuccessfulatobtainingsubsidies.TheseincludeDowChemical,FordMotorCompany,GeneralElectric,GeneralMotors,GoldmanSachs,JPMorganChase,LockheedMartin,UnitedTechnologies,andalmosthalfoftheonehundredmostprofitablefederalcontractors.Alltold,ashocking298corporationseachreceivedsubsidiesof$60millionormore.10Thesecompaniesreapbenefitsfromports,airports,highways,utilities,schools,firedepartments,andotherservices,andmakebillionsofdollarsinprofits,yettheydonotpaytheirfairsharetowardsupportingtheinstitutionsthatservethemandtheiremployees.

Iwasnotsurprisedtolearnthatthefossilfuelsindustryishighlysubsidized.However,themagnitudeofsuchsubsidiesisfargreaterthanI’danticipated.ArecentinvestigationbytheGuardianrevealsthat“coal,oil,andgasindustriesbenefitedfromsubsidiesof$550billion,

fourtimes[theamount]giventorenewableenergy.”Typicalwerethreeprojectsthat,duetotheeffortsofEHMs,hadbeengrantedsubsidiesbypoliticianswhosecampaignsreceivedlargecontributionsfromthefossilfuelsindustry:

AproposedShellpetrochemicalrefineryinPennsylvaniawillreceive$1.6billion(£1billion)instatesubsidy,accordingtoadealstruckin2012,whenthecompanymadeanannualprofitof$26.8billion.

ExxonMobil’supgradestoitsBatonRougerefineryinLouisianaarebenefitingfrom$119millionofstatesubsidy,withthesupportstartingin2011,whenthecompanymadea$41billionprofit.

Ajobssubsidyschemeworth$78milliontoMarathonPetroleuminOhiobeganin2011,whenthecompanymade$2.4billioninprofit.11

TheEHMsofagribusinessareperhapsthemostfamous—orinfamous—ofall.JustoneexamplewasthepassageofHR1599bytheUSHouseofRepresentativesinJuly2015.KnownofficiallyastheSafeandAccurateFoodLabelingActof2015,butcalledtheDenyAmericanstheRighttoKnow(DARK)Actbyitsopponents,thelawisintendedtoblockstatesfromrequiringthelabelingofproductscontaininggeneticallymodifiedorganisms,orGMOs.TheGroceryManufacturersAssociationandMonsantoEHMspouredmillionsofdollarsintomakingthisbillhappen.AccordingtotheGuardian:

“PassageofthisbillisanattemptbyMonsantoanditsagribusinesscroniestocrushthedemocraticdecisionmakingoftensofmillionsofAmericans.Corporateinfluencehaswonandthevoiceofthepeoplehasbeenignored,”statedAndrewKimbrell,executivedirectorofCenterforFoodSafety.

EnvironmentalWorkingGroup(EWG)wasalsoopposedtothebill,andcitedwidespreadpublicsupportforlabelingGMOs.

“It’soutrageousthatsomeHouselawmakersvotedtoignorethewishesofnineoutoftenAmericans,”saidScottFaber,seniorvicepresidentofgovernmentaffairsforEWG.12

Thesesteal-from-the-poor,give-to-the-richprogramsarebynomeansrestrictedtoarms,energy,andagriculturebusinesses.Theyarepervasiveacrosstheeconomicspectrum.OneexampleisWalmart.

AShuarfriendwhorecentlyvisitedtheUnitedStatesaskedtoseethis“mostfamousstore,”Walmart.ItoldhimthatIdon’tshoptherebutI’dbehappytotakehimonatour.Beforewewent,IsharedwithhiminformationpublishedbyAmericansforTaxFairness.Itshockedusboth.

ThatreportdescribedthewaysinwhichWalmarthassiphonedbillionsofdollarsfromUStaxpayers.Amongtheirvarioustoolsisavastnetworkofoverseastaxhavens,withassetsvaluedatmorethan$76billion.Accordingtothereport:

[Walmart]hasestablishedatleast78subsidiariesin15offshoretaxhavens,noneof

thempubliclyreportedbefore....Theanalysis,titledTheWalmartWeb:HowtheWorld’sBiggestCorporationUses

TaxHavenstoDodgeTaxes,showsthatWalmarthasnofewerthan22shellcompaniesinLuxembourg—20establishedsince2009andfivein2015alone.Accordingtothestudy,Walmarthastransferredownershipofmorethan$45billioninassetstothosesubsidiariessince2011,butreportedpayinglessthan1percentintaxtoLuxembourgon$1.3billioninprofitsfrom2010through2013.13

Aswestrolleddowntheseeminglyendlessaislesofmerchandise,myShuarfriendpointedoutthatnoonewastalkingtoanyoneelse.“Inmycountry,”hesaid,“marketsareplaceswherewelearnwhat’sgoingonwithourfriendsandneighbors—andtheworld.Here,peopleignoreeachother.Theyjustshop.”Hewasalsoamazedatthenumberofdifferentitemsofessentiallythesameproduct.“Howdoyoudecide,”heasked,“whethertobuysoapinthebluebox,theredbox,ortheyellowbox?”

OneofthemostdisturbingreportsestimatedthatWalmartworkersaresubsidizedbyUStaxpayerstothetuneofmorethan$6billionayear,inpublicnutrition,healthcare,andhousingassistanceprograms.Theownersofthismegacashcow,themembersoftheWaltonfamily,arelistedamongthewealthiestbillionairesontheplanet.They,likesomanyoftheircohorts,maycriticizesocialprogramsforeveryoneelse,buttheyarebeneficiariesofthebiggestsocializedprogramsinhistory.14

VulturefundsareonemoreexampleofhowthisEHMcancerhasmetastasized.Afteracountryhasdefaultedandfallenintoastateofeconomicchaos,thesefundspurchasethatcountry’sdebtforafewcentsonthedollar.Then,whenthecountry’seconomybeginstorecover,thefundsdemandpaymentofthedebt,plusinterest,oftentackingonadditionalfees.Manytakethisastepfurtherbysuingbusinessesthattrytoworkwiththetargetcountry,thuscompoundingthedamagebyscaringoffpotentialinvestors.

Thetwenty-sixlargestvultureshavecollected$1billionfromtheworld’spoorestcountries,andstillhaveanother$1.3billionearmarkedforcollection.That$1billionismorethantwicethebudgetoftheInternationalCommitteeoftheRedCrossforallofAfricain2011;itcouldfinancetheentireUNappealforthefamineinSomalia.15

VulturefundshavegoneafterArgentina,Brazil,Congo-Brazzaville,Ecuador,Greece,Iceland,andIreland,andtheyhavetheirsightssetonjustabouteveryothercountrywithdebtandeconomicproblems,includingItalyandotherEuropeancountries.Althoughtherearemanyexamples,Peru’sisatypicalcase.

Peruwascaughtinadownwardspiralofeconomicandsocialturmoilin1983.Thiswasexacerbatedbyterroristactivitiesandunmanageableexternalloans.Afterlongnegotiations,itsdebtswererestructuredin1996.ElliottAssociates,ahedgefundrunbyPaulSinger,amajorsupporterofpoliticalcampaigns,purchasedaround$20millionofthedefaultedPeruvianloansforabout$11millionandthensuedthecountryanditscentralbankfortheoriginalamount,plusinterest,inaNewYorkcourt.Elliottwona$58millionsettlementandcleared$47millioninprofit—amorethan400percentrateofreturnonitsinvestment.ThiswindfallprofitcameatahugecosttoenvironmentalandsocialprogramsinPeru.16

Thelastglobalrecessionandtheensuingcrisesacrossmostoftheworldresultedin

increasedexploitationbyvulturefunds.InadditiontocountriessuchasPeru,orEuropeancountrieswith“developed”economies,morethanathirdofthethirty-ninecountriesthatqualifyfordebtreliefundertheWorldBank’sHeavilyIndebtedPoorCountriesprograms(mostlylocatedinAfrica)havebeentargeted.17

InConfessionsofanEconomicHitMan,IportrayedtheWorldBankanditsaffiliatesasorganizationsthatusedebttoenslavenations.Thatcertainlywasandiscorrect.Sincethen,however,thevulturefundshaveelevateddebt-as-slaverytonewlevels.

LikesomanyactivitiespromotedbyEHMs,vulturefundsnotonlydevastatetheirtargetcountriesbutalsodestabilizetheglobaleconomy.AccordingtoJosephStiglitz,aNobellaureateineconomicsandformerseniorvicepresidentandchiefeconomistattheWorldBank:

InArgentina,theauthorities’battleswithasmallnumberof“investors”(so-calledvulturefunds)jeopardisedanentiredebtrestructuringagreedto—voluntarily—byanoverwhelmingmajorityofthecountry’screditors.InGreece...thecountryisforcedintoausteritypoliciesthathavecontributedmightilytoa25percentdeclineinGDPandhaveleftitspopulationworseoff.InUkraine,thepotentialpoliticalramificationsofsovereign-debtdistressareenormous.18

AsIlookbackoverthedecadesandcomparewhatwashappeninginthe1970swithwhatishappeningtodayamongEHMsandtheircorporatocracybosses,perhapsthemostfrighteningobservationisthatthenefariousactivitiestodayaresomuchmorepervasivethantheywerethen,andthattheyarewidelyacceptedbytheexecutiveswhomanageourmostpowerfulcorporations,byeducatorswhosetthestandardsinourbusinessschools,andbythegeneralpublic.

Ahandfulofrobberbaronsandtheirhenchmen,themodernEHMs,haveconspiredtoconvincetherestofusthattheyhavetherighttodoanythingtheydeemnecessarytosupportthedebt-and-feardogma.CitingUSSupremeCourtdecisionsandeuphemismsaboutthevirtuesoftheirverynarrowversionofcapitalism,they’vepersuadedustogivethemlicensetomakethemselvesfabulouslywealthy.Andthey’vedonethis,withourtacitapproval,atourexpense.OnepercentofAmericansreceived95percentofallthewealthcreatedsincethedepressionwasofficiallypronouncedasendedin2009,while90percentofusbecamepoorer.Forevery$1billionofwealthcreated,theaverageUScitizengetsonedollar.Globally,eighty-fiveindividualsownmoreresourcesthanhalfoftheworld’spopulation.19

Theexamplesprovidedhereareonlyafewdropsinthebucketofimpactthattoday’scorporateEHMshaveonUSandglobaleconomics,politics,environmentalissues,andsociety.TheyillustratetheextenttowhichEHMshavetransformedthemselvesandhavetakenovertheworldsincemydaysinthoseranks.

Somethingequallyappallinghashappenedamongthejackals.

CHAPTER44

WhoAreToday’sJackals?

“Iwaswalkingalongastreetinthevillagewheremygrandparentslive[inPakistan],”saidJafar,astudentImetinIstanbul,whereIwasspeakingatabusinessconference.“Suddenly,thebuildingnexttomeexploded.Hitbyamissilefromadrone.Peopleranout,screaming.Awomancarryingherbabywasonfire.Irushedtoher,tookherbaby,andtoldhertorollontheground.”Hiseyesfilledwithtears.“Shesurvived,butmanypeopledied.Many.”

Thatdronewascontrolledbyanewbreedofjackal.AsIlistentopeoplelikeJafar,andasIreadreportsaboutdronestrikes,IamfilledwithfeelingsthatIfindhardtodescribe.IgrewuponstoriesofWorldWarIIheroism—imagesofUSGIsrescuingchildrenfromflamingbuildings,stormingthebeachesofNormandy,andliberatingNaziconcentrationcamps.Isawthe1950s,ILedThreeLivestypeofFBIagent,whoinfiltratedCommunistcells,asincrediblycourageous.So,too,didIviewtheCIAagentswhopenetratedsecretSovietnetworks,andthejackalswhoflewintoSeychelles.EventhosewhodidthingsIopposed,suchasplantingbombsontheplanesofRoldósandTorrijos,tookhugepersonalrisks.

Butdroneoperators!Theydon’trisktheirlives;theydon’thearthescreamsofthewoundedanddyingorwitnessthesufferingofinnocentvictims.Theysitatcomputermonitors.Theyaren’tbrave.Thereisnothingheroicabouttheirjobs.Noristhereanythingheroicaboutanationthatinflictssuchsufferingonotherpeople.

Certainly,Ifeelashamedbywhatwearedoingintheworldtoday.But,perhapsmorethananything,Ifeelaprofoundconfusion,asenseofutterbewilderment.IkeepaskingmyselfthosequestionsthathadcometomeintheHanoiprison:Whatareourleadersthinking?Can’ttheyseethatsuchruthlessdisregardforlifedestroysthereputationofanationthatgainedtheworld’srespectduringWorldWarII?

Althoughtherearefrequentnewsstoriesaboutthedroneassassinationsoftheleadersofal-Qaedaandotherterroristgroups,itisimpossibletoobtainstatisticsaboutallthemistakesthataremade,whatthePentagonreferstoas“collateraldamage”—innocentcivilianskilled.Thebestanyonecandoisestimate,andtheseestimatesareshocking.

“Atleast6,000people’sliveshavebeenunjustlytakenbyUnitedStatesdroneattacksinAfghanistan,Pakistan,Yemen,Somalia,Iraq,thePhilippines,Libya,andSyria,”saysaJune2015letterreleasedbydozensofUSmilitaryveterans.1Thelettergoesontourgedroneoperatorstorefusetoflymissionsortosupportsuchactivitiesinanyway.Theseveteransunderstandthatindiscriminatedronestrikesonciviliansaredefinedbymostoftheworldas

actsofterror.Manyveteranshaveseenfirsthandthattheactionsofdroneoperatorsandmanyother

modernjackalsfillthepocketsofcorporatemagnateswhoprofitfromwar,destruction,reconstruction,andtheoilfieldsandotherresourcesthatareattheheartofsomanyconflicts.Atthesametime,theseactionsundermineUScredibility,arecontrarytotheinterestsofAmericancitizens,andfosterthecontinuationofafear-basedeconomy.

PresidentObama’sformertopmilitaryintelligenceofficial,retiredUSLieutenantGeneralMichaelFlynn,describedtheuseofdronesasa“failedstrategy”thatonlyencouragesviolenceandterrorism.“Whenyoudropabombfromadrone...youaregoingtocausemoredamagethanyouaregoingtocausegood,”hesaid.AndFlynnshouldknow;heheadedupthePentagon’sDefenseIntelligenceAgencyuntilthesummerof2014.2

Jackalstodaywearmanydisguisesandperformtasksthatthoseinmytimewouldhaveconsideredinappropriate,cowardly,orevencounterproductive.DocumentsrecentlyreleasedbyWikiLeaksandEdwardSnowdenrevealanalarmingincreaseintheuseofCIAtortureandextraordinaryrenditionsites,paramilitaryforceshiredbygovernmentsandglobalcorporations,andCIAandSpecialForces“high-valuetarget”assassinationprograms.

Unlikethelonersecretagentswhodependontheirwitsandphysicalprowess,anentirelynewgenreof“packjackals”issupportedbyairstrikes,satellites,andothermoderntechnologies.AlthoughAmericansarekeptinthedarkabouttheoperationsofthePentagon’sspeciallytrainedmilitaryteams—primarilyNavySEALandArmyDeltaForcepersonnel—theyarenosecrettothecommunitieswheretheystrike.

TheNewYorkTimeslamentedtheveilofsecrecythatsurroundssuchunits,inanarticlepublishedinJune2015,“SEALTeam6:ASecretHistoryofQuietKillingsandBlurredLines”:

Aroundtheworld,theyhaverunspyingstationsdisguisedascommercialboats,posedascivilianemployeesoffrontcompaniesandoperatedundercoveratembassiesasmale–femalepairs,trackingthosetheUnitedStateswantstokillorcapture.

ThoseoperationsarepartofthehiddenhistoryoftheNavy’sSEALTeam6,oneofthenation’smostmythologized,mostsecretiveandleastscrutinizedmilitaryorganizations.Onceasmallgroupreservedforspecializedbutraremissions,theunitbestknownforkillingOsamabinLadenhasbeentransformedbymorethanadecadeofcombatintoaglobalmanhuntingmachine.

ThearticlewentontodecrythefactthatsomuchofcurrentUSpolicyisconductedinsecret.OneoftheconclusionsreachedbytheTimesinvestigativeteam:

LiketheCIA’scampaignofdronestrikes,SpecialOperationsmissionsofferpolicymakersanalternativetocostlywarsofoccupation.ButthebulwarkofsecrecyaroundTeam6makesitimpossibletofullyassessitsrecordandtheconsequencesofitsactions,includingciviliancasualtiesorthedeepresentmentinsidethecountrieswhereitsmembersoperate.3

Concernforthatresentmentisnotlimitedtoveterans’groupsandthemedia.ItisalsoexpressedbystudentsinUScollegeswhereIspeak.TheyrefertomenandwomentheiragewhotravelfromAustralia,theUS,andEuropetotheMiddleEasttojoinISISandothermilitantIslamistorganizations.Theyspeculatethatresentmentanddesperationdrivetheseyoungpeopletotakesuchactions.TheyworrythatUSpoliciesencourageterrorism.

Studentsoftenmentionthatmostofthecountrieswherepotentialterroristsarerecruitedhavelonghistoriesofadvocatingviolenceasthesolutiontoproblems,andthateventhelanguageusedbyUSpolicymakersforprogramsthatwouldseemtohavenothingtodowithviolencearecouchedintermslike“fightingpoverty,”“conqueringhunger,”and“thewarondrugs.”TheypointoutthatmoviesandTVshowseulogizegunsandthetoughguyapproachtodealingwithdifficultsituations.

Thejackalsinmydayusuallywereassignedtoforeignlands,withtheexceptionofthoseinvolvedincounterinsurgencyandinfiltratingCommunistcellsinsidetheUnitedStates.That,too,haschanged.Intheaftermathof9/11,feardroveAmericanstoagreetosacrificeprivacyandfreedomandgivetheNSA,theCIA,theFBI,andotheragenciesunprecedentedpowers.Toolsperfectedoverseas,includingdronesandsurveillanceaircraft,arenowusedtospyonusintheUnitedStates.

DocumentsreleasedbyUSfederalauthoritiesinresponsetoaFreedomofInformationlawsuitrevealthatatleastsixty-threedronesites,locatedintwentystates,wereactiveintheUnitedStates(asof2012).Manywereoperatedbysoldiersandweredeployedfromstatesidemilitaryinstallations.OthersweremannedbylawenforcementagenciesandtheUSBorderPatrol.Some,ifnotall,aredesignedtoassassinatepeople.4

InJune2015,theAssociatedPressreportedthattheFBIhasa“smallairforcewithscoresoflow-flyingplanesacrosstheUScarryingvideoand,attimes,cellphonesurveillancetechnology—allhiddenbehindfictitiouscompaniesthatarefrontsforthegovernment.”Thearticlewentontosaythattheseflightsareusuallyconductedwithoutajudge’sapprovalandthat“inarecent30-dayperiod,theagencyflewabovemorethan30citiesin11statesacrossthecountry.”5

WhenIreadthesearticles,IthoughtaboutthecommitmentI’dmadeaftermeetingwithHowardZinn.I’dpromisedtobemorediligent,towatchmorecloselywhatwasgoingoninmyowncommunity,mycountry,andtheworld.Ibegantoseeachangeinthepublic’sattitudes.September11,2001,hadterrifiedthenationintogivingupitsfreedoms,butcontinuingreportsoftortureatmilitarybasesandCIArenditionsites,attacksonwhistle-blowers,policebrutality,andeavesdroppingonpersonalphonecallswasturningthetideofopinion.Increasingly,themediaandblogswerepointingoutthatsuchactivitieswereinconsistentwithlawsintendedtoprotectourprivacy.AccordingtotheElectronicFrontierFoundation:

NewsreportsinDecember2005firstrevealedthattheNationalSecurityAgency(NSA)hasbeeninterceptingAmericans’phonecallsandInternetcommunications.

Thosenewsreports,combinedwithaUSATodaystoryinMay2006andthestatementsofseveralmembersofCongress,revealedthattheNSAisalsoreceivingwholesalecopiesofAmericans’telephoneandothercommunicationsrecords.AllofthesesurveillanceactivitiesareinviolationoftheprivacysafeguardsestablishedbyCongressandtheUSConstitution.6

Thedraconian,jackalmeasuresrevealedinthethousandsofpagesreleasedbyWikiLeaksandEdwardSnowdentellashocking,disturbing,andsadstory.ManyAmericanshavecometounderstandthatthedemocracytheirgovernmentwassupposedtoprotecthasbeenbetrayedbythatgovernment,thattheveryfoundationsofLincoln’s“governmentofthepeople,bythepeople,andforthepeople”wereburiedintheashesofGroundZero.

IwasshockedtolearnthattheNSAmonitorsabouttwohundredmilliontextmessageseachdayandhassurreptitiouslyplantedspysoftwareinsomeonehundredthousandcomputers,allowingitaccesstotheinformationinthosecomputers.7Perhapsit’sjustego,butIwonderifmycomputerisoneofthose...

AsjadedasI’vebecomeabouttheimmoralandcriminal(eveniftechnicallylegal)activitiesofourjackalagencies,Iwasoutragedbyrevelationsthattheorganizationthathadrecruitedme—theNSA—hadeavesdroppedonthephoneconversationsofthirty-fiveworldleaders,includinglisteningtoconfidentialdiscussionsheldatthehighestlevelsofthegovernmentsofArgentina,Brazil,France,Germany,theUK,andmanyofourotherallies.AccordingtotheGuardian,“TheNSAencouragesseniorofficialsinits‘customer ’departments,suchastheWhiteHouse,StateandthePentagon,tosharetheir‘Rolodexes’sotheagencycanaddthephonenumbersofleadingforeignpoliticianstotheirsurveillancesystems.”8

Thisstruckmeasunacceptable,butitalsowasincrediblystupiddiplomacy.Amongtherepercussions:GermanchancellorAngelaMerkelobjectedstrongly,andBrazilianpresidentDilmaRousseffpostponedastatevisittoWashington.

Anothertoolatthedisposalofthemodernjackalisthatofcharacterassassination.Everypresident,everypoliticianandgovernmentofficial,isawarethatascandalcanbringhimorherdown.PresidentClintonservedasawarningtoallleaders,presentandfuture.WhetherLindaTrippwashiredtosetupMonicaLewinsky—asmanysuspect—ornot,Clintonwasimpeached(politicallyassassinated)becauseofasexscandal.Inmyday,everyoneknewthatPresidentKennedywashavingmultipleaffairs,andnobodythoughtitwasthepublic’sbusiness;ittookabullettoassassinatehim.Today,peopleinpowerfulpositionsaroundtheworldknowthatmoderneavesdroppingtechnologycanbeusedtodestroythem—ortoplantincriminatingevidencethatwilldestroythem.

Inmanypartsoftheworld,today’sjackalsaresupportedbyagrowingclassofmercenaryforces—hiredgunswhodonotanswertothesamerulesandstandardsasmilitarypersonnel.By2012,therewerealmost110,000contractedmercenaryforcesinAfghanistanalone,comparedwith68,000USmilitarypersonnel.Toplacethisinperspective:inVietnam,therewere70,000mercenariesand359,000militaryforces.9

AlthoughinformationisnotavailableaboutthenumberofactivemercenariesworldwidewhoarepaidwithUStaxpayermoney,weknowitisinthemillions.Ina2014surveythat

rankedthethirtymostpowerfulprivatesecuritycompanies,thenumberonespotwenttoG4S,afirmthatemploysmorethan620,000peopleandearnedmorethan$12billionin2012.Inadditiontosupplyingsoldiers,G4Ssellsstate-of-the-artspyingandmonitoringequipmenttogovernmentsandcorporations.Interestingly,Black-water(renamedAcademi),themercenaryfirmbestknowntothegeneralpublic,duetothecompany’sallegedinvolvementinthekillingofIraqicivilians,cameinatnumberthirty.10

TheuseofmercenariesallowsWashingtontoclaimthatthemilitaryiswindingdown,thatUSdeathtollsaredecreasing,andthatthegovernmentisnotresponsiblefortortureandotherwarcrimes.MercenariesavoidtheneedforanunpopulardraftliketheoneduringtheVietnamWarthatincitedtheantiwarmovement.Theysupportthejackals’illegalactivitieswithoutreportingtothePentagon,thepresident,orCongress.Theyareaccountabletonoone.

Theabilityandwillingnessofthecorporatocracytospyonoureverymovementandtotakeaction—includingimprisonmentwithouthabeascorpus,orassassination—whenwedoanythingperceivedasathreattoitsgreed-drivenpowerisvirtuallyunlimited.Andtotallyundemocratic.Itslobbyistsownourelectedofficials.Itsspecialoperationsteamsconductillegalassassinations.Itslow-flyingpilotsandrobotjackalsmonitorourphoneandInternetconversations.Allofthisispartofthecorporatocracy’sdeterminationtodowhateveritdeemsitwilltaketomaintaincontrol.

Recently,however,thecorporatocracy’sactionshaveescalatedtonear-paniclevels.Toalargedegree,thisisdrivenbyitsfearofanewsuperpower,China.

CHAPTER45

LessonsforChina

In2015,atopEcuadorianofficialtoldme,“We’dratheracceptloansfromBeijingthanWashington.Afterall,Chinahasneveroverthrownorkilledourleaders—unliketheUS.”

WhenIpointedoutthatChinahadahistoryofinvasionsinAsia,hereplied,“Yes.They’veseenthoseplacesaspartoftheirancientkingdom.Buttheyhaven’tdoneitinLatinAmerica,orAfrica,ortheMiddleEast.TheUShas.”

WewerediscussingthedebtauditcommissionthathadreviewedthelegitimacyoftheloanstakenonbyEcuador ’sCIA-supporteddictatorsduringmyEHMdays.Thecommission’sfindingshadconvincedPresidentCorreatodefaultonloansworthmorethan$3billion.Inretaliationforthepresident’sinitialrefusaltopay$30.6millionthatwasdueon$519millionofoutstandingglobalbondsin2012,StandardandPoor ’sRatingServicesandFitchRatingsslashedEcuador ’screditrating.1

CorreaturnedtoBeijing.ChinaofferedEcuadora$1billionloan,whichsoonwasincreasedto$2billion.2Ashisgovernmentrepaidthatloan,CorreareestablishedEcuador ’sglobalcreditstanding,buthealsomadehiscountrybeholdentoChinaanditsversionofEHMs.ByApril2015,Ecuador ’sdebtstoChinahadrisentoalmost$5.4billion—representing28percentofitsexternaldebt.3

Inthesummerof2015,IreturnedtoEcuador.FundaciónPachamamahadbeenlegallydissolved,buttherehadbeennoattempttoinhibittheworkoftheUS-basedPachamamaAlliance.IjoinedBillandLynneTwistandDanielKoupermannonourannualtriptoleadagroupofsupporterstoAchuarterritory.

AswemadethatspectaculartripfromQuitototheairstripinShell,fromwhichplaneswouldtakeusdeepintothejungle,IonceagainstaredatthemassiveconcretewalloftheAgoyanhydroelectricdam—forme,asymbolofthelegalcrimesI’dcommitted,andonethatevokedmemoriesoftheassassinatedJaimeRoldósandtheveryrecentattemptedcoupthathadchangedCorrea.

IthoughtabouthowtheabusesoftheWorldBank,theIMF,WallStreet,thecreditratingservices,andtherestoftheUS/EuropeanbankingcommunityhavedrivenEcuadoranditsoilresourcesintothearmsofChina.WhenItraveledpastthisdamin2003,itwasassumedthatmostofthecountry’soilwouldgototheUnitedStates.By2015,thathadtotallychanged;Chinawasbuyingalmost55percentofEcuador ’soil.ExportstotheUnitedStates,

meanwhile,haddecreasedfromabout75percentofEcuador ’soiltonone.4Irealizedthat,perhapsmorethananythingelse,China’srole—notjustinEcuadorbutintheentireworld—offersinsightsintothefuture.

China’sexpansionism,likethatoftheUnitedStatesandtheotherempiresofhistory,revolvesaroundlendingmoneytocountries,plunderingtheirresources,andparalyzingtheirleaderswithfear.ChinaisplayingoffthefearsofmenlikeCorreaandcitizensofcountriessuchasEcuadorandHonduras—andjustabouteverywhereelse.

WhereasweintheUnitedStatesaretaughttofearChina,Russia,andterrorists,alargepartoftheworldfearsus.TheyfearthePentagonandthemilitarypresencethatWashingtonhasestablishedinmorethanonehundredcountries.TheyfeartheCIA,theNSA,andalltheotherUSspyagencies.Theyfearthedrones,themissiles,andthebombs.Theyfearourdollarized,debt-basedmoneysystem.

Inadditiontotheobviousphysicalfearsarethemoresubtleones.Economicallydevelopingcountriesfeartheirvulnerabilitytoglobalcorporations.Becauseofthetradeagreementsandconditionalitiesimposedonthemthroughthedebtagreements,theireconomiesseemdependentonthosecorporations.Theyfeartheycan’tsurvivewithoutthecorporations.Theyfearthatthecorporationswillgosomewhereelsetolocatetheirproductionfacilities,buttheyalsofearthatifthosefacilitiesarebuiltwithintheirborders,thecorporationswillburythecountryinpollutionandforceworkerstoacceptunlivablewages.Theyfearthatthecorporationswilleventuallyleavethemforanothercountrywithevenlessstringentenvironmentalandsocialregulations,doomingtoextremepovertyorstarvationthepeoplewhoabandonedtheirsubsistencefarmstoworkinthenow-vacatedfactories.

Asystembasedonfearanddebtmayseemeffective;yet,historyhasshownthatempiresneverlast.ThetragedyofAmerica’sriseandfallinthemodernworldrepresentsacolossalfailureonthepartofcorporateandgovernmentleaders.

AfterthedemiseoftheSovietUnion,thenewcorporatebaronsbelievedtheyhadlicensetodowhatevertheydeemeditwouldtaketorealizetheirgoalofmaximizingprofits,includingcorruptingpoliticiansandmanipulatingthelegalsystem.“Aid”organizationssuchastheWorldBankincreasedtheinterestratesonloans,madepoliticaldemands,andimposedconditionalitiesonthedebtorcountries,influencingthewaytheygovernedthemselvesandrelatedtotheUnitedStatesandthecorporations.

Itdidnottakelongforpeopleinthosenationstorecognizethattheywerebeingexploited.However,theyhadnowheretoturn,nocounterbalancingpower.TheSovietUnionwasgone.Theeconomicallydevelopingcountrieshadnochoicebuttogiveinandfeelabusedandresentful.

Then,almostovernight,Chinaemergedasanewworldpower.Itsmeteoricriseasaneconomicgiantandmajorplayerininternationalmanufacturingandtradethrustitontotheworldstageasthatcounterbalance.

ChinaappearstohavelearnedfrommistakesmadebytheUnitedStates,itsallies,andthecorporatocracy.Chineseloansusuallyarenotaccompaniedbydraconiandemands—theconditionalitiesofWorldBankandIMFdeals—suchasvotingforspecificUNpolicies,tradingonlyindollars,orallowingtheestablishmentofmilitarybasesoccupiedbyforeigntroops.Chinamakespromisesthatthefactoriesitbuildswillcontinuetooperateinthelong

term.Itremainstobeseenwhethersuchpromiseswillbekept,buttheUnitedStatespromotes“freetrade”agreementsthatdoexactlytheopposite.

However,despiteChina’sapparentaptitudeatdoingitbetterthantheUnitedStatesanditsallies,thesimplefactremainsthatChinaisusingdebt—massiveamountsofit—tofurtheritsownEHMsystem,tocontrolcountriesandtheirresources.

AlthoughitisdifficulttomeasurethetotalamountofdebtmoneyflowingfromChina,estimatesarethatitcommittednearly$100billioninloanstoEcuadoranditsLatinAmericanneighborsfrom2005to2013.ItscurrentloanstotheregionareperhapstwicethatamountandcertainlysurpassthecombinedloansoftheWorldBank,USAID,theInter-AmericanDevelopmentBank,andtheExport-ImportBankoftheUnitedStates.ChinaisthedrivingforcebehindthenewBRICS(Brazil,Russia,India,China,andSouthAfrica)bankandtheAsianInfrastructureInvestmentBank(AIIB),whichincludesmorethanfiftymembercountries.TheassetsandpotentialpowerofthesebanksdwarfthoseoftheWorldBankandallitsassociatedfinancialinstitutions.Inlessthanadecade,Chinahascatapulteditselftothepositionofmasterofglobaldebt.5

ANewYorkTimesarticleIreadwhileinEcuadorreportedeventsthatsoundedliketheUSEHMactivitiesofmyday—exceptthattheChineseweretakingonmoreprojectsandspendingmoremoneythanweeverdid.

WheretheAndeanfoothillsdipintotheAmazonjungle,nearly1,000Chineseengineersandworkershavebeenpouringconcreteforadamanda15-mileundergroundtunnel.The$2.2billionprojectwillfeedriverwatertoeightgiantChineseturbinesdesignedtoproduceenoughelectricitytolightmorethanathirdofEcuador.

NeartheportofMantaonthePacificOcean,Chinesebanksareintalkstolend$7billionfortheconstructionofanoilrefinery,whichcouldmakeEcuadoraglobalplayeringasoline,dieselandotherpetroleumproducts.

Acrossthecountryinvillagesandtowns,Chinesemoneyisgoingtobuildroads,highways,bridges,hospitals,evenanetworkofsurveillancecamerasstretchingtotheGalápagosIslands.State-ownedChinesebankshavealreadyputnearly$11billionintothecountry,andtheEcuadoreangovernmentisaskingformore.

Ecuador,withjust16millionpeople,haslittlepresenceontheglobalstage.ButChina’srapidlyexpandingfootprintherespeaksvolumesaboutthechangingworldorder,asBeijingsurgesforwardandWashingtongraduallylosesground.6

OurPachamamaAlliancegrouphuddledinahangarinShell,waitingforthetorrentialjungleraintostopsowecouldflyintoAchuarterritory.WhenIbroughtupthesubjectofChina,thereseemedtobeaconsensusthatChinahadperformedamiracleandshouldbefeared.ThecountryhadrisenfromtheashesofMao’sCulturalRevolutionand,intheyearssincePresidentNixon’sfirstvisitin1972,hadenjoyedamazing—“miraculous”—economic

growth,likenothingeverbeforeexperiencedbyanycountryinhistory.However,thishadcomeataterribleenvironmentalandsocialcost.Thenationwassmotheringitselfinpollution,andmillionsofChinesewerelivingundersubstandardsocialconditions.PeopleexpressedfearthatChinawasrisingtoworldprominenceandthattheChinesemodelwouldcauseevengraverproblemsthantheUSmodelhad.

I’dbeentoChinaacoupleoftimessincewritingConfessionsofanEconomicHitMan.MylastvisithadbeenasaspeakeratanMBAconferenceinShanghai.ManyoftheChineseMBAstudentswhoattendedweremembersoftheCommunistPartyandhadbeensingledoutasthefutureleadersoftheircountry.Theyemphasizedthattheywereveryconcernedabouttheenvironmentalandsocialproblemsaffectingtheircountry,andtheywerecommittedtofixingthem.Onestudent,MandyZhang,insistedthateconomicgrowthwasproofthatChinacouldcreateaneconomicmiracle.“Now,”shesaid,“mygenerationmustcreateagreenmiracle.”

OneofthePachamamaAlliancepeopleinthehangarasked,“Whatcanwedo?HowdowestopChina?”

Ifwearetrulyhonestwithourselves,weintheUnitedStateshavetoadmitthatitisnotsomuchaboutstoppingChinaasaboutchangingourownmind-sets.WeneedtoadmitthatagreatdealofChina’spollutionisourpollution.Thesamecanbesaidofthesocialconditions.Wepurchasethegoodsmadeinthosefactories.Weseekoutstoreswiththelowestprices,butthevastmajorityoftheirproductsaremadeinthepollutingfactoriesofChina.

Inaveryrealsense,China’seconomicmiraclehasbeenpossibleonlybecauseoftheUnitedStates—andtheglobalcorporations.KeyindividualsinChinahavejoinedthecorporatocracy.Chinaistheworld’slargestexporterofmanufacturedgoods.From2001to2010,itsreportedexportsincreasedatanaverageannualrateofabout20percent.In2004,Chinasoldlessthan$200billionworthofproductstotheUnitedStates;by2014,thatfigurehadmorethandoubled,to$467billion.7

InsteadofspeculatingaboutChina,wemustrepentandreform.Weneedtotakealong,hardlookatwhatweintheUnitedStates—andourcorporations,nowgoneglobal—havedone.Chinaistryingtoemulateasystemthatisafailure.Iflessthan5percentoftheworld’spopulation(livingintheUnitedStates)isconsumingmorethan25percentoftheresources,howcan19percentoftheworld’spopulation(livinginChina)hopetoreplicateourlifestyle?It’scertainlynotpossibletoalsoaddIndia,Brazil,andtherestoftheworldtothatequation.Wemustchange.

WeintheUnitedStatesandacrosstheglobemuststopusing“them”asscapegoats.Justaswemustnotfear“them,”wemustnotblame“them”orexpect“them”tosolvetheproblem—theglobalproblemofpredatorycorporatecapitalism,adeatheconomy.Weneedtorecognizethat“they”areus.Weourselves—eachandeveryoneofus—musttakeresponsibility.Wemustcreateanewmodel—onethattheChinese,theBrazilians,theIndians,ourownpresident,ourcorporateandgovernmentleaders,andeveryoneelsecanfollow.

Itisn’taboutchangingthemechanicsofeconomics.Itisaboutchangingtheideas,thedogmasthathavedriveneconomicsforcenturies:debtandfear,insufficiency,divideandconquer.Itisaboutmovingfromideasaboutmerelybeingsustainabletoonesthatincluderegeneratingareasdevastatedbyagriculture,mining,andotherdestructiveactivities.Itisaboutrevolution.Thetransitionfromadeatheconomytoalifeeconomyistrulyabouta

changeinconsciousness—aconsciousnessrevolution.

CHAPTER46

WhatYouCanDo

“JohnLennonsaid,‘Allyouneedislove,’”SamanthaThomastoldme.“Whatbetterwaytohonorthepeaceprizethanthroughasummitthatreflectshisideas?”

YokoOnohadawardedmetheLennonOnoGrantforPeaceand,alongwithit,amajorcontributiontoDreamChange.Theorganizationhadbeenrelativelyquietforseveralyears,butnowSamantha,abrilliant,dynamic,anddeterminedpersoninhertwenties,hadcomeonboardasitsexecutivedirector.Shewantedtosponsora2015conferencethatwouldencouragebusinessestoachievehigher,morecompassionatestandards.SheandIconvincedDanWieden,cofounderandchairmanoftheboardofWieden+Kennedy,oneofthemostsuccessfulandhighlyrespectedadvertisingagenciesintheworld,tocohostitwithme.Fromthebeginning,SamanthahadcalledittheLoveSummit.Atfirst,DanandIobjected.Wewereconcernedthat“love”mightbeinappropriateforabusinessconference.However,ourattitudessoonchanged.

Likemanyoftheattendees,whoweresuccessfulentrepreneursandcorporateexecutives,DanandIcametounderstandthatwhenweloveourselves,theearth,andoneanother,everythinggetsbetter.Severalspeakerspointedoutthatmarketingisaimedatconvincingconsumerstoloveacompanyanditsproducts.Tochangetheworld,allweneedtodoisinspireconsumerstolovecompaniesandproductsthatservelife,andtopersuadebusinesspeoplethatiftheywanttheircompaniesandproductstobeloved,theymustcommittodoingjustthat.

AsIlistenedtospeakerafterspeakerexpoundupontheneedforbusinessestomoveintoanewconsciousness,IkeptthinkingaboutTunduam,theShuarshamanwhohadsavedmylifebychangingmymind-set.Theworldisaswedreamit,andwe’vebeenlivingadreamthatcombinesexcessivematerialismwithadivide-and-conquer,them-versus-usmentality.

“IfIamtohavemorestuff,”we’vetoldourselves,“Imusttakefromthem.”Itistimetochangethatmind-set.Itistimetoactinwaysthatsupportanewdream.

WhenSamanthasaid,atthecloseofthesummit,“Itturnsoutthatlovereallyisallyouneed,”Irealizedthatshewasexpressingthebasisofthenewdream.Itisthedreamthatindigenouspeopleandspiritualteachers—fromMotherTeresatotheDalaiLama,fromtheBuddhatoPopeFrancis—havealwaysdreamed.Itisadreamoflove—forourselves,foreachother,fornature,andfortheplanet.Itisadreamthattellsustoreplacetheolddreamofadeatheconomywithanewdreamofalifeeconomy.

Thisnewdreamisofaneconomythatcleansuppollutedwaters,soil,andair;empowershungryandstarvingpeopletofeedthemselves;developstransportation,communications,manufacturing,andenergysystemsthatdonotdepleteresources;appliesrecyclingandsolartechnologies;createsmarket,banking,andexchangesystemsthatarecommunityorientedandnotbasedondebtcurrenciesorwar.Inessence,itisanewdream,foundedoncourageandloveratherthanfearandhatred.

Since2004,whentheoriginalofthisbookwaspublished,I’vespokenatconferencesofbusinessexecutives,atrockconcerts,andatconsumersummits.I’vemetwithgovernmentleadersandlecturedatuniversitiesinmanycountries.I’vegrownincreasinglyimpressedwiththemessagesI’veheard.Entrepreneurs,lawyers,executives,farmers,andhomemakers—peoplefromallwalksoflife—arechangingtheirdreamsfromtheonesprevalenttenyearsago,aboutwealthandpower,totheonesmorecommontoday,aboutthedesiretoraisefamiliesinanenvironmentallysustainableandregenerative,sociallyjust,andpersonallyfulfillingworld.

Peopleeverywhereunderstandtheneedforthisrevolution.Weknowthatwemustdowhateverittakestobirthalifeeconomy.Wealsoknowthateachofusmustdothethingswelove.YouandI—we—aretheonestomakethisrevolutionhappen.Todothat,wemustlovewhoweareandwhatwedo.

Thisbookdemonstratesthatglobalcorporationsrunthisfailedgeopolitical/economicsystem.Tochangethesystem,wemustchangethedreamofcorporations.

Somearguethatweneedtoridtheplanetofcorporations;however,thelikelihoodofthishappening—atleastinmylifetime—isextremelylow.Ithink,instead,weneedtotaketheshamanicapproach,totransform—shapeshift—theattitudesandgoalsofthosewhoownandmanagethecorporations.

Corporationsarehighlyeffectiveatchannelingbrilliantideasintoconcreteaction.Buttheirdreamofmaximizingprofitswithoutregardfortheenvironmentalandsocialcosts,theirorientationtowardpillagingresourcesandpromotingdebtandmaterialism,hasbeendisastrous.Itistimeforanewdreamthatisbasedonservingtheearth,thepublic,andfuturegenerations—notjustofhumansbutofallbeings.

Weareempoweredbythemanywayswe’vechangedcorporationsintherecentpast—byboycottingonesthatsupportedapart-heid,pollutedourrivers,refusedtohirewomenorminorities,objectedtosame-sexmarriages,rejectedorganicproduce,opposedfoodlabeling,andsomuchmore.

Weareencouragedbytheknowledgethatmanyexecutivesandbusinessownersareasconcernedasanyoneelse.WhethertheyareemployeesofFortune500corporationsorproprietorsofmom-and-popstores,theyarenotmembersofthecorporatocracyandthereforeareexploitedalongwiththerestofus.Eventheso-called1percent(whichareactuallythe0.1percent)arethreatened.Ifthisspacestationcrashes,weallcrash.

WhenIwasfirstinvitedtospeakatcorporateconferencesandMBAprograms,Iaskedtheorganizerswhytheywouldwanttohearfromtheauthorofabooksuchasmine.Theyansweredthattheirpeopleweresmartenoughtorecognizethatthecurrentsystemvergesoncollapse.Untilnow,businesspeoplemaynothavethoughtintermsofadeatheconomyversusalifeeconomy,buttheyunderstandthattobesuccessful,theywillhavetoembracenew

models.Theyaresearchingforinnovativeapproachesandwaystoimplementthem.CEOswhodesiretochangetheircorporatestrategiestellmethattheyfearthatiftheylose

short-termmarketshareorprofits,theywillbereplacedbysomeonewhocaresonlyaboutmarketshareorprofits.Feelingtrappedinanarchaicstructure,theycraveconsumermovementsthatgeneratethousandsoflettersande-mailssayingthingslike“Iloveyourproductbutwillnotbuyituntilyoupayyourworkersalivingwage.”Theycanthentakethisinformationtotheirexecutivecommittee,keystockholders,thefounder,orwhoeverhastheabilitytofirethem.

Forme,hearingsuchadmissionsisencouraging,becauseitidentifiesusastheoneswiththerealpower.Ittellsusthatthemarketplaceisademocracy,ifwechoosetouseitassuch;thateverytimewebuysomething,wecastavote.Italsoprovidesawaytoenlistthepeopleontheinsideofcorporations.Thisrevolutionneedspeopleontheinside.Theycanplaymajorrolesincreatingtheneweconomy.

Weareinthistogether.Allofus.Wemustdowhatittakestocultivatethelifeeconomy.Now.Itistimetoadmitthatwearenotfightingawaragainstterrorists,corporations,oranyother“them.”WeareengagedinacourseofactiontoendtheEHMsystem.Weallarepartofaprocessthathasfailedus.We’veboughtintoit,we’vesupportedit,we’vepraisedandglorifiedit.Nowwemustacttochangeit.

LiketheAndeanbrickmakersdiscussedinchapter1,weneedtofaceourfears,takeoffenseattheinjusticeswe’vesuffered,andstoplookingforotherstosetthingsright.Wemustbewillingtodowhateverittakestoensurethatourchildrenhaveafuture.

WhenIwasgrowingupinNewHampshire,IwishedI’dbeenborninthe1700ssoIcouldparticipateintheAmericanRevolution.ButtheAmericanRevolutionwasonlyapartialsuccess.AlthoughtheBritishweredefeated,manyinjusticescontinuedforyears—affectingwomen,minorities,themiddleclass,andthepoor.Nowthoseinjusticesaffectusall;theythreatenlifeasweknowitonthisplanet.

Today’srevolutionismuchbiggerthantheAmericanRevolution.Itisbiggerthantheagriculturalorindustrialrevolutions.Itisnothinglessthanaconsciousnessrevolution.Thechangeinconsciousnessincludesatransitionfrommasculine,hierarchicalmind-setsandactionstoonesthataremorefluid,egalitarian,andfeminine.Itnecessitatesanacknowledgmentthatdefendingourhomenowmeansnurturingourhome,andarecognitionthatourhomeistheentireplanet.

Thisbookhasdescribedthefourpillarsofmodernempire:fear,debt,insufficiency(thetemptationtokeepconsumingmore),andthedivide-and-conquermind-set.Theideathatanythingandeverythingisjustified—coupsandassassinations,dronestrikes,NSAeavesdropping—aslongasitpropsupthosefourpillarshasshackledustoafeudalandcorruptsystem.Itisasystemthatcannotbesustained.

Wemustdowhateverittakestochangethedreambehindsuchjustifications;toconvertfearintothecouragetocreateabetterworld;toreplacedebtwithgenerosity,anxietyover

insufficiencywithcertaintythatalifeeconomyprovidessustainableabundance.Wemusttransformmasculineaggressionwithfemininenurturance.Wemustreplacedivide-and-conquermentalitieswithcompassionandacommitmenttoregeneratingravagedenvironments.Wemustuniteasacrewthatwillnavigatethisspacestationtowardatrulyprosperousfuture.

Duringmytravels,oneofthethingsIhearfrompeopleisthatConfessionsofanEconomicHitMan“connectsthedots.”In2004,thosedotsledtotheconclusionthatpeoplehadbeenterriblymisinformedabouthowtheUnitedStatesanditscorporationsdeceive,abuse,andexploiteconomicallydevelopingcountries.Thepost-2004dotsgomuchfurther.TheyleadustotheconclusionthatweintheUnitedStatesandintherestoftheso-calleddevelopedcountriesalsohavebeenhit—wehavebeenabusedandexploitedbymanyofthetoolsthatIandotherEHMsusedinAfrica,Asia,theMiddleEast,andLatinAmerica.

Connectingthepost-2004dotsleadstotheadditionalconclusionthatwemustdowhateverittakestochange.Wemustact.

Suchactionsstartwiththerecognitionthatwearepresentedwithmanychoicesthroughoutlife.Fate.Chance.Accident.Opportunity.Wecanseethesethingsasgoodorbad.Whatisimportantisnotsomuchthattheyhappenashowwereacttothem.

Ionceacceptedalotofmoneynottowriteabook.IchosetousethemoneytohelppeopleincountriesI’dexploited.OutofthatcamemyreconnectionwithAmazonianpeople,theformationofseveralnonprofits,andanewcareerasawriterandpublicspeaker.

Whenwelookatthingsthathappentousasbearersofmessages,weopendoorsofopportunityforaction.

Theearthisofferingusastrongmessage.Theicecapsandglaciersaremelting.Theoceansarerising.Speciesaregoingextinct.Thisplanet,ourhome,isdemandingthatweseeherasalivingEarth.Sheisnotjustamassofrockandsoilspinningaroundanindifferentsun.Sheisabiologicalmemberofalivinguniverse.Andsheissendingamessage:repent,reform,loveher.

Whatwillwedowiththatmessage,youandI?Wehavetheopportunitytodreamanewdream,toexploreoptionsforexcitingalternative

waysofliving,forturningfailureintosuccess,forbuildingsystemsthat,likethelivingEarth,areorganic,arelocallybased,and,atthesametime,interweavethefabricsofourglobalcommunity.

Yourgiftsincludeyourpersonalpassionsandskills.Whetheryouareacarpenter,adentist,awriter,aparent,astudent,orwhateverelse,thosegiftsareyours.Truesuccesscomesfromfollowingyouruniquepassions,employingyourskills,andjoiningthegrowingcommunitythatisdeterminedtocreateabetterworld.

Youcanstartwithyourindividualbehavior(recycling,drivingless,turningofflights,shoppingandbankinglocally,andsoforth),butdonotfallintothetrapofbelievingthatthosethingsaloneareenough.Seesuchactionsasgood,butalsoviewthemasportalsintonewwaysofrelatingtotheworldandeverythingaroundyou.

OnaflightafewyearsagofromLehLedakhtoJammu,India,thegroupIwasleadingendeduponthesameplaneastheDalaiLama.Whenhelearnedthattheauthorofabookthat

heliked,Shapeshifting,aboutindigenousshamans,wasonboard,heinvitedmetositnexttohim.Wehadalivelydiscussionaboutshamanism,andastheplanelanded,heofferedafurtherinvitation,formygrouptovisithimathishouseinDharamsala.

Aswechattedwithhimthatafternoon,hetoldusthatitisgoodtoprayforpeace.“But,”headded,“ifthatisallyoudo,it’sawasteoftime.Itmayevenbeadistraction.Youneedtotakeappropriatedailyaction.”HesmiledthatDalaiLamasmile.“Youmustact.Everyday.”

TheDalaiLama’swordsareapplicabletotheactionsnecessarytocreatealifeeconomy.Recycling,drivingless,turningofflights,andothersuchcommitmentsaregood—butitisimportantnottoletthemdistractusfromdreamingbiggerandtaking“appropriatedailyaction”tomakethatbiggerdreamareality.

Likewise,despitealltheteacherswhotellusthatthinkingpositivelyisallweneedtodo,itisnotenough.Morethanabillionpeopleliveonthevergeofstarvation.Forthem,drivinglessisnotanoption;thinkingpositivelywillnotputfoodintheirbellies.Weneedtodomore.Weneedarevolution.

Revolutionshappenbecausepeoplecometogetherandact.Althoughkeyindividualsinspireandleadothers,revolutionssucceedbecauseofcommunalactions.Theruggedindividualasheroisanoldstory;itdivertsfromtheneedforthecollectiveactionsthatgeneraterealchange.TheDalaiLamaknowsthis;theSangha(community)isoneofthethree“jewels,”ortenets,ofBuddhism.Everyreligion,everysocialandpoliticalmovement,honorsthepowerofcommunity.MyuncleErnest,thebankpresident,understoodtheimportanceofsupportinghislocalcommunityinWaterbury,Vermont.

Thedrivetobuildlocalcommunitieshasgainedstrengthinrecentyears.Farmers’markets,theemphasisonbuyinglocally,thereemergenceofcommunitybanks,andeventhecommitmentbylargegrocerychainstopurchaseproducefromneighborhoodgrowersallarepartofanimportanttrend.Atthesametime,awholenewaspectofglobalcommunityisevolving.

OnatriptotheHimalayasseveralmonthsbeforethefirstversionofthisbookwaspublished,Italkedtoatribalelderwholivedinatentmorethanfourteenthousandfeetabovesealevel.Helamentedthathispeoplewouldneverhavetelephones.“Thelinescan’treachthishigh,”hetoldmethroughaninterpreter.IheardsomethingsimilarfromanAchuarleaderdeepintheAmazonrainforest.Now,asIwritethisnewversion,bothofthesemen—andtheircommunities—havesatellitephones.

Forthefirsttimeinhistory,wearecommunicatinginstantaneouslyacrosstheplanet.Andweallarereachingtheconclusionthateachofus,everylivingbeing,isthreatenedbythesamecrisesofrisingoceans,overwhelmingpollution,meltingicecaps,speciesextinctions,overpopulation,andthedevastationofnaturalresources.Weknowthatwemustdowhateverittakestoturnthataround,todreamalifeeconomyintoreality.

Whenaudiencemembersaskmewhat,specifically,theycando,Istartwith,“Youmustfollowyourpassionsanduseyourtalentsinthemostefficient,satisfying,andenjoyablewayyoucan.”ThenImentionsomeoftheappropriatedailyactionsweallcantake.

Wecanjoinnonprofitandothernongovernmentalorganizationsandconsumermovementsaimedatboycottingspecificcorporations.Wecansupportreformmovements

aimedatsuchthingsastaxingcorporations,regulatingbanks,gettingmoneyoutoftheelectoralprocess,andstoppingthecausesofclimatechange.Wecanparticipateindemonstrationsandmarches;writeblogs,books,orarticles;makevideosormovies.Wecanrunforelectedofficeorcampaignfortheplacewhereweworktocommittopublicservice.Wecanspreadthegoodnewsaboutalifeeconomy.WecanbuymagazinesandwatchTVprogramsthatfeaturewomenandmenwhoexpressthenewdream.Thechoicesarepracticallyunlimited.

Weeachcanspreadthisnewmessageinourownway.Thecarpentercanbuildhouseswithlocal,sustainablyproducedmaterials,incorporatesolarpanelsandotherenergy-efficienttechnologies—andconstantlybragaboutit.Thedentistcantalkaboutthelifeeconomywhilefillingacavity.Themothercanteachherchildtobuylocalproductsandsaveinacommunitybank.

Eachofuscantakehisorherownpath—aslongasweallheadforthesamedestination:aneconomythatworksforeveryone.Americanhistoryoffersagreatlessoninthis.TomPainedidnottrytoleadarmies;GeorgeWashingtondidnotwritepamphlets;MarthaWashingtondidnotwritepamphletsorleadarmies.TomPainehadapassionforwriting.GeorgeWashingtonhadapassionforleadingmen.MarthaWashingtonhadapassionfororganizingwomentomakeclothesforsoldiers.Theytookseparatepathsandheadedforthesamedestination:gettingoutfromundertheyokeofBritishtyranny.

Youmusttakethepaththatismosteffectiveforyou,theonethatoffersyouthegreatestjoy.

DuringdemonstrationstoendtheVietnamWar,wewereinvitedtofeelour“blissfactor.”Teach-ins,love-ins,music,dances,andfestivalsblossomedacrossthenation.Themostsuccessfuloneswerepro-peaceratherthanantiwar.Peoplestuckflowersintothemuzzlesofsoldiers’rifles.Folksingerswrotesongshonoringthedemonstratorsandglorifyingpeace.Themovementwassuccessfulbecauseweparticipantscametogetherincommunitiesthatenjoyedtheprocess—andbecausewewerepassionateaboutacause.

I’vewatchedrecentsocial,environmental,andpeacemovementsburnoutbecausepassionswerenothonoredinwaysthatevokedjoy.Thedreamisnotjustaboutthedestination;itmustincludeeverystepalongthepath.Obstacles—whichwillbeencountered—canbeseenasgreatopportunitiestolearnandtogainstrength.

Thelistspresentedinthefollowingchapterofferideasforspecificactionsyoucantake.Theseareonlysuggestions,andthelistsarebynomeanscomprehensive.Atfirst,Iwasreluctanttoprovidethesesuggestions,becauseIthoughttheymightseemtotrivializethisdream-changingprocess.ThenIrealizedthataslongastheyareunderstoodtobepartofaprocess—beginningpoints,inspirations—theyserveapurpose.

Afriend,TracyApple,toldmethatshefeltadeeperconnectiontotheearthwhenshestoppedusingplasticbags.Itledhertomoreactions,includingbecomingakeydeveloperforthePachamamaAlliance’sAwakeningtheDreamerprogram,whichasofthiswritinghasbeenconductedineighty-twocountries.“Iunderstood,”shesaid,“thatwhenIcommittoanaction,I’mcontributingaparttosomethingthatisfargreaterthanthesumofthoseparts.”Givingupplasticbagswasimportantbyitself,butitalsowasaportalintoanewlevelofconsciousness.

Thelistsinchapter47aredividedintosixcategories:(1)thingsweallcando;(2)thingsstudentscando;(3)thingsretiredpeoplecando;(4)thingspeoplebetweenstudentageandretirementagecando;(5)thingscorporationscando(andconsumerscaninsisttheydo);and(6)thingsentrepreneurscando.Thesearesuggestions,intendedtoinspireyoutodowhateverittakestofollowyourpassionsandcreatetheworldweallknowispossible.

Asyoureadthelists,pleasekeepinmindthatperhapsthemostimportantadviceofallistoenjoytheprocess.Followyourbliss.Makeitfun.Don’tburnout.Wheneveryoucomeupagainstanobstacle,seeitasanopportunitythatexcitesyourcreativejuicesandenablesyoutoexperiencethejoyoffindingsolutions.Wheneversomeonecriticizesyouortellsyouthelifeeconomyisimpossible,orwheneveryoumeetaroadblocksuchaspoliceofficerspreventingyoufrommarching,understanditasamanifestationoftheoldstory.Likeagoodmartialartist,gatherstrengthfromsuchactions;usetheenergytoenergizeyou.

Itistimeforyou—andme,us—todowhateverittakestoburythedeatheconomyandbirththelifeeconomy.

CHAPTER47

ThingstoDo

Thefollowinglistsaremeanttostimulateyoutocomeupwithyourownplanofactionandarebynomeansintendedtobecomplete.Neithershouldtheybeconsideredexclusivetothepopulationsidentifiedinthetitles.Inotherwords,ifyouareastudent,feelfreetodrawfromtheretiredpeople’slist,andviceversa.

Besuretochooseitemsthatfityourpassions,thatraiseyourblissfactor,thatbringjoyintoyourlife.Doingwhateverittakestobirththelifeeconomymustbefun.Ofcourse,therewillbetimeswhenyouencounterobstaclesandsetbacks.Seetheseaschallengesthatstiryourcreativityandofferopportunitiestoexperiencethejoyofcreatingsolutions.

Understandthatlovereallyisallweneed.Whenweloveourselves,ourplanet,andoneanother—whenwedothethingsthatincreaseourabilitytolove,andencourageotherstodothesame—everythingworks!

ELEVENTHINGSWEALLCANDO1.Keeptellinganewstory,onethatisbasedoncreatinganenvironmentallysustainable,resourceregenerative,sociallyjustworldwhereonegroupofpeopledoesnotmakeothergroupsofpeopledesperate.Thisstoryisaboutcleaninguppollutionandregardingourplanetasalivingbeing;helpingstarvingpeoplegrow,store,andtransportfoodmoreefficiently;livinglessmaterialisticandmorespirituallyfulfillinglives;developingnewtechnologiesforenergy,transportation,communications,banking,andwholesaleandretailtrade;bringingdiversecommunitiestogetherwiththeunderstandingthatweallliveonafragilespacestationthathasnoescapeshuttles.Inotherwords,tellthestoryofconvertingadeatheconomytoalifeeconomy.Spreadthisstory,everychanceyouget,toasmanypeopleasyoucan.Talk;write;makevideos;offerstudygroups;dowhateverittakes.

2.Shopandinvestconsciously.Replacerecreationalandmindlessshoppingtendencieswithactivitiesthattrulynourishyouandthoseyoulove.Whenyoumustshop,buylocally,aswellasatconsignmentandthriftstores.Makethingslast.Buygoodsandservicesfrom(andinvestin)businessesthatarecommittedtomakingabetterworld.Nooneisperfect,soseekouttheonesthataredoingthebestintheirfield.E-mailthemaboutthegoodthingstheyaredoing,encouragingthemtogetevenbetter.Alsoe-mailthebusinessesthatyouavoid,tellingthem

whyyourefusetopatronizethem.Insistthatanyorganizations,andpensionsorotherfundsthatyouarepartof,dothesame.

3.Liveconsciously.Focusondoingthingsthatenhanceyourrelationshipwithotherpeople,yourcommunity,andtheworldaroundyou,includinghonoringnatureinwhateverformittakesinyourlocale.Breakoldpatternsthatrevolvearoundmaterialismandbuying“stuff”;downsizeyourhouse,car,andwardrobe;bicycleortakepublictransportation;avoidactivitiesthatusefossilfuels;givetalksatlocalschools,libraries,andotherforums.

4.Pickacausethatappealstoyourdeepestpassions,andsupportitonaregularbasis.Thiscouldbechangingacorporation,suchasMonsanto,Chevron,orWalmart;orpromotingamovement,radiostation,blogger,nonprofit,ornongovernmentalorganization.Giveityourattentioneveryday—intheformoftimeandenergy(evenifonlyforafewminutes)ormoney.Usesocialmediatoletallyourfriendsknowwhatyouaredoing.Crafte-mailsandlettersaboutyourcause,anddistributethemfrequentlytoyoursocialmediacontacts,askthemtodistributethesetoalloftheirsocialmediacontacts,andsoon.

5.Becomepartofthelivinglocalcommunity.Uselocalbanksthatinvestinlocalprojects,localmerchants,locallyownedrestaurants;asmuchaspossible,buyfoodthatislocallyandorganicallygrown;usematerialsandgoodsthatarelocaland/orenvironmentallyandsociallyresponsible;createcommunitygardensandurbangreenspaces.Encourageeveryoneyouknowtodothesame.Voteforenlightenedschoolandotherlocalleaders.Joinorformgroupsthatbringpeopletogethertohavefundoingsuchthings:bicycle,nature,book,“changetheworld”clubs—becreative.Drinktaporfiltered,notbottled,water.

6.Floodmediaoutlets,corporateexecutives,andgovernmentofficialswithinformationabouttheneedtomovefromadeatheconomytoalifeeconomy.Dothislocally,nationally,orinternationally—orallthree.

7.Supportreformmovementsthatmostappealtoyou.Thesewillbecountry-andcommunity-dependentactivitiestoencouragegeopolitical,economic,andsocialreforms.Demandsuchthingsasguaranteedlivingwagesand/oremployment,healthinsurance,medicalcare,andretirementpensions.

8.Encouragethecreationoflocal,national,and/orinternationalparks,wildlifepreserves,andothersuchareas.Ifyouliveinanurbansettingorarun-downarea,organizepeopletoturnvacantlotsintoparksandplaygrounds.Spendqualitytimeintheseplacesandencourageeveryoneyouknowtodothesame.

9.Fightforcampaignfinancereformand/orclimatechangeregulationsintheUnitedStatesandelsewhere.JoinorganizationssuchasMovetoAmend,theCommunityEnvironmentalLegalDefenseFund,theCitizens’ClimateLobby,thePachamamaAlliance,orothersthatappealtoyou.

10.Avoiddebt.Takepositiveactionstopayoffcreditcardchargesandotherdebtwithout

incurringinterestpayments.Makeapointofusingcashwheneverpossible.

11.Makeheroesandiconsofpeoplewhoareworkingtocreateabetterworld.Honorthefoundersandmanagersofinstitutionsandmovementsdiscussedinnumbers1through9above,thevisibleandthebehind-the-scenespeoplewhocreateanenvironmentallysustainable,resourceregenerative,sociallyjustworld,whohelpstarvingpeoplefeedthemselves,andwhopromotebetterbusinessandlivingmodels—ratherthantheCEOsofirresponsiblecorporations,overpaidathletes,orcelebrities.

NINETHINGSSTUDENTSCANDO1.Learnallyoucanaboutwhat’sreallygoingonintheworld.Understandthatthemind-setscreatedbythestorieswearetoldandthatwetelleachother,andthedistortedhistoryofhumanitythatistaughttoourchildren,areextremelypowerful.Looktothealternativemediaforthestorybehindthestory.

2.Questionauthority.Knowthattherearemanyconspiraciesintentondeceivingyou.Questionandstanduptothemeverychanceyouget.Bydoingso,youwillchangethemind-setsandanewstorywillevolve.

3.Understandyourpassions.Whatdoyoumostenjoyinlife?Focusonactivitiesthatbringyoujoy,andondevelopingadeeperappreciationofandknowledgeaboutsubjectsthatmostappealtoyou.Determinetoliveyourlifeaccordingtoyourpassions.Recognizethatthemostimportanteducationyoucangetinvolvesself-knowledgeandacommitmenttolivingyourbliss.

4.Seekoutotherswhoarelookingtochangethestory.JoinordevelopcommunitiesofpeoplewhoareintentonhelpingeachotherrisetonewlevelsofunderstandingandlivinginwaysthataremoreconnectedtoeachotherandtoourlivingEarth.

5.Speakout.Helppeoplewhodonotfitthedefinitionofnumber4abovetounderstandthedeceptionswe’refed.Teachyourcontemporaries—andletyoureldersknowthatyourgenerationisnotgoingtobehoodwinked.

6.Takeastandagainstdebt.Donotacceptburdensomestudentloansorcreditcardandotherdebt.Joinorganizationsthathelpstudentsavoiddebtsand/orgetoutfromunderexistingdebts.

7.Workforyourpassion.Gotoworkonlyfororganizationsandbusinessesthatareconsistentwithyourpassionsandphilosophies.Ifyoucan’tfindanysuchjobs,createyourown.Taketherouteoftheself-starter,theentrepreneur,andrefusetobecaughtinworkpatternsthatdepleteyourenergyandcreativity.

8.Joinorganizations.Participateinnonprofitandothernongovernmentalorganizations,

societies,ormovementsthatsupportthethingsyoufeelmostpassionateabout,suchasGenerationWakingUp,MovetoAmend,theCommunityEnvironmentalLegalDefenseFund,theCitizens’ClimateLobby,thePachamamaAlliance,DreamChange,andothers.Getinvolved.Takeaction.Becomepartofthosecommunities.Offerthemyourcreativityandtalents,ormoney,tosupportpositivechange.

9.Makevideosorfilmsaimedatendingthedeatheconomyandbuildingalifeeconomy.Thesecouldfocusonwhatevermostappealstoyou—human,animal,orplantrights;consumerorsocialmovements;economics,politics,orhistory;science-fictionstoriesaboutthefuture;oralimitlessnumberofothersubjects.

SIXTHINGSRETIREDPEOPLECANDO1.Youcan’tbefired,sorattlethecage.Getinvolvedinactivitiesthatmighthavefrightenedyoubefore.Don’tbeafraidtoexpressyourself,andevenbe“outrageous.”

2.Takeaction.Followyourheartandgetinvolvedincausesthatappealtoyou.Avoidthetemptationtobelievethatyouarepastyourprimeorareunabletooffersomethingmeaningfultotheworld,ortobecomedistractedbyself-absorbedactivities.Enjoyleisureactivitiessuchasgolf,cards,tennis,sailing,watchingTV,butalsounderstandthatthegreaterpleasurecomesfromofferingwhatyouhavelearnedinlifetobiggercausesandcreatingabetterworldforfuturegenerations.

3.Mentoryoungerpeople.Youhaveagreatdealtooffer.Whetheryouwereacarpenter,ateacher,ahealthworker,agardener,abusinessexecutive,orwhatever,recognizethatyourexperiencesarepreciousandcanhelpthosewhofollow.Eldersinindigenouscommunitiestraditionallyhavebeenhonoredfortheirwisdom.Honoryourselfasanelderandteachyoungpeopletomakeeveryjob,everyactivity,aboutnourishinglifeandalifeeconomy.

4.Demandresponsibleinvestments.Insistthatyourpensionfunds,mutualfunds,andotherinvestmentsbededicatedtoservingthepublicinterestandcreatinganenvironmentallysustainable,resourceregenerative,sociallyjustworld.Letthefundsandcorporationswhereyouownstockknowthatyouwantthemtobesuccessful,andthatthismeansparticipatinginthecreationofalifeeconomy.

5.Participateinorcreatecampaignsthataffectgovernment,politics,andcorporatepolicies.Runforofficeorsupportcandidateswhodo,joinconsumermovements,ortakewhateverpathdrawsyoutobeafullparticipantinthedemocraticprocess.Realizethatthisisnotjustpartofbeingatrueadvocateofdemocracy;italsoisdeeplyrewardingandfun.

6.Shareyourstory.Tellothers,especiallyyoungerpeople,aboutyourlifeandtheworldyougrewupin—howitworked,whereitfailed,andwhatneedstobedonenowtocreatesocietiesthatareresilientandthathonoralllife.Dothisinsmallfamilyorcommunitygatheringsaswellasbeforelargerbodiessuchasserviceclubs,andthroughwriting,film,

art,music,orwhatevervehiclesworkbestforyou.Tapyouruniquegiftsandtalents.

NINETHINGSPEOPLEBETWEENSTUDENTAGEANDRETIREMENTAGECANDO1.Beawareofwhatisgoingoninyourcommunityandaroundtheworld.Digbeneaththesurface.Don’tallowyourselftobedupedbythemedia,politicians,corporations,orgovernments.

2.Developcommunicationsskillstohelpeveryonearoundyougaingreaterawarenessofwhatisgoingon.Realizethatbeingdogmaticorjudgmentalusuallydoesnotwork.“Didyouknowthat...?”ismoreeffectivethan“Don’tyouknowthat...?”Also,remembertoaskquestionsthatsparkpeople’scuriosityandcreativity.Thiscanbemoreeffectivethanoverwhelmingpeoplewithyourownideasandinformation.Usewhateverchannelsareeasiestforyou:talking,writing,e-mailing,texting,postingonFacebookandTwitter...thelistgoeson.

3.Demandeconomicandtaxreforms,suchasaccountingpracticesthatinternalizecosts,strictoversightofWallStreetandbigbanks,andtaxlawsthatforcethewealthyandcorporationstopaytheirfairshareandthatencouragesociallyandenvironmentallybeneficialtechnologies.Voteonlyforcandidateswhosupportthese,buyonlyfrombusinessesthatcomplywithandpromotesuchreforms,andletthecandidatesandbusinessesknow.Writeletterstoeditorsandblogs,postonFacebookandTwitter,andsoon.

4.Formorjoinconsumermovements,nonprofits,andnongovernmentalorganizationsthatpromotebusinessesthatserveapublicinterest—the99.99percentratherthanthe0.01percent.Calland/orsende-mailstoyourlocalandnationalrepresentatives,urgingthemtosupportthesemovementsandtovoteforsuchreforms.

5.Helpformand/orsupportcommunity-basedbusinessessuchasconsumerco-ops,communitycorporations,CertifiedBCorporations,localpublicbanks,andworker-ownedbusinesses.

6.Joindemonstrations,protests,andworker/student/civilmovementsthatfightforbettersocialandenvironmentalconditions.Activelyparticipate,orgivethemfinancialandsocialmediasupport.

7.Developanawarenessofyourownbiasesaroundrace,religion,financialstatus,immigration,gender,andotherissues,andworktowardovercomingthosebiases.

8.Teachyoungerpeopletobeactivistswithsoul.Helpthemtounderstandthatdemocracyisbasedonbeinginformedandeducatedaboutwhatisgoingonintheworld,andtakinginspiredaction.

9.Ifyouworkforacorporationorownstock,speakout.Makeitknownthatyouwantthecompanywhereyouworkorwhereyouownstocktobesuccessful,andthatthesuccessfulbusinessesofthefuturewillbethosethatnourishahealthy,resilientnaturalenvironmentandthatcontributetothejoy,harmony,andequalityoftheiremployeesandofthecommunitiestheyserve.Seealsothenextsection,“ElevenThingsCorporationsCanDo.”

ELEVENTHINGSCORPORATIONSCANDO(ANDTHATCONSUMERSCANINSISTTHEYDO)1.Includeinyourgoalsandmissionstatementacommitmenttoservingthepublic,thenaturalenvironment,socialharmony,andjustice.Ofcourse,thismustbetailoredtothecorporation’sspecificgoodsandservices.Itshouldbethedrivingforcebehindallactivities,andanintegratedandpowerfulaspectofallmarketingprograms.Letitbeknownthatthiscorporationislookingoutforthefutureaswellasthepresent,andthatthosewhosupportitascustomersorinvestorsaremakingtheworldabetterplace.

2.Convinceyourowners(stockholders),executives,employees,andotherstakeholdersthatthemissionoutlinedinitem1willservethecorporation’slong-termbestinterests.Helpallstakeholdersunderstandthatwereallyhaveenteredanewerainhumanevolutionandthatthecompaniesthatwillsurviveandsucceedarethosethatwakeuptoandhonorthetransitiontoalifeeconomy.

3.Launchprogramstoensurethattheinputsforallgoodsandservicesaresustainablyproduced.Rawmaterialsandsuppliesshouldcomefromsourcesthateitherarerecycledorareproducedinwaysthatenablethemtoregenerateandthatdonotviolatetherightsofanimalsorofnature.Everypersoninthecompanyshouldbeawareofwherematerialscomefrom,howthesourceisreplenished,andhowthecompanytangiblysupportsandhonorsourlivingEarth.

4.Implementpoliciesthatensurefair,living,andequitablecompensationforallemployeesandotherworkers.Establishwage,bonus,andothercompensationstandardsthatminimizethegapbetweenthelowest-andthehighest-paidemployees(forexample,thehighest-paidemployeereceivesnomorethanthreetimesthesalaryofthelowest-paidemployee).Confirmthatpeopleworkingforpartner,contractor,subcontractor,andsuppliercompanies,orforoffshorefactories,receivefairandequitablelivingwages,andthattheconditionsinwhichtheyworkmeetthehigheststandards.

5.Recognizethattohireandretainthebestandthebrightest,thecorporationmustbededicatedtoalifeeconomy.Increasingly,employeeswanttoworkforcompaniesthataredoinggoodwork.ResearchshowsthatmembersofgenerationsXandYdesiretobepartofcreativeendeavorsthatwillsupportalivingEarthforthemandforfuturegenerations.Hireandnurturepeoplewhothriveoninnovationandsociallyandenvironmentallyresponsiblechange,notthestatusquo.

6.Createmanagementsystemsthatencouragecreativity,joy,andasenseofcamaraderieandcommunity.Makethetransitionfromthecommand-and-controlleadershipparadigmtocollaborativedecision-makingmodels.Thetrendtowardmanagementsystemsthatarelesshierarchical(orevennonhierarchical)hasprovenhighlyrewardingforindividualsandorganizationsalike.Althoughthismustbetailoredtothespecificcompany,itisimportanttorecognizethattraditional,linearmanagementstructuresmaynotbeeffectiveinsystemsthataremovingfromadeatheconomytoalifeeconomy.Lifethrivesindiversityandcommunity.

7.Investwiselyinfullemploymentandinthecommunitywherethecompanyoperates,insteadofinstockbuybacksandotherventuresthatonlyhelpWallStreet.Investininternaloperations,suchasupdatingdatasecuritysystemstoprotectemployeeconfidentialityandproprietaryproductinformation;financecompaniesthatcancontributetoyourcorporation’ssupplyormarketingchain;andsupportrecreationalfacilities,parks,andotherprojectsthatbenefitthecommunity.

8.Takecriticismfromlegitimatesourcesseriously.Treatenvironmentalandsocialcriticismsandproposalsfromthemedia,stockholders,andothersourceswithrespectandappreciation,andcommittotakingactionsthatfacilitateconstantimprovement.Encouragedeepevaluationofallactivities,recognizingthatlegitimatecriticism,introspection,evaluation,andimprovementbenefiteveryoneandthecompany.

9.Committodiversityandinclusionthroughoutthecompany.Embracevarietyanddiversityamongemployees,theboardofdirectors,andthemanagementteam;ingoodsandservices;andthroughoutthestakeholdercommunity.Insistthatallpartnerorganizationsandsuppliersdothesame.Recognizethatmonoculturesseldomsucceedandthatdiversityandinclusionwillbethehallmarkoffuturesuccessstories.

10.Supportacultureofethicalbehaviorandaccountability.Encouragetransparencyandwhistle-blowingratherthanblindobedienceandsilence.

11.Includeinallyourmessagingthecorporation’scommitmenttoitsmissionofservingthepublicinterestandmanifestingalifeeconomy.Thiswillbecomeapowerfulpromotionaltool.Inadditiontoadvancingthecompany’sself-interest,italsowillinspire,encourage,andempowerotherstodothesame.

FIVETHINGSENTREPRENEURSCANDO1.Followyourheart.Chooseanendeavorthatfulfillsyourstrongestpassionsandemploysyourgreatestskills.Don’tbeswayedbytheopinionsof“experts,”parents,teachers,orotherswhonevertriedtodowhatyouknowinyourheartyouwanttodo.Don’tbeafraidtooffersomethingradicallydifferentfromwhatyouseearoundyou,especiallyifithasthepotentialtoimprovecurrentproductsorapproaches.Daretobegreat,andtrustthatgreatnesswillchannelthroughyou!

2.Getstarted.Theearlierthebetter.Recognizethatthedifferencebetweenapersonwhofailsandonewhosucceedsisthatthelattertriedonemoretime.Therearenomistakes,justlessonsandopportunitiestorefineyourapproach,clarifyyourgoals,anddeepenyourinspiration.

3.Buildcommunitiesandnetworksthatsupportyouandamoreholisticworldview(BCorps,BenefitCorps,socialventurenetworks,for-profit/not-for-profitpartnerships,andthelike).Usethesetoinspireandencourageyouandtohelpimproveyoursupplychains,recruitmentcampaigns,andmarketing.Enlistandempowerotherentrepreneurs.Whencollegeclassmates,friends,andfamilyseeentrepreneursthriving,itemboldensthemtopursuetheirownpassions.

4.Bethecompanyyouenvisionforthefuture.Byestablishinganinspirationalapproachtoasustainablebusinessyoumanifestyourowndreamandsetanexamplethatwillempowerothers.Approachesfordoingthisincludethewayyouhireandretainemployees,theproductsandservicesyouoffer,theresourcesyouuse,thecommitmentyoumaketoencouragingactivitieswhichregeneratedepletedresourcesandravagedenvironments,andthecontributionsyoumaketoyourcommunity.

5.Undertaketheelevenactionsoutlinedin“ElevenThingsCorporationsCanDo,”onceyoufindyourselfrunningacompany.

DocumentationofEconomicHitManActivity,2004–2015

TheaimofthissectionistosupplychronologicaldocumentationofthescopeandreachoftheEHMsystemintheyearssinceConfessionsofanEconomicHitManwasfirstpublished.Amongthefollowingitemsarereportsbynonprofitorganizationsandgovernmentbodies,leakeddocumentsandotherconfidentialmaterials,journalisticinvestigations,andmore.Someitemsfocusonasingle,specificinstanceofEHMactivity;othersdocumentsystematicactionsbyavarietyofentitiesoverlongperiods.ThislistisnotmeanttobecomprehensivebutrathertoillustratetheextenttowhichtheEHMsysteminfiltrateseveryaspectofourglobaleconomy.

Ieitherhavequoteddirectlyfromarticlesandreportsorhavesummarizedandparaphrasedtheircontent,andIhaveidentifiedkeypointsinboldface.Ihavenotattemptedtoverifytheinformationprovidedortheconclusionsreachedbythesesources.Thus,theanalyses,opinions,andconclusionspresentedbelowarethoseoftheauthors,publications,andwebsitesreferenced,notmyown.Ileaveittoyoutoarriveatyourownconclusions.

2004

AUnitedNationsstudyarguesthattiedaidis“strangling”nations,asreportedbytheInterPressServicenewsagency:“Donormoneythatcomeswithstringsattachedcutsthevalueofaidtorecipientcountries25–40percent,becauseitobligesthemtopurchaseuncompetitivelypricedimportsfromtherichernations,saysanewUNstudyonAfricaneconomies....‘TheUnitedStatesmakessurethat80centsineveryaiddollarisreturnedtothehomecountry,’saysNjokiNjorogeNjehu,directorof50YearsisEnough,acoalitionofover200grassrootsnon-governmentalorganizations.”www.ipsnews.net/2004/07/development-tied-aid-strangling-nations-says-un

RightsandAccountabilityinDevelopment(RAID)releasesareportthatfollowsuponanearlierseriesofUnitedNationsreportsthatdocumented“thelinksbetweenbusiness,resourceexploitation,andconflict”intheDemocraticRepublicoftheCongo.TheRAIDreport,titledUnansweredQuestions:Companies,ConflictandtheDemocraticRepublicoftheCongo,includesasectionexaminingthebankingsector,whichcites(amongotherinfractions)theUnitedNationsallegationthat“MIBA[SocietéMinièredeBakwanga,thestate-owneddiamondminingcompany]accountsheldbyBelgolaiseBankhavebeenusedtoconductfinancialtransactionsinvolvingthepurchaseofarmamentsbytheGovernmentoftheDRC.”www.raid-uk.org/sites/default/files/unanswered-qq.pdf

UnitedNationsreport:

daccess-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N03/567/36/IMG/N0356736.pdf

UnitedNationspressreleaseonthereport:www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=8706

GlobalJusticeNow(formerlytheWorldDevelopmentMovement)releasesareporttitledZambia:CondemnedtoDebt—HowtheIMFandWorldBankHaveUnderminedDevelopment.Thereport“clearlydemonstratesthattheIMFandWorldBank’sinvolvementinZambiahasbeenunsuccessful,undemocratic,andunfair.TheevidencesuggeststhatthepasttwentyyearsofIMFandWorldBankinterventionhaveexacerbatedratherthanamelioratedZambia’sdebtcrisis.Ironically,inreturnfordebtrelief,Zambiaisrequiredtodomoreofthesame.”www.globaljustice.org.uk/sites/default/files/files/resources/zambia01042004.pdf

2005

InTheGreatAmericanJobsScam(SanFrancisco:Berrett-Koehler,2005),GregLeRoyexposesthe“$50billion-a-yearscaminwhich—inthenameof‘jobcreation’—corporationsplaystatesandcitiesagainsteachothertowinheftytaxpayersubsidiesthatroutinelyexceed$100,000perjob.”Later,LeRoy’sorganizationGoodJobsFirstreleasesa“Megadeals”reportidentifying240corporatesubsidyawards“withatotalstateandlocalcostof$75millionormoreeach”—morethan$64billioncumulatively.Thesearesubsidiesdesignedtoattractorkeepindustry(andjobs),butwhichinfactfunctionaslegalbribery,tothetuneofanaverageof$456,000perjob.ThesedealsaremadepossiblebysomeofthemostbrazenEHMsworkingtoday:so-calledsitelocationconsultants,peoplewho“presentthemselvesasindispensablemiddlemenbetweencommunitiesseekinginvestmentsandcompaniesdecidingwheretolocatenewfacilities.”Sitelocationconsultantsarepaidasmuchas30percentofthefinalsubsidypackage,givingthemaperverseincentivetoforcestateandlocalgovernmentsintoofferingoutrageouspackagesthatareworthfarmorethanthecorporationcanreturninjobsandtaxes.www.greatamericanjobsscam.com

www.goodjobsfirst.org/megadeals

www.goodjobsfirst.org/corporate-subsidy-watch/site-location-consultants

GlobalJusticeNowreleasesareporttitledOneSizeforAll:AStudyofIMFandWorldBankPovertyReductionStrategies.Followingwidespreadcriticismofthe“structuraladjustmentconditionalities”imposedbytheWorldBankandtheIMFoneconomicallydevelopingcountries,theWorldBankannouncedanewapproachtopromotelocalownershipoftheprocess:PovertyReductionStrategyPapers.TheGlobalJusticeNowreportanalyzesthecontentoffiftysuchPRSPsandfindsthatthepoliciescontainedwithinthemareinfact“remarkablysimilar”totheharmfulpoliciesofpreviousstructuraladjustmentprograms.www.globaljustice.org.uk/sites/default/files/files/resources/onesizeforeall01092005.pdf

2006

WilliamEasterly,aprofessorofeconomicsandformerresearcheconomistattheWorldBank,publishesTheWhiteMan’sBurden:WhytheWest’sEffortstoAidtheRestHaveDoneSoMuchIllandSoLittleGood(NewYork:Penguin,2006).AnAmericanLibraryAssociationreviewbyBryceChristensendescribesitasfollows:“Thoughheacknowledgesthatsuchprojectshavesucceededinsometasks—reducinginfantmortality,forexample—EasterlyadducessoberingevidencethatWesternnationshaveaccomplisheddepressinglylittlewiththetrillionstheyhavespentonforeignaid.Thatevidencesuggeststhatinsomecountries—includingHaiti,Zaire,andAngola—foreignaidhasactuallyintensifiedthesufferingofthepoor.Byexaminingthetorturedhistoryofseveralaidinitiatives,heshowshowblindandarrogantWesternaidofficershaveimposedonhelplessclientsapostmodernneocolonialismofpoliticalmanipulationandeconomicdependency,stiflingdemocracyandlocalenterpriseintheprocess.”http://williameasterly.org/books/the-white-mans-burden

TheWorldBankapproves$215millioninloansandgrantstosupportanEthiopianhealthservicesproject;in2009,financialsupportisextendedbyanadditional$540million.Accordingtoinsiders,asreportedina2015articlebytheHuffingtonPostandtheInternationalConsortiumofInvestigativeJournalists,tensofmillionsofdollarsaredivertedfromtheWorldBankfundstosupportEthiopia’s“villagization”effort—aprocessmarkedbyintimidation,violence,andrape,accordingtoa2012reportbyHumanRightsWatchcalled“WaitingHereforDeath”:ForcedDisplacementand“Villagization”inEthiopia’sGambellaRegion.http://projects.huffingtonpost.com/worldbank-evicted-abandoned/new-evidence-ties-

worldbank-to-human-rights-abuses-ethiopia

www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/ethiopia0112webwcover_0.pdf

2007AWorldBank–fundedprojectinKenya’sCheranganiHillsleadstotheforcedevictionofthousandsofindigenousSengwerpeople,accordingtoaninvestigationbytheHuffingtonPostandtheInternationalConsortiumofInvestigativeJournalists,publishedin2015.AdvocatesfortheSengwersaythat“thebank’sfundingoftheprojectputtheSengwerindangerbecausetheprojectredrewtheCheranganiHills’protectedForestReserveinawaythatincludedthousandsoftheminsidethereserve’sboundaries,”therebygivingtheKenyanauthoritiesa“pretextforevictingthem.”Furthermore,“cashfromtheWorldBankalsoprovidedtheequipmenttheKFS[KenyaForestService]neededtolaunchitsmassevictioncampaign.”http://projects.huffingtonpost.com/worldbank-evicted-abandoned/worldbank-projects-leave-

trail-misery-around-globe-kenya

Zambiaisforcedtopay$15.5milliontovulturefundDonegalInternationalforaloanZambiatookoutfromRomaniain1979,whichDonegalboughtfromRomaniain1999for

$3.2million.Donegalhadbeensuingfor$55million.http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6589287.stm

2008

InAGameAsOldAsEmpire(SanFrancisco:Berrett-Koehler,2008),editedbyStevenHiatt,twelvedistinguishedauthorsexplorethemanyfacetsofmodern-dayeconomichitmenandthedevastatingconsequencesofthecorporatocracy.www.bkconnection.com/books/title/a-game-as-old-as-empire

EHMscauseaglobalfinancialcrisis.OnSeptember16,2008,thefailurescausedbylargeUSfinancialinstitutions—experiencedbytheexposureofsubprimeloansandcreditdefaultswaps—devolveintoaglobaleconomiccrisis,Europeanbankfailures,andstockvaluereductionsworldwide.TheseandotherfactorscontributetoaglobalrecessionthatmanyconsidertobetheworstsincetheGreatDepression.www.bloomberg.com/bw/stories/2008-10-10/stock-market-crash-understanding-the-

panicbusinessweek-business-news-stock-market-and-financial-advice

www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financialcrisis/3174151/Financial-crisis-US-stock-markets-suffer-worst-week-on-record.html

TheEuropeanNetworkonDebtandDevelopment(Eurodad),anetworkoffifty-onenongovernmentalorganizationsfromsixteenEuropeancountries,releasesareporttitledCriticalConditions:TheIMFMaintainsItsGriponLow-IncomeGovernments.“ThisreportfindsthatsincetheConditionalityGuidelineswereapproved,theIMFhasnotmanagedtodecreasethenumberofstructuralconditionsattachedtotheirdevelopmentlending.Moreover,theFundcontinuestomakeheavyuseofhighlysensitiveconditions,suchasprivatizationandliberalization.Eurodad’sanalysisfindsthataquarterofalltheconditionsinFundloansapprovedafter2002stillcontainprivatisationorliberalisationreforms.”www.eurodad.org/uploadedfiles/whats_new/reports/critical_conditions.pdf

TheJubileeUSANetworkreleasesabriefingnotetitledAreIMFandWorldBankEconomicPolicyConditionsUnderminingtheImpactofDebtCancellation?“[Twelve]yearssincetheinceptionoftheHeavilyIndebtedPoorCountriesInitiative(HIPC)in1996,themaindebtreliefprogramattheWorldBankandIMF,theinitiativesuffersfromseriousflaws.AmongthemaretheharmfuleconomicpolicyrequirementsattachedtobothdebtreliefandlendingfromtheIMFandWorldBank.Theseharmfulpolicyrequirements...areunderminingandsometimesevennegatingthebenefitsofdebtcancellation....Theserequirementsoftenhurtthepoorestandmostvulnerablepeopleandshouldbestoppedimmediatelytoenabledebtrelieftomeetitslifesavingpromise.”www.jubileeusa.org/fileadmin/user_upload/Resources/Policy_Archive/208briefnoteconditionality.pdf

InanarticlefortheNation,JamesS.Henry,asenioradvisertotheTaxJusticeNetworkand

authorofTheBloodBankers:TalesfromtheGlobalUndergroundEconomy(NewYork:FourWallsEightWindows,2003),recountsthestaggeringextentoftheoffshorefinancialindustry.Fromthearticle:“Inthelastthirtyyears,fueledbytheglobalizationoffinancialservices,lousylending,capitalflightandmind-bogglingcorruption,arelativelysmallnumberofmajorbanks,lawfirms,accountingfirms,assetmanagers,insurancecompaniesandhedgefundshavecometolaunderandconcealatleast$10trillionto$15trillionofprivateuntaxedanonymouscross-borderwealth.”www.thenation.com/article/attack-global-pirate-bankers

2009

TheInternationalPolicyCentreforInclusiveGrowthreleasesaone-pagerexaminingIMFpolicyprescriptionsandconditionalities.TitledIstheWashingtonConsensusDead?,thepaperdescribestheharmfuleffectsofconditionalitiesinnouncertainterms:“Thesimpletruthisthatconditionalitiesarepaternalistic.Theyaremeanttoalterbehaviourandinducechangesineconomic,politicalandsocialstructures.Theyalsoserveasasortofcollateral;insomecasestheyareaformofcoerciontoensureadoptionofotherwiseunpalatablereforms.”www.ipc-undp.org/pub/IPCOnePager82.pdf

Moreproofthateconomichitmencontinuetomanipulateeconomicforecaststo“sell”IMFpolicies.TheCenterforEconomicandPolicyResearchreleasesareporttitledIMF-SupportedMacroeconomicPoliciesandtheWorldRecession:ALookatForty-OneBorrowingCountries,whichexaminesStand-ByArrangements,PovertyReductionandGrowthFacilities,andExogenousShocksFacilitiesbetweentheIMFandforty-onecountries.“Thepaperfindsthat31ofthe41agreementscontainpro-cyclicalmacroeconomicpolicies.Theseareeitherpro-cyclicalfiscalormonetarypolicies—orin15cases,both—that,inthefaceofasignificantslowdowningrowthorinarecession,wouldbeexpectedtoexacerbatethedownturn....InmanycasestheFund’spro-cyclicalpolicieswerebasedonover-optimisticassumptionsabouteconomicgrowth.Forexample,ofthe26countriesthathavehadatleastonereview,11IMFreportshadtolowerpreviousforecastsofrealGDPgrowthbyatleast3percentagepoints,andthreeofthosehadtocorrectforecaststhatwereatleast7percentagepointsoverestimated.Mostlikelytherewillbemoredownwardrevisionstocome.”www.cepr.net/documents/publications/imf-2009-10.pdf

Jackalsarealiveandasactiveasever.HonduranPresidentManuelZelayaisoustedinwhatsomeallegeisaCIA-supportedcoupd’état.Shortlyafterthecoup,theNewYorkTimesreportsonUSadministrationdenialsofCIAinvolvement;twoyearslater,theformercultureministerofHonduras,RodolfoPastorFasquelle,outlinesUSinvolvementonDemocracyNow!,usingcablesreleasedbyWikiLeaksasevidence.www.nytimes.com/2009/06/30/world/americas/30honduras.html

www.democracynow.org/2011/6/1/former_honduran_minister_us_undoubtedly_played

www.democracynow.org/2015/7/28/clinton_the_coup_amid_protests_in

TheGuardianpublishesleakedmemosfromBarclaysbankthatpurporttoreveal“anumberofelaborateinternationaltaxavoidanceschemesbytheSCM(StructuredCapitalMarkets)divisionofBarclays.”Accordingtothesedocuments,Barclaysisallegedtohavebeen“systematicallyassistingclientstoavoidhugeamountsoftaxtheyshouldbeliableforacrossmultiplejurisdictions.”Barclaysobtainedacourtinjunctionthatnight,forcingtheGuardiantoremovethedocumentsfromitsWebarchive.WikiLeaksreleasestheoriginalleakedmemosanddescribesthecircumstances.www.WikiLeaks.org/wiki/The_Guardian:_Censored_Barclays_tax_avoidance_leaked_memos%2C_16_Mar_2009

IsraelibillionaireDanGertlerisallegedtohaveearneda500percentreturnasamiddlemanonaminingdealintheDemocraticRepublicoftheCongo,andisallegedtohavecheatedtheDRC’sgovernmentoutof$60million(oneofGertler ’smanydealingsintheDRC,asdetailedbyBloomberg.com).www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2012-12-05/gertler-earns-billions-as-mine-deals-leave-

congo-poorest

Anop-edintheGuardianlikenstheInternationalMonetaryFundtoacold-bloodedmurdererinthewayitpunishesdevelopingeconomies.OntheIMF’sactionsagainstLatvia:“Latviamisseda200millioneurodisbursementfromtheIMFinMarchfornotcuttingitsbudgetenough.Accordingtopressreports,thegovernmentwantstorunabudgetdeficitof7percentofGDPforthisyear,andtheIMFwants5percent.Latviaisalreadycuttingitsbudgetby40percent,andisplanningtoclosesomepublichospitalsandschoolsinordertomaketheIMF’stargets,promptingstreetprotests.”www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/cifamerica/2009/may/13/imf-us-congress-aid

2010

WikiLeaksreleasesvastnumbersofdocumentsandfilesrelatedtothewarsinIraqandAfghanistan;thecollectionsbecomeknownasthe“warlogs.”AssummarizedonAlternet.org:“These‘AfghanWarLogs,’liketheIraqiwarlogsafterthem,andmuchmaterialinWikiLeaks’recentreleaseofdiplomaticcables,revealaboveallthatUSExecutivewar-makingismarkedbymassivedeceptionoftheAmericanpeople—particularlylyingabout(1)theenormousciviliancasualtiestheUSiscausingand(2)itsclaimtobepursuinga‘counter-insurgencystrategy’designedtoinstallademocraticAfghangovernment.TheTimesandGuardianstoriesdescribehowtheseofficialUSdocumentsrevealconstantUSExecutiveBranchlyingtotheAmericanpeople.”www.alternet.org/story/149393/WikiLeaks%27_most_terrifying_revelation%3A_just_how_much_our_government_lies_to_us

IntheCitizensUnitedv.FederalElectionCommissiondecision,theUSSupremeCourtdeclares“thecorporateexpenditurebanunconstitutional,holdingthatindependentexpenditures[can]notbeconstitutionallylimitedinfederalelections,andimplicitlythatcorporations[can]giveunlimitedamountstoothergroupstospend,aslongasthe

expenditures[are]madeindependentlyfromthesupportedcandidate”—thusgivingrisetothesuperPAC.www.cnn.com/2012/02/15/opinion/wertheimer-super-pacs

GlobalJusticeNowreleasesareporttitledTheGreatHungerLottery:HowBankingSpeculationCausesFoodCrises.Thereportexaminesthe“astonishingsurgeinstaplefoodpricesoverthecourseof2007–2008,whenmillionswenthungryandfoodriotssweptmajorcitiesaroundtheworld,”andshowshowthiscrisis“wasfueledbythebehavioroffinancialspeculators.”Continuedspeculationonfoodcommodities“hasledtofoodpricesbecomingunaffordableforlow-incomefamiliesaroundtheworld,particularlyindevelopingcountrieshighlyreliantonfoodimports.”www.globaljustice.org.uk/sites/default/files/files/resources/hunger_lottery_report_6.10.pdf

ProPublicalaunchesaninvestigation(ongoingthrough2015)intotheWallStreet“moneymachine,”exploringhowWallStreet“tookadvantageofcomplicatedmortgage-basedinstrumentstoreapbillions,onlytoexacerbatetheeventualcrash.”Oneofitsmorerecentarticles(publishedinApril2014)examinedtheconvictionofformerinvestmentbankerKareemSerageldinandattemptedtounderstand“whythelargestman-madeeconomiccatastrophesincetheDepressionresultedinthejailingofasingleinvestmentbanker—onewhohappenedtobeseveralrungsfromthecorporatesuiteatasecond-tierfinancialinstitution.”www.propublica.org/series/the-wall-street-money-machine

www.propublica.org/article/the-rise-of-corporate-impunity

MotherJonesdocumentstheUSgovernment’slongtimekowtowingtobigoilinanarticletitledUSGovernment,BroughttoYouByBigOil.Thearticleprovidesextensiveevidenceinsupportoftheargumentthat“theoilcompaniesnotonlywritetheirownregulationsandperformtheirownoversight;theyalsosetenergypolicyanddraftlaws.”www.motherjones.com/mojo/2010/06/us-government-brought-you-big-oil

Vulturefunds’debtrepaymentsuitstealsLiberianfundsearmarkedformuch-neededpostconflictdevelopment.InthesameyearthatLiberiaisawarded$4.6billionindebtrelieffromtheInternationalMonetaryFundandtheWorldBank,thecountryisforcedtosettlewithHamsahInvestmentandWallCapital,twoso-calledvulturefunds,whichsuedLiberiain2009fora$6.5millionloanoriginallytakenoutfromUS-basedChemicalBankin1978.Theamountthevulturefundsweresuingforpurportedlyclimbedtoawhopping$43millionby2010;Liberiaagreedtosettleforjustover3percentofthatamount.www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-11819276

2011

EurodadreleasesareporttitledHowtoSpendIt:SmartProcurementforMoreEffectiveAid,whichcondemns“tiedaid”andestimatesthat,of$69billionannually,“morethan50percent

oftotalofficialdevelopmentassistanceisspentonprocuringgoodsandservicesfordevelopmentprojectsfromexternalproviders....‘Tyingaid’totheconditionthatallpurchasesaremadefromfirmsfromdonorcountriesistheleasteffectiveformofprocurement.Itturnsaidintoboomerangaid:afinancialflowthatisonlychannelledtodevelopingcountriesonthebooks.AlthoughfirstagreementstountieaidweresignedattheOECD[OrganisationforEconomicCo-operationandDevelopment]in2001...about20percentofbilateralaidisstillformallytied.Developmentprojectsfundedwithtiedaidarealso15to40percentmoreexpensive.Furthermore,inrealitythemajorityofformallyuntiedaidcontractsfrombilateralagenciesalsogotodonorcountryfirms.Two-thirdsareawardedtofirmsfromOECDcountries,and60percent‘incountry,’tofirmsfromthedonorcountrythatfundsaproject.”www.theguardian.com/global-development/2011/sep/07/aid-benefits-donor-countries-

companies

ThefullreportcanbefoundonEurodad’swebsite:http://eurodad.org/files/pdf/5284d26056f24.pdf

WikiLeaksreleasesthe“PetroCaribeFiles,”documenting“howtheUStried—andfailed—toscuttleaVenezuelanoildealeventhoughitwouldbringhugebenefitstoHaiti’simpoverishedpeople.”www.thenation.com/article/161056/petrocaribe-files

AcablereleasedbyWikiLeaks“showshowUSandinternationaldonorspushedaheadwithariggedpresidentialelection”inHaiti.www.thenation.com/article/161216/WikiLeaks-haiti-cable-depicts-fraudulent-haiti-election

AleadingnewspaperinNigeria,ThisDay,reportedthattheUSStateDepartment,inconjunctionwithShellOil,plantedoperativeswithinthegovernmenttoinfluencedomesticandforeignpolicy.AccordingtoThisDay,“Shell’stopexecutiveinNigeriatoldUSdiplomatsthatShellhadsecondedemployeestoeveryrelevantdepartmentandsoknew‘everythingthatwasbeingdoneinthoseministries.’Shealsoreportedlyboastedthatthegovernmenthad‘forgotten’abouttheextentofShell’sinfiltrationandwereunawareofhowmuchthecompanyknewaboutitsdeliberations.”http://beforeitsnews.com/african-american-news/2011/01/after-WikiLeaks-u-s-outlines-

africa-priorities-amid-revelations-338594.html

KhalilNakhleh,aformerdevelopmentworkerandconsultantinPalestine,publishesabooktitledGlobalizedPalestine:TheNationalSell-OutofaHomeland(EwingTownship,NJ:RedSeaPress,2011).AccordingtotheAmazon.comdescription:“ThebookassertsthataidadvancedtoPalestineunderoccupationispoliticalaidparexcellence,advancedtothePalestiniansspecificallytoacquiesceandsubmittoanimposedpoliticalagendaandprogram.Itshackles,mortgages,andholdshostagetheentirecurrentsocietyandfuturegenerationsinpoliticalandeconomicdebt.Itisaidthatfocusesonconsumptionandmortgagingpeople.Itisaidthatisanti-productionandanti-liberation.”

www.amazon.com/Globalized-Palestine-National-Sell-Out-Homeland/dp/1569023557

GlobalJusticeNowreleasesareporttitledPowertothePeople?HowtheWorldBank–FinancedWindFarmsFailCommunitiesinMexico.ByexaminingthecasestudyoftheLaMataandLaVentosawindfarminOaxaca—theWorldBank’s“flagshipCleanTechnologyFund(CTF)projectinMexico”—thereport“showsthattheCTFisaflawedmodelforclimatefinancing,withinherentbiasestowardsfundingenergyutilitiesandtheprivatesectorinmiddleincomecountries.Indispersingloansratherthangrants,theCTFrisksloadingfurtherdebtontopoorercountriescontrarytotheoriginalpurposeofclimatefinancing.”RegardingtheLaMataandLaVentosawindfarmspecifically,thereportfindsthatalloftheelectricitycreatedbytheprojectwillbe“soldatadiscountedratetoWalmart,”thattheproject“misrepresenteditsfinancestogainadditionalfundingfromtheUN’sCleanDevelopmentMechanism,”andthattheprojectwillbeusedtopromotefurtherprivatesectorwindprojectsintheIsthmusofTehuantepec—projectsthat“havemetwithconsiderablelocalresistance...amidstconcernsthattheyformpartofanattempt‘tograbindigenouslandsandconvertthemintoresourcesforthemarket.’”www.globaljustice.org.uk/sites/default/files/files/resources/mexico_oaxaca_la_ventosa_-

_final.pdf

GlobalJusticeNowreleasesareporttitledBrokenMarkets:HowFinancialMarketRegulationsCanHelpPreventAnotherGlobalFoodCrisis.Thereport“showshowfinancialspeculationhasboomed,turningcommodityderivativesintojustanotherassetclassforinvestors,distortingandunderminingtheeffectivefunctioningofagriculturalmarkets.Itshowshowthechangesinthefinancialmarketstranslateintochangesinthepricesoffood,andthedevastatingimpactthishashadontheworld’spoorestpeople.”www.globaljustice.org.uk/sites/default/files/files/resources/broken-markets.pdf

“DidLobbyingCausetheFinancialCrisis?”asksaheadlineintheEconomist.Theanswer—Itseemsso,yes—comesfromapaper,writtenbythreeIMFeconomistsandpublishedintheNationalBureauofEconomicResearch,titledAFistfulofDollars:LobbyingandtheFinancialCrisis.Thepaperestablishesastrongcorrelationbetweenlobbyactivity,deregulation,riskierloans,andultimately—afteritallwentwrong—bailouts.AsdescribedintheEconomist,thepaperfindsthat“bankswereanactiveparticipantinderegulation,pushingforweakerrulesthatallowedallthoseill-advisedmortgageloans....TheIMFeconomistsfoundthatlendersthatlobbiedthemostalsotendedtomakeriskierloans.Theyalsofoundthattheareasofthecountrydominatedbylenderswhospentthemostlobbyingdollarsalsotendedtohavehigherratesofdefault.Lastly,ifyouthoughttherewasconnectionbetweenWashingtonconnectionsandbailouts,youwouldberightaswell.Theeconomistsfoundthatthefirmsthatlobbiedthemostwerealsothemostlikelytogetbailoutcash.”http://business.time.com/2011/05/26/did-lobbying-cause-the-financial-crisis/print

www.nber.org/papers/w17076

TheDemocraticRepublicoftheCongonarrowlyescapesbeingforcedtorepayan

illegal$100milliondebttoanAmericanvulturefund.FGHemispherewinsasuitintheJerseyIslandsagainstthecountry,andthecourtawards$100milliononadebtthatthefundoriginallypurchasedfora$3million.Happily,however,inthefollowingyear,thepurchaseisproventobeillegal,andtheUKPrivyCouncilrulesinafinaljudgmentthatthevulturefundcannotcollectthe$100millionaward.Thisruling,unfortunately,cametoolatetopreventtheDRCfrombeingforcedtosettlewithanotherAmericanvulturefund,RedMountainFinance,in2002;theDRCagreedtopay$8milliononadebtthatRedMountainreportedlyboughtfor$800,000,andforwhichtheythensuedfor$27million.http://cadtm.org/FG-Hemisphere-vulture-fund-s

www.bbc.com/news/business-18894874

www.jubileeusa.org/vulturefunds/vulture-fund-country-studies.html

AteamofcomplexsystemtheoristsattheSwissFederalInstituteofTechnologyinZurichidentifiesa“super-entity”ofamere147gigantictransnationalcorporationsthatcontrol40percentofglobaloperatingrevenues.Mostofthesearefinancialinstitutions,accordingtotheresearch.Thescientistsdescribethemapofeconomicpowerasa“bowtie,”withastronglyconcentratedcore.www.newscientist.com/article/mg21228354.500-revealed-the-capitalist-network-that-runs-

the-world.html#.VYzJhqYyFLj

http://arxiv.org/PS_cache/arxiv/pdf/1107/1107.5728v2.pdf

2012

InvestigativejournalistGregPalastexposestheseedyconnectionsbetweentheoilindustry,thebankingindustry,andgovernmentalagenciesinhisbookVultures’Picnic:InPursuitofPetroleumPigs,PowerPirates,andHigh-FinanceCarnivores(NewYork:Plume,2012).Thebookreveals“howenvironmentaldisastersliketheGulfoilspill,theExxonValdez,andlesser-knowntragediessuchasTatitlekandTorreyCanyonarecausedbycorporatecorruption,failedlegislation,and,mostinterestingly,veiledconnectionsbetweenthefinancialindustryandenergytitans.”PalastcondemnstheInternationalMonetaryFund,theWorldBank,theWorldTradeOrganization,andcentralbanksas“puppetsforbigoil.”www.gregpalast.com/vulturespicnic

Followingtheone-yearanniversaryofthestartofOccupyWallStreet,Bloombergreportsthat“in2010,thetop1percentofUSfamiliescapturedasmuchas93percentofthenation’sincomegrowth,accordingtoaMarchpaperbyEmmanuelSaez,aUniversityofCaliforniaatBerkeleyeconomistwhostudiedInternalRevenueServicedata.”www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2012-10-02/top-1-got-93-of-income-growth-as-rich-

poor-gap-widened

IndianpoliticalactivistArundhatiRoyarguesthatcorporatephilanthropyisjustanothermethodofcontrolandinfluence,inherarticle“Capitalism:AGhostStory,”publishedin

OutlookIndia.Fromthearticle:“AstheIMFenforcedStructuralAdjustment,andarm-twistedgovernmentsintocuttingbackonpublicspendingonhealth,education,childcare,development,theNGOs[nongovernmentalorganizations]movedin.ThePrivatisationofEverythinghasalsomeanttheNGO-isationofEverything.Asjobsandlivelihoodsdisappeared,NGOshavebecomeanimportantsourceofemployment,evenforthosewhoseethemforwhattheyare....[T]hecorporateorFoundation-endowedNGOsareglobalfinance’swayofbuyingintoresistancemovements,literallylikeshareholdersbuysharesincompanies,andthentrytocontrolthemfromwithin.”www.outlookindia.com/article/capitalism-a-ghost-story/280234

TheLiborscandalreveals“awidespreadplotbymultiplebanks—mostnotablyDeutscheBank,Barclays,UBS,Rabobank,andtheRoyalBankofScotland—tomanipulate[Libor]interestratesforprofitstartingasfarbackas2003.In2015,investigationscontinuedtoimplicatemajorinstitutions,exposingthemtocivillawsuitsandshakingtrustintheglobalfinancialsystem.”AformertraderforMorganStanleysuggeststhat“themisreportingofLiborratesmayhavebeencommonpracticesinceatleast1991.”www.cfr.org/united-kingdom/understanding-libor-scandal/p28729

www.informath.org/media/a72/b1.pdf

ProPublicalaunchesaseriesofreportscalledBuyingYourVote:DarkMoneyandBigData.Initialinvestigationsfocusoncampaignspendingduringthe2012presidentialelection.Ongoinginvestigationsthrough2015includereportsontheriseofsuperPACs,the“Kochtopus”(thepurportedlyvastandshadowynetworkofinstitutionsfinancedbytheKochbrothers),andloopholesincampaignfinancelaws.Collectively,thesereportsillustratethefrighteninginfluenceofcorporatelobbyingonpublicpolicy.www.propublica.org/series/buying-your-vote

GlobalJusticeNowreleasesabriefingthatdescribeshowUKaid“isbeingusedtoencourageprivatesectorinvolvementindevelopingcountries,whetherthisisintheformofsupportingpro-marketpoliciesordirectlychannelingaidmoneythroughcompanies.”Thebriefingincludesmentionof£11billioninUKaidsupportfortheWorldBank’screationof“specialeconomiczones”inBangladesh,including“exportprocessingzones,”which“areessentiallyonshoretaxhavensformultinationalcompanies.”Accordingtothisreport,newspecialeconomiczoneswouldrestricttradeunionactivitiesandfreedomofassociation.www.globaljustice.org.uk/sites/default/files/files/resources/supporter_briefing_print.pdf

AninternalreviewbytheWorldBankfornineofitsprojectsshowsthatthebanksystematicallyunderestimatesthenumberofpeoplewhowillbeadverselyaffectedbyitsdevelopmentinitiatives:“Thenumberofaffectedpeopleturnedouttobe,onaverage,32percenthigherthanthefigurereportedbythebankbeforeapprovingtheinitiatives,understatingthenumberofpeopleaffectedbythenineprojectsby77,500.”A1994internalreviewexamined192projectsandfoundthat“therealnumberofaffectedpeopleaveraged

47percenthigherthanpreviouslyestimated.”http://projects.huffingtonpost.com/worldbank-evicted-abandoned/india-uncounted

2013

ANewYorkTimesDealBookarticle,“HowMandelaShiftedViewsonFreedomofMarkets,”byAndrewRossSorkin,revealshow,duringMandela’striptoDavosforameetingoftheWorldEconomicForum,proponentsoftheEHMsystemconvincedNelsonMandelatoopenupSouthAfrica’smarkets,fuelinggrowinginequalityinSouthAfricafrom1993tothepresent.Mandela’sdecisionallowedinternationalcorporationstostakemajorclaimsinSouthAfricancompanies,Sorkinreports.“Barclays,forexample,acquiredAbsa,SouthAfrica’slargestconsumerbank,in2005.Iscor,thecountry’slargeststeelmaker,wassoldtoLakshmiMittal’sLNMin2004.IndustrialandCommercialBankofChinaboughtabigstakeinStandardBank,SouthAfrica’slargestfinancialservicescompany,in2008.AndMassmart,aSouthAfricansupermarketchain,soldamajoritystaketoWalmartin2011.”http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2013/12/09/how-mandela-shifted-views-on-freedom-of-

markets/?_r=1

JPMorganChasereachesa$13billionsettlementwiththeUSJusticeDepartmentandpurportedlyadmitsthat“it,alongwitheveryotherlargeUSbank,hadengagedinmortgagefraudasaroutinebusinesspractice,sowingtheseedsofthemortgagemeltdown.”www.globalresearch.ca/jpmorgan-chase-engaged-in-mortgage-fraud-the-securitization-

fraud-that-collapsed-the-housing-market/5371764

Corporations’influenceinWashington:TheNewYorkTimesreportsonabillthatwasallegedlywritten,essentially,byCitigroup:“OnebillthatsailedthroughtheHouseFinancialServicesCommitteethismonth—overtheobjectionsoftheTreasuryDepartment—wasessentiallyCitigroup’s,accordingtoe-mailsreviewedbytheNewYorkTimes.Thebillwouldexemptbroadswathesoftradesfromnewregulation.”http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2013/05/23/banks-lobbyists-help-in-drafting-financial-bills/?

_r=2

InclusiveDevelopmentInternational,theInternationalAccountabilityProject,theBankInformationCenter,andHabitatInternationalCoalition–HousingandLandRightsNetworksubmitareporttotheWorldBankSafeguardsReviewtitledReformingtheWorldBankPolicyonInvoluntarySettlement.ThereportstatesthatthepricebeingpaidbypeopleaffectedbytheWorldBank’sapproachtoforcedevictions“isunconscionablyhigh.Large-scaleresettlementhasbeenshown—timeandagain—tobeanexceedinglydifficultactivitytodoinamannerthatupholdshumanrights,andonethatresultsinextremepovertyandinjusticeforaffectedpeople.”www.mediafire.com/view/yjluyteklkm7wfo/Reforming%20the%20World%20Bank%20Policy%20on%20Involuntary%20Resettlement.pdf

GlobalJusticeNowreleasesareporttitledBankingWhileBorneoBurns:HowtheUK

FinancialSectorIsBankrollingIndonesia’sFossilFuelBoom.ThereportanalyzesthefinancebehindtheIndonesianfossilfuelindustry,whichhashaddevastatingsocial,economic,andenvironmentaleffectsonIndonesia’speopleandland.Findingsdrawadirectlinkbetween“theequityissues,syndicatedloansandflotations”oftheUKfinancialsectorandthe“evictions,deforestationandclimatechangeontheground.”Asecondreportbythesameorganizationfocusesonasingleproject:“BHPBillitonisplanningtobuildaseriesofmassivecoalminesthatwoulddestroyprimaryrainforest,depriveindigenouspeoplesoftheircustomaryland,andpollutewaterresourcesreliedonbyupto1millionpeople.”www.globaljustice.org.uk/sites/default/files/files/resources/banking_while_borneo_burns_0.pdf

www.globaljustice.org.uk/sites/default/files/files/resources/indo-met_project_factsheet_lowrez.pdf

GlobalJusticeNowreleasesabriefingoncoalexploitationintheCerrejónmineinColombia.Expansionoftheminehasledtohumanrightsabuses(includingthedestructionofvillagesandtheexploitationofcheaplabor),andthecoalthatisextracted“isalmostexclusivelyforexporttorichcountries.”Thebriefingcalculatesthatthethreeownersofthemine(BHPBilliton,AngloAmerican,andXstrata)havebeenfinancedbyBritishbanks,investors,andpensionfunds(includingBarclays,HSBC,Lloyds,andtheRoyalBankofScotland)tothetuneofapproximately£25billionsince2009.www.globaljustice.org.uk/sites/default/files/files/resources/cerrejon_media_briefing.pdf

GlobalJusticeNowreleasesabriefingtitledWebofPower:TheUKGovernmentandtheEnergy-FinanceComplexFuellingClimateChange.Thereportrevealsthat“onethirdofministersintheUKgovernmentarelinkedtothefinanceandenergycompaniesdrivingclimatechange.”Thesizeandentrenchednatureofthe“energy-financecomplex”isdrivenhomewithstaggeringnumbers:£900billion(thevalueoffossilfuelsharesontheLondonStockExchange;higherthantheGDPofallofsub-SaharanAfrica)and£170billion(thevalueofbondsandshareissuesunderwrittenbythetopfiveUKbanksfrom2010to2012;“morethan11timestheamounttheUKcontributedinclimatefinancefordevelopingcountries”).www.globaljustice.org.uk/sites/default/files/files/resources/web_of_power_media_briefing.pdf

In“HRCandtheVultureFund:MakingThirdWorldPovertyPayforLGBTRights,”humanrightsactivistandscholarScottLongexaminestheuglysourceofa$3milliondonationtotheHumanRightsCampaign,thelargestUSgayorganization.ThedonationcomesfromtwobigcontributorstotheRepublicanParty;oneisPaulSinger,whorunsavulturefundthatsupposedly“makesprofitsfromthedebtincurredbyThirdWorldcountries...andfromthemiseryitcausestheircitizens.”Longexamineswhatcouldbecalledtheinsidiousnatureofvulturefundsandtheireffects:“Vulturefundsoperatebybuyingupacountry’sdistresseddebtjustastheoriginallendersareabouttowriteitoff—usually,astheGuardiandescribesit,whenthecountry‘isinastateofchaos.Whenthecountryhasstabilised,vulturefundsreturntodemandmillionsofdollarsininterestrepaymentsandfees

ontheoriginaldebt.’”AccordingtoJubileeUSA,“Asoflate2011,16of40HeavilyIndebtedPoorCountries(HIPC)surveyedbytheInternationalMonetaryFundwerefacinglitigationin78individualcasesbroughtbycommercialcreditors.Ofthese,36caseshaveresultedincourtjudgmentsagainstHIPCsamountingtoapproximately$1billiononoriginalclaimsworthroughly$500million.”http://paper-bird.net/2013/11/04/hrc-and-the-vulture-fund-making-third-world-poverty-pay-

for-lgbt-rights

www.theguardian.com/global-development/2011/nov/15/vulture-funds-jersey-decision

www.jubileeusa.org/ourwork/vulturefunds.html

ProPublicalaunchesaseriesofinvestigativereportsintoGoldmanSachsandtheFederalReserveBankofNewYork,usingaudiorecordingsmadesecretlybythen–FedexaminerCarmenSegarra.SegarraclaimsshewasfiredforrefusingtoassertthevalidityofGoldmanSachs’sconflict-of-interestpolicy,despitefacingpressure,amongotherdisagreements.The“Fedtapes”investigation(ongoingthrough2015)revealsadamninghistoryoftheFed’s“deference”toWallStreet.www.propublica.org/series/fed-tapes

JamesS.Henry,asenioradvisertotheTaxJusticeNetworkandauthorofTheBloodBankers(NewYork:FourWallsEightWindows,2003),discusseshowtaxhavensandoffshorebankingcrippledevelopingnationsinaTEDx-RadboudUtalk.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znYA0yIQMq0

2014

EurodadreleasesareporttitledGoingOffshore:HowDevelopmentFinanceInstitutionsSupportCompaniesUsingtheWorld’sMostSecretiveFinancialCentres.Fromtheexecutivesummary:“Developingcountrieslosebillionsofdollarseveryyearthroughtaxavoidanceandevasion.Taxhavensplayapivotalroleinthisbyprovidinglowornotaxationandbypromisingsecrecy,allowingbusinessestododgetaxesandremainlargelyunaccountablefortheiractions.DevelopmentFinanceInstitutions(DFIs)aregovernment-controlledinstitutionsthat,asthisreportshows,oftensupportprivatesectorprojectsthatareroutedthroughtaxhavens,usingscarcepublicmoney.Bysupportingprojectsinthisway,DFIsarehelpingtoreinforcetheoffshoreindustryastheyareprovidingincomeandlegitimacy.”www.eurodad.org/goingoffshore

EurodadreleasesareporttitledHiddenProfits:TheEU’sRoleinSupportinganUnjustGlobalTaxSystem2014.Thereportcompareseachcountry“withitsfellowEUmemberstatesonfourcriticalissues:thefairnessoftheirtaxtreatieswithdevelopingcountries;theirwillingnesstoputanendtoanonymousshellcompaniesandtrusts;theirsupportforincreasingthetransparencyofeconomicactivitiesandtaxpaymentsoftransnationalcompanies;andtheirattitudetowardslettingthepoorestcountriesgetaseatatthetable

whenglobaltaxstandardsarenegotiated.”Findingsincludeevidencethat“practiceswhichfacilitatetaxdodgingbytransnationalcorporationsandindividualsarewidelyused,insomecasessogovernmentscanclaimtobe‘taxcompetitive.’Thisiscreatinga‘racetothebottom’—meaningthatmanycountriesaredrivingdownstandardstotrytoattracttransnationalcorporationstotheircountries.Someofthecountriesthathavebeenmostsuccessfulinattractingcompanies—Ireland,LuxembourgandtheNetherlands—arealsocurrentlyunderinvestigationbytheEuropeanCommissionformakingcompetition-distortingarrangementswithtransnationalcompaniesbehindcloseddoors.”www.eurodad.org/hiddenprofits

GlobalJusticeNowreleasesareporttitledCarvingUpaContinent:HowtheUKGovernmentIsFacilitatingtheCorporateTakeoverofAfricanFoodSystems.ThereportdescribeshowUKaidmoniespurportedto“supportimprovementstoagricultureandfoodsecurityinAfrica...areinfactgearedtowardshelpingmultinationalcompaniestoaccessresourcesandbringingaboutpolicychangestofacilitatethosecountries’expansioninAfrica.”Thereportrevealsevidencethat“thepro-corporateapproachof[such]initiatives...islikelytoexacerbatehungerandpovertythroughincreasedland-grabbing,insecureandpoorlypaidjobs,theprivatisationofseedandafocusonproducingforexportmarketsratherthantofeedlocalpopulations.”www.globaljustice.org.uk/sites/default/files/files/resources/carving_up_a_continent_report_web.pdf

MartinGilens,aprofessorofpoliticsatPrincetonUniversity,andBenjaminPage,aprofessorofdecisionmakingatNorthwesternUniversity,publishanarticleinPerspectivesandPoliticsdemonstratingevidencethat“economicelitesandorganizedgroupsrepresentingbusinessinterestshavesubstantialindependentimpactsonUSgovernmentpolicy,whilemass-basedinterestgroupsandaveragecitizenshavelittleornoindependentinfluence.”http://scholar.princeton.edu/sites/default/files/mgilens/files/gilens_and_page_2014_-

testing_theories_of_american_politics.doc.pdf

WikiLeaksreleasesdocumentsrevealingthatAustralianprimeministerTonyAbbottismovingforwardwith“secrettradenegotiationsaimedatbringingaboutradicalderegulationofAustralia’sbankingandfinancesector.”AstheSydneyMorningHeraldreports,“HighlysensitivedetailsoftheTradeinServicesAgreement(TiSA)negotiations...showAustraliantradenegotiatorsareworkingonafinancialservicesagendathatcouldendtheAustraliangovernment’s‘fourpillars’bankingpolicyandallowforeignbanksmuchgreaterfreedomtooperateinAustralia.ItcouldalsoseeAustralians’bankaccountandfinancialdatafreelytransferredoverseas,andallowaninfluxofforeignfinancialandinformationtechnologyworkers.”www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/secret-deal-bank-freeforall-20140619-

3ah2w.html

Bigbanktradersareexposedformanipulatingforeignexchangerates;evidenceagainstthemincludeschatgroupscalledtheBandits’Club,theMafia,andtheCartel,inwhichthey

apparentlybragaboutratefixing.AsreportedbyCNN:“Citigroup,Barclays,JPMorganChase,andRoyalBankofScotlandwerefinedmorethan$2.5billionbytheUSafterpleadingguiltytoconspiringtomanipulatethepriceofdollarsandeuros.Thefourbanks,plusUBS,havealsobeenfined$1.6billionbytheFederalReserve,andBarclayswillpayregulatorsanother$1.3billiontosettlerelatedclaims.Thefirstfourbanksoperatedwhattheydescribedas‘TheCartel’fromasearlyas2007,usingonlinechatroomsandcodedlanguagetoinfluencethetwice-dailysettingofbenchmarksinanefforttoincreasetheirprofits.”www.forbes.com/sites/leoking/2015/05/21/forex-barclays-citi-ubs-jpmorgan-online-chat-

instant-messenger

http://money.cnn.com/2015/05/20/investing/ubs-foreign-exchange

AreportbyDr.TheodoreDowning,presidentoftheInternationalNetworkonDisplacementandResettlement,findsthattheKosovoPowerProject’sproposedforceddisplacementofmorethanseventhousandKosovars“tomakewayforanopenpitlignitemine”doesnotcomply“withtheinternationalinvoluntaryresettlementstandards...thatmustbemetfortheprojecttoobtaininternationalfinancing.”Nonetheless,developmentoftheKosovoPowerProjecthasbeenspearheadedbytheWorldBank,which“misdirectedtheKosovoagenciesandlawmakersintopreparinganoncompliantlegal,policy,andinstitutionalscaffoldingtoguidetheanticipateddisplacement.”http://action.sierraclub.org/site/DocServer/Final_Draft_Downing_Involuntary_Resettlement_at_KPP_Repo.pdf?

docID=15541

AjointinvestigationbyProPublicaandFrontlineexposesdefiniteevidenceofanintimaterelationshipbetweenAmericancorporationFirestoneandbrutalLiberianwarlordCharlesTaylorintheearly1990s:“Firestoneservedasasourceoffood,fuel,trucksandcashusedbyTaylor ’sragtagrebelarmy,accordingtointerviews,internalcorporatedocumentsanddeclassifieddiplomaticcables.Thecompanysignedadealin1992topaytaxestoTaylor ’srebelgovernment.Overthenextyear,thecompanydoledoutmorethan$2.3millionincash,checksandfoodtoTaylor,accordingtoanaccountingincourtfiles,”inreturnforprotection.https://www.propublica.org/article/firestone-and-the-warlord-intro

TheNationexposesthedeceptionandsecrecyofAmerica’slobbyindustryinanarticletitled“WhereHaveAlltheLobbyistsGone?.”Thankstolegalloopholesthatallowthoseinthelobbyingindustrytoremainofficiallyunregisteredaslobbyists,theindustryis“goingunderground.”Whileonly12,281lobbyistswereregisteredin2013,expertssaythe“truenumberofworkinglobbyistsiscloserto100,000.”Additionally,althoughofficialspendingonlobbyistsintheUSin2013was$3.2billion,thearticleestimatestheunofficialtotalas$9billion.JeffreySachsestimatesanunofficialtotalof$30billion,whichhebreaksdownsectorbysectorinhisbookThePriceofCivilization(NewYork:RandomHouse,2011).Theprimaryeconomicimpactoflobbyistsisthesecuringofgovernmentsubsidiesforgiantcorporations,whetherthroughtaxcredits,feereductions,giveaways,orsimple

subsidies.www.thenation.com/article/178460/shadow-lobbying-complex

ANewYorkdistrictcourtrulesthattheDemocraticRepublicoftheCongomustpaytwovulturefunds—ThemisCapitalandDesMoinesInvestments—atotalofabout$70million,$50millionofwhichrepresentsinterestontheoriginaldebt,whichwasvaluedatroughly$18millionwhenthefundsacquireditfromCitibankandothersin2008.www.jubileeusa.org/vulturefunds/vulture-fund-country-studies.html

2015

AteamofmorethanfiftyjournalistsassociatedwiththeHuffingtonPostandtheInternationalConsortiumofInvestigativeJournalistslaunchesaninvestigativeprojecttitled“Evicted&Abandoned.”Thein-depth,ongoingreport,HowtheWorldBankBrokeItsPromisetoProtectthePoor,documentsthepeoplewhohavebeendisplacedbyWorldBankprojectsinEthiopia,Honduras,India,Kenya,Nigeria,Peru,andelsewhere.Theintroductionofthereportrevealstheterrifyingscopeoftheramifications:“From2004to2013,thebank’sprojectsphysicallyoreconomicallydisplacedanestimated3.4millionpeople,forcingthemfromtheirhomes,takingtheirlandordamagingtheirlivelihoods,ICIJ’sanalysisofWorldBankrecordsreveals.”http://projects.huffingtonpost.com/worldbank-evicted-abandoned

GlobalJusticeNowreleasesabriefingtitledPrivatisingPower:UKAidFundsPrivatizationinNigeria.Thereportstates,“Aspartofa£100millionprojectrunbyconsultantsAdamSmithInternational,theUKisusinganestimated£50millionofaidmoneytosupportenergysectorprivatisationinNigeria.Althoughtheprocessisyettobecompleted,theresultssofarhavebeendisastrous,withNigerianpeoplefacinghigherprices,poorserviceandregularblackouts.Thecompaniesinvolvedintheprivatisationhavemademanyworkersredundantandhadtobebailedoutbythecentralbankin2014.”www.globaljustice.org.uk/sites/default/files/files/resources/nigeria_energy_privatisation_briefing_online_0.pdf

TheNewYorkTimesdescribeshowthe“saleofUSarmsfuelsthewarsofArabstates”:“TowagewarinYemen,SaudiArabiaisusingF-15fighterjetsboughtfromBoeing.PilotsfromtheUnitedArabEmiratesareflyingLockheedMartin’sF-16tobombbothYemenandSyria.Soon,theEmiratesareexpectedtocompleteadealwithGeneralAtomicsforafleetofPredatordronestorunspyingmissionsintheirneighborhood.AstheMiddleEastdescendsintoproxywars,sectarianconflictsandbattlesagainstterroristnetworks,countriesintheregionthathavestockpiledAmericanmilitaryhardwarearenowactuallyusingitandwantingmore.TheresultisaboomforAmericandefensecontractorslookingforforeignbusinessinaneraofshrinkingPentagonbudgets—butalsotheprospectofadangerousnewarmsraceinaregionwherethemapofallianceshasbeensharplyredrawn.”www.nytimes.com/2015/04/19/world/middleeast/sale-of-us-arms-fuels-the-wars-of-arab-

states.html

DeutscheBankreachesa$2.5billionsettlementintherecentLiborscandal,againstchargesthattheinternationalfinancialgiant“conspiredtomanipulateglobalinterestratebenchmarks.”http://money.cnn.com/2015/04/23/news/deutsche-bank-libor-settlement/?iid=EL

TheCentreforResearchonMultinationalCorporations(SOMO),amemberofEurodad,publishesareportcalledFool’sGold:HowCanadianMiningCompanyEldoradoGoldDestroystheGreekEnvironmentandDodgesTaxthroughDutchMailboxCompanies.AsdescribedbyEurodad:“ThisreportrevealsthatGreece’seconomicrecoveryisbeingunderminedbylarge-scaletaxavoidance—enabledbytheNetherlands.Atthesametime,GreeceenduresharshausteritymeasuresimposedbytheEuropeanCommission,EuropeanCentralBankandIMFwhicharesupportedbytheNetherlands.”www.eurodad.org/Entries/view/1546374/2015/04/01/Fool-s-Gold-How-Canadian-mining-

company-Eldorado-Gold-destroys-the-Greek-environment-and-dodges-tax-through-Dutch-mailbox-companies

WikiLeaksreleasesaconfidentialdraftchapterfromtheTransPacificPartnershipillustratingtheUnitedStates’aimstosupportcorporationsattheexpenseoffairtradeandlocallyownedbusinessesinforeigncountries.AsreportedbyYes!Magazine:“ThedocumentsubstantiatesclaimsbyopponentsthattheTPPisacorporate-rightsagreementdesignedtofacilitatetheexportofUSjobs,allowcorporationstosuegovernmentsforenactinglaborandenvironmentalprotections,makeitillegalforgovernmentstofavorlocalbusinesses,andadvancethecolonizationofnationaleconomiesbyglobalcorporationsandfinanciers.”www.yesmagazine.org/new-economy/trade-rule-illegal-favor-local-business-tpp-leak-

WikiLeaks?utm_source=YTW&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=20150417

GlobalJusticeNowreleasesabriefingabouttheTransatlanticTradeandInvestmentPartnership(TTIP),callingita“threattolocaldemocracy,affectingthefreedomlocalauthoritieshaveindecisionmakingwhentheseaffecttheinterestsoflargeUScorporations.”Itfurtherstatesthatthedeal“couldthreatenpublicservices,setupshadyarbitrationpanelscapableofoverrulingtheUKcourtsystemandundermineregulationssuchashealthandsafetystandards.”www.globaljustice.org.uk/sites/default/files/files/resources/local_authorities_briefing_0.pdf

NBC11reportsontheAmericanLegislativeExchangeCouncil’s“corporatebillmill,”whichgivescorporationsheavyinfluenceoverlegislation.TheALECExposedwebsiteofferssubstantialevidenceabouthow“globalcorporationsandstatepoliticiansvotebehindcloseddoorstotrytorewritestatelawsthatgovernyourrights.”https://secure2.convio.net/comcau/site/Advocacy?

pagename=homepage&page=UserAction&id=650&autologin=true

www.alecexposed.org/wiki/ALEC_Exposed

WikiLeaksreleasesmorethanhalfamillionUSdiplomaticcablesfrom1978.AsreportedbyDemocracyNow!:“ThedocumentsincludediplomaticcablesandotherdiplomaticcommunicationsfromandtoUSembassiesandmissionsinnearlyeverycountry.‘1978actuallysetinprogressmanyofthegeopoliticalelementsthatareplayingouttoday,’[WikiLeaksfounderJulian]Assangesaid.‘1978wasthebeginningoftheIranianrevolution...theSandinistamovementstartedinitspopularform...thewarperiodinAfghanistanbeganin1978andhasn’tstoppedsince.’”www.democracynow.org/2015/5/28/WikiLeaks_releases_500k_us_cables_from

FIFAscandal:InMay2015,Americanofficialsannounce“asweepingindictmentagainst14soccerofficialsandmarketingexecutiveswhotheysaidhadcorruptedthesportthroughtwodecadesofshadowydealingand$150millioninbribes.AuthoritiesdescribedinternationalsoccerintermsnormallyreservedforMafiafamiliesordrugcartels,andbroughtchargesunderracketeeringlawsusuallyappliedtosuchcriminalorganizations....Whetherthroughconvolutedfinancialdealsorold-fashionedbriefcasesfullofcash,peoplewereexpectedtopayforaccesstoFIFA’sriverofmoneyandpublicity.Thefederalindictmentlists47counts,includingbribery,fraudandmoneylaundering.”www.nytimes.com/2015/05/28/sports/soccer/fifa-officials-arrested-on-corruption-charges-

blatter-isnt-among-them.html?_r=1

TheInternationalAccountabilityProjectreleasesareporttitledBacktoDevelopment:ACallforWhatDevelopmentCouldBe,whichexaminesforcedevictionsandotherhumanrightsabusesconnectedwithWorldBank–fundedprojectsinCambodia,Egypt,Mongolia,Myanmar,Pakistan,Panama,thePhilippines,Zimbabwe,andelsewhere.Amongotherfindings,thereportcalculatesthat“infourWorldBankfundedprojects71percentofthosedisplacedreceivednocompensationforthelossestheysuffered.”www.mediafire.com/view/zw1g9k4wr83jr5v/IAP_FOR_WEB_R013.pdf

https://medium.com/@accountability/in-chennai-india-residents-demand-the-world-bank-respect-human-rights-43a4d121b8f2

ProPublicapublishesascathinginvestigativereportontheRedCross’s“development”projectsinHaiti—orrather,lackthereof—inapiecetitled“HowtheRedCrossRaisedHalfaBillionDollarsforHaitiandBuiltSixHomes.”Insum:“Thegrouphaspubliclycelebrateditswork.Butinfact,theRedCrosshasrepeatedlyfailedonthegroundinHaiti.Confidentialmemos,e-mailsfromworriedtopofficers,andaccountsofadozenfrustratedanddisappointedinsidersshowthecharityhasbrokenpromises,squandereddonations,andmadedubiousclaimsofsuccess....TheRedCrosswon’tdisclosedetailsofhowithasspentthehundredsofmillionsofdollarsdonatedforHaiti.ButourreportingshowsthatlessmoneyreachedthoseinneedthantheRedCrosshassaid.”https://www.propublica.org/article/how-the-red-cross-raised-half-a-billion-dollars-for-

haiti-and-built-6-homes

ProfitingfromPoverty,Again:DFID’sSupportforPrivatisingEducationandHealth,a

reportreleasedbyGlobalJusticeNow,showshowtheUKaidbudget“isbeingusedtoincreasinglysetupprivatehealth-careandprivateeducationacrossAfricaandAsia.”Asdescribedinthereport:“SomeoftheseprivateservicesarebeingrunbyUK-basedbusinessesthathaveaninappropriatelycloserelationshiptothosemakingdecisionsintheDepartmentforInternationalDevelopment(DFID).OthersarebeingruninconjunctionwithmegamultinationalslikeCoca-Cola,whichclearlyperceivesnotonlyanopportunitytogreenwashitsbrand,butadirectcommercialadvantage.”Insum,“aidisbeingusedasatooltoconvince,cajole,andcompelthemajorityoftheworldtoundertakepolicieswhichhelpbigbusiness,butwhichunderminepublicservicesemergingorthriving.”www.globaljustice.org.uk/sites/default/files/files/resources/profiting_from_poverty_again_dfid_global_justice_now_1.pdf

AreportbytheInternationalConsortiumofInvestigativeJournalistsandpublishedintheHuffingtonPostfinds“sharpgrowth”inWorldBankandInternationalFinanceCorporationinvestmentsinprojects“categorizedbythebankersasexpectedtohave‘irreversibleorunprecedented’socialorenvironmentalimpacts.”Fromthearticle:“From2009to2013,thetwolenderspumped$50billionin239ofthesehigh-risk‘CategoryA’projects,includingdams,copperminesandoilpipelines—morethantwiceasmuchasthepreviousfive-yearspan,recordsshow.MuchofthedevelopmentisincountrieslikePeru,wherefederalgovernmentsareweakandregulationsarelax.”http://projects.huffingtonpost.com/worldbank-evicted-abandoned/how-worldbank-finances-

environmental-destruction-peru

OxfamreleasesabriefingtitledTheSufferingofOthers:TheHumanCostoftheInternationalFinanceCorporation’sLendingthroughFinancialIntermediaries.ThereportstatesthattheIFCmade$36billionworthofinvestmentsintoso-called“financialintermediaries”(includingcommercialbanks,privateequityfunds,andhedgefunds)between2009and2013,yet“doesnotknowwheremuchofitsmoneyunderthisnewmodelisendinguporevenwhetherit’shelpingorharming,”accordingtotheheadofOxfamInternational’sWashington,DC,office.Thereportfurtherrevealsthat“ofthe49investmentstheIFCmadetofinancialintermediariessince2012thatitdidclassifyas‘highrisk,’ithasonlypubliclydisclosedsub-projectsinthreeofthesedeals.‘Thatmeansthereisnopublicinformationaboutwhere94percentoftheIFC’s“highrisk”intermediaryinvestmentshaveactuallyendedup,’said[reportcoauthorNatalie]Bugalski.”www.oxfam.org/sites/www.oxfam.org/files/file_attachments/ib-suffering-of-others-

international-finance-corporation-020415-en.pdf

www.oxfam.org/en/pressroom/pressreleases/2015-04-02/billions-out-control-ifc-investments-third-parties-causing-human-rights-abuses

AsofJuly2015(withdatacurrentasofNovember2014),halfofUSAID’stoptenvendorsaremultinationalcorporations:Chemonics(number3);JohnSnow,Incorporated(number7);DAIWashington(number8);ManagementSciencesforHealth,Inc.(number9);andJhpiegoCorporation(number10).AndthenumberonevendorforUSAID,withmorethan$2billionin“amountsobligated”?TheWorldBank.

www.usaid.gov/results-and-data/budget-spending/top-40-vendors

TheNewRepublicrevealstheincentivesthatfinancialinstitutionsoffertheiremployeestotakeinfluentialgovernmentpositions—andtheinstitutions’attemptstohidetheexactnatureofthoseincentives—inanarticletitled“WallStreetPaysBankerstoWorkinGovernmentandItDoesn’tWantAnyonetoKnow.”Accordingtothearticle:“CitigroupisoneofthreeWallStreetbanksattemptingtokeephiddentheirpracticeofpayingexecutivesmultimillion-dollarawardsforenteringgovernmentservice....Criticsarguethese‘goldenparachutes’ensuremorefinancialinsidersinpolicypositionsandfavorabletreatmenttowardWallStreet.”ArelatedreportbyBloombergshowstheincreaseinthepercentageofworkerswhomovedfromregulatoryjobstobanks,andviceversa,from1988to2013,thusillustratingtheso-calledrevolvingdoorbetweenregulatorybodiesandthecompaniestheyarechargedtooversee.Thesefindingsarefortifiedbyevidencerevealedina2013investigationbytheProjectonGovernmentOversight,whichdemonstrateshow“majorcorporations...makeitfinanciallyadvantageousforexecutivestotakegovernmentjobs....Throughtheircompensationpolicies,companiesmaybefuelingtherevolvingdoorandmakingiteasierfortheiralumnitogaininfluenceoverpublicpolicy.”OneprimeexamplemaybeBillyTauzin,aformerHouseRepublicanwhohelpeddraftandpasstheMedicareModernizationActof2003,whichwasfavorabletopharmaceuticalcompanies;laterthatyear,“thesamemonththatPresidentBushsignedthebill,thePharmaceuticalResearchandManufacturersofAmerica,whichgoesbythenicknamePhRMAandrepresentsthelargestAmericandrugandbiotechcompanies,waspursuingTauzintobeitspresident.”Tenmonthslater,Tauzintookthejob,atareportedannualsalaryof$2million.www.newrepublic.com/article/120967/wall-street-pays-bankers-work-government-and-

wants-it-secret

www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-01-30/fed-s-revolving-door-spins-faster-as-banks-boost-hiring

www.pogo.org/our-work/reports/2013/big-businesses-offer-revolving-door-rewards.html

www.nbcnews.com/id/11714763/t/tauzin-aided-drug-firms-then-they-hired-him/#.VZ3V46YyFLg

AninvestigationbytheGuardianrevealsthatsubsidiestotaling$1.62billiontoShell,ExxonMobil,andMarathonPetroleum“wereallgrantedbypoliticianswhoreceivedsignificantcampaigncontributionsfromthefossilfuelindustry.”Thereportalsofindsthatin2013,“thecoal,oilandgasindustriesbenefitedfromsubsidiesof$550billion,fourtimesthosegiventorenewableenergy.”www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/may/12/us-taxpayers-subsidising-worlds-biggest-

fossil-fuel-companies

ReportscontinuetosurfaceabouttheexpandedroleofUSgovernment–supportedjackals.AninvestigationbytheNewYorkTimesrevealsthe“secrethistoryofquietkillingsandblurredlines”oftheNavy’sSEALTeam6,“oneofthenation’smostmythologized,mostsecretiveandleastscrutinizedmilitaryorganizations.”Inotherwords,theteamoperatesas

modern-dayjackalsbutdonotlimitthemselvestotheassassinationofinconvenientforeignleaders,expandingtheirreachtoall“suspectedmilitants.”Infact,jackalshaveestablishedtheirownindustryofprivatesecuritycompanies.TheUnitedStatesisthe“world’slargestconsumerofprivatemilitaryandsecurityservices,”accordingtotheUniversityofDenver ’sSiéChéou-KangCenter ’sPrivateSecurityMonitorproject.Manyoftheseprivatesecuritycompanieshavebecomeembroiledinallegationsofseveremisconductandthekillingofcivilians.Themostwell-knownscandal,“Black-watergate,”involvedamassacreofIraqiciviliansinNisourSquare(amongotheratrocities),allegedlybyBlackwaterUSA,aleadingUSmercenarycompany,andtheallegedsystematicevasionofprosecutionbythoseperpetratingtheviolence.www.nytimes.com/2015/06/07/world/asia/the-secret-history-of-seal-team-6.html?_r=1

http://psm.du.edu/articles_reports_statistics/data_and_statistics.html#usdata

www.thenation.com/article/blackwatergate#

TheNewLeftReviewdissectsthespreadofEHMattitudesandactivitythroughouttheEurozoneinanarticletitled“Germany’sFalteringMotor?.”Fromthearticle:“AsmallblocofnortherncountriesledbyGermanyenjoyscurrentaccountsurplusesanddictatesthetermsofeconomicreorganizationtoindebtedcountriesofthesouth,undertheimprimaturoftheTroika.”TheTroikacomprisestheEuropeanCommission,theEuropeanCentralBank,andtheInternationalMonetaryFund,whichcollectivelymonitorcountries“insevereeconomictroublethatarereceivingfinancialloansprovidedforbytheEUandtheIMF.”AsTroikaWatchexplains,“Essentially,theTroikaensuresthatthesmallwomanandsmallmaninthestreetpaysforsystemicproblemsintheeconomyandmistakesmadebyfinancialinstitutions,whicharetherealcausesofthecrisis.Atthesametime,inthepastfewyears,Europeanlawmakershavecontinuouslybeenreducingtherulesandcontrolsonthosefinancialinstitutionsandbigbusinesses.”Theeffectsofthesenorthern-countries-as-EHMshavebeendisastrousforothercountriesintheEUthataresubjecttodramaticausteritymeasures.AccordingtotheNewLeftReview,“InGreece,theeffectsoftheworldeconomiccrisisof2008havebeencompoundedbythisgrindingausterity,resultinginunparalleleddestructionofitsnationaleconomy.Thecountryhasnowsufferedadepressionworsethanthatofthe1930s,withnorecoveryinsightwithintheeuroframework.Spain,PortugalandItaly,thelatterafoundingmemberoftheEuropeanintegrationprocess,remaintrappedinadisastrousdownturn.Since2012,eachhasexperiencedanofficialunemploymentrateindoubledigits—25percentinthecaseofSpain—withyouthunemploymentstillhigher.”http://newleftreview.org/II/93/joshua-rahtz-germany-s-faltering-motor

www.troikawatch.net/what-is-the-troika

JubileeUSAdescribeshowCameroonprobablyfeelshounded“bymultiplevulturefunds,includingGraceChurchCapital(CaymanIslands),Antwerp(UKVirginIslands),SconsetLimited(UKVirginIslands)andWinslowBank(Bahamas)....GraceChurchCapitalboughtCamerooniandebtfor$9.5millionandthensuedfornearly$40million,whileSconsetboughtitssharefor$15millionandsuedfor$67million.Antwerpalsoboughtits

debtforabout$15million,butisclaiminganastounding$196millionfromacountrythatranks150thontheUnitedNations’HumanDevelopmentIndex(HDI)andhasaGDPofjust$22billion.WinslowBank,meanwhile,suedfornearly$50millionforjust$9millionworthofdebt,andattemptedtoseizeCameroonianassetsabroadasameansofenforcingitsvictoryincourt.”www.jubileeusa.org/vulturefunds/vulture-fund-country-studies.html

TheWallStreetJournalreportsthatcorporationsavoidpayinganestimated$200billionintaxeseveryyearbyusingoffshorebankingsystems,accordingtotheUnitedStatesConferenceonTradeandDevelopment.www.wsj.com/articles/companies-avoid-paying-200-billion-in-tax-1435161106

TruthoutdissectstheWorldBankanditsconnectionstothetinygroupofeliteswhocontroltheglobaleconomicsysteminanarticletitled“TheWorldBank,PovertyCreationandtheBanalityofEvil.”www.truth-out.org/news/item/29851-the-world-bank-poverty-creation-and-the-banality-of-

evil

Inanarticletitled“TheDeathofInternationalDevelopment,”LondonSchoolofEconomicsfellowJasonHickelremindsusoftheever-increasingwealthratiobetweentherichestandthepoorestcountries:“In1973thegapwasaround44:1.Todayit’snearly80:1.Inequalityhasreachedsuchextremesthatnowtherichest67peopleintheworld—anumberofpeoplewhocouldfitcomfortablyonaLondonbus—havemorewealththanthepoorest3.5billion.”www.thoughtleader.co.za/jasonhickel/2014/11/24/the-death-of-international-development

EricHolderretiresfromhispositionasUSattorneygeneraltoreturntohisformerlawfirmCovington&Burling—whoseclientlistincludes“manyofthebigbanksHolderfailedtocriminallyprosecuteasattorneygeneralfortheirroleinthefinancialcrisis,includingBankofAmerica,JPMorganChase,WellsFargoandCitigroup.”InaninterviewwithDemocracyNow!’sAmyGoodman,RollingStonejournalistMattTaibbisays,“Ithinkthisisprobablythesinglebiggestexampleoftherevolvingdoorthatwe’veeverhad.”www.democracynow.org/2015/7/8/eric_holder_returns_to_wall_street

Twomajordebtcrises—inGreeceandinPuertoRico—cometoaheadontheinternationalstage.BecausethesecrisesarerapidlyevolvingasofthecompletionofthischapterinJuly2015,pleaserefertonewsoutletsforcurrentinformation.TheNewYorkTimesalsooffersagoodstartingpointforunderstandingtheGreekdebtcrisis.www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/business/international/greece-debt-crisis-euro.html

JohnPerkinsPersonalHistory

1963 Graduatesprepschool,entersMiddleburyCollege.

1964 BefriendsFarhad,sonofanIraniangeneral.DropsoutofMiddlebury.

1965 WorksforHearstnewspapersinBoston.

1966 EntersBostonUniversity’sCollegeofBusinessAdministration.

1967 MarriesformerMiddleburyclassmate,whose“UncleFrank”isatop-echelonexecutiveattheNationalSecurityAgency(NSA).

1968ProfiledbytheNSAasanidealeconomichitman(EHM).WithUncleFrank’sblessing,joinsthePeaceCorpsandisassignedtotheEcuadorianAmazon,whereancientindigenousnationsbattleUSoilcompanies.

1969LivesintherainforestandtheAndes.Experiencesfirsthandthedeceitfulanddestructivepracticesemployedbyoilcompaniesandgovernmentagencies,andtheirnegativeimpactsonlocalculturesandenvironments.

1970 InEcuador,meetsvicepresidentofinternationalconsultingfirmMAIN,whoisalsoanNSAliaisonofficer.

1971JoinsMAIN,undergoesclandestinetraininginBostonasaneconomichitman,andissentaspartofaneleven-manteamtoJava,Indonesia.Struggleswithconscienceoverpressuretofalsifyeconomicstudies.

1972

Duetowillingnessto“cooperate,”ispromotedtochiefeconomistandisviewedasawhizkid.Meetsimportantleaders,includingWorldBankpresidentRobertMcNamara.SentonspecialassignmenttoPanama.BefriendedbyPanamanianpresidentandcharismaticleaderOmarTorrijos;learnsabouthistoryofUSimperialismandTorrijos’sdeterminationtotransferCanalownershipfromtheUnitedStatestoPanama.

1973Careerskyrockets.BuildsempirewithinMAIN;continuesworkinPanama;travelsextensivelyandconductsstudiesinAsia,LatinAmerica,andtheMiddleEast.

1974

InstrumentalininitiatingahugeEHMsuccessinSaudiArabia.RoyalfamilyagreestoinvestbillionsofdollarsofoilincomeinUSsecuritiesandtoallowtheUSDepartmentoftheTreasurytousetheinterestfromthoseinvestmentstohireUSfirmstobuildpowerandwatersystems,highways,ports,andcitiesinthekingdom.Inexchange,theUnitedStatesguaranteesthattheroyalfamilywillcontinuetorule.ThiswillserveasamodelforfutureEHMdeals,

includingonethatultimatelyfailsinIraq.

1975Promotedagain—toyoungestpartnerinMAIN’shundred-yearhistory—andnamedmanagerofEconomicsandRegionalPlanning.Publishesseriesofinfluentialpapers;lecturesatHarvardandotherinstitutions.

1976Headsmajorprojectsaroundtheworld,inAfrica,Asia,LatinAmerica,NorthAmerica,andtheMiddleEast.LearnsfromtheshahofIranarevolutionaryapproachtoEHMempirebuilding.

1977DuetopersonalrelationshipsinColombia,becomesexposedtotheplightoffarmerswhoarebrandedasCommunistterroristsanddrugtraffickersbutareinfactpeasantstryingtoprotecttheirfamiliesandhomes.

1978

RushedoutofIranbyFarhad.Together,theyflytotheRomehomeofFarhad’sfather,anIraniangeneral,whopredictstheshah’simminentousterandblamesUSpolicy,corruptleaders,anddespoticgovernmentsforthehatredsweepingtheMiddleEast.HewarnsthatiftheUnitedStatesdoesnotbecomemorecompassionate,thesituationwilldeteriorate.

1979

StruggleswithconscienceastheshahfleeshiscountryandIraniansstormtheUSEmbassy,takingfifty-twohostages.RealizesthattheUnitedStatesisanationlaboringtodenythetruthaboutitsimperialistroleintheworld.Afteryearsoftensionandfrequentseparations,divorcesfirstwife.

1980 Suffersfromdeepdepression,guilt,andtherealizationthatmoneyandpowerhavetrappedhimatMAIN.Quits.

1981

IsdeeplydisturbedwhenEcuador ’spresident,JaimeRoldós(whohascampaignedonananti-oilplatform),andPanama’sOmarTorrijos(whohasincurredthewrathofpowerfulWashingtoninterests,duetohispositionsonthePanamaCanalandUSmilitarybases)dieinfieryairplanecrashesthathaveallthemarkingsofCIAassassinations.Marriesforthesecondtime,toawomanwhosefatherischiefarchitectatBechtelandisinchargeofdesigningandbuildingcitiesinSaudiArabia—workfinancedthroughthe1974EHMdeal.

1982 CreatesIndependentPowerSystems(IPS),acompanycommittedtoproducingenvironmentallyfriendlyelectricity.HeandhiswifeWinifredfatherJessica.

1983-1989

SucceedsspectacularlyasIPSCEO,withmuchhelpfrom“coincidences”—peopleinhighplaces,taxbreaks,etc.Asafather,fretsoverworldcrisesandformerEHMrole.Beginswritingatell-allbookbutisofferedalucrativeconsultant’sretainerontheconditionthathenotwritethebook.

1990-1991

FollowingtheUSinvasionofPanamaandimprisonmentofManuelNoriega,sellsIPSandretiresatforty-five.ContemplatesbookaboutlifeasanEHMbutinsteadispersuadedtodirectenergiestowardcreatinganonprofitorganization,aneffortthat,heistold,wouldbenegativelyaffectedbysuchabook.

1992-2000

WatchestheEHMfailuresinIraqthatresultinthefirstGulfWar.ThreetimesstartstowritetheEHMbook,butinsteadgivesintothreatsandbribes.Triestoassuageconsciencebywritingbooksaboutindigenouspeoples,supportingnonprofitorganizations,teachingatNewAgeforums,travelingtotheAmazonandtheHimalayas,meetingwiththeDalaiLama,andengaginginotheractivities.

2001-2002

LeadsagroupofNorthAmericansdeepintotheAmazonandistherewithindigenouspeopleonSeptember11,2001.SpendsadayatGroundZeroandcommitstowritingthebookthatcanhealhispainandexposethetruthbehindeconomichitmen.

2003-2004ReturnstotheEcuadorianAmazontomeetwiththeindigenousnationswhohavethreatenedwaragainsttheoilcompanies;writesConfessionsofanEconomicHitMan.

2005-2016

FollowingpublicationoftheinternationalbestsellerConfessionsofanEconomicHitMan,takeshismessageoftheneedtoreplacethedeatheconomywithalifeeconomyonglobalspeakingtourstocorporatesummits,largegroupsofCEOsandotherbusinessleaders,consumerconferences,musicfestivals,andmorethanfiftyuniversities.WritesTheSecretHistoryoftheAmericanEmpire,Hoodwinked,andTheNewConfessionsofanEconomicHitMan.

NOTES

Chapter1.DirtyBusiness1.Forabrieflookatsomeofthelong-termresultsofthisstrategy,see“ARainforestChernobyl,”ChevronToxico,accessedJuly24,2015,chevrontoxico.com/about/rainforest-chernobyl.

Chapter3.“InforLife”1.StephenKinzer,AlltheShah’sMen:AnAmericanCoupandtheRootsofMiddleEastTerror,2nded.(Hoboken,NJ:JohnWiley&Sons,2008).

2.JaneMayer,“ContractSport:WhatDidtheVice-PresidentDoforHalliburton?”NewYorker,February16&23,2004,p.83.

Chapter4.Indonesia:LessonsforanEHM1.JeanGelmanTaylor,Indonesia:PeoplesandHistories(NewHaven,CT:YaleUniversityPress,2003);andTheodoreFriend,IndonesianDestinies(Cambridge,MA:BelknapPress,2003).SeealsoRexMortimer,IndonesianCommunismunderSukarno:IdeologyandPolitics,1959–1965(Sheffield,UK:EquinoxPublishing,2006).

Chapter5.SavingaCountryfromCommunism1.TimWeiner,“RobertS.McNamara,ArchitectofaFutileWar,Diesat93,”NewYorkTimes,July7,2009,www.nytimes.com/2009/07/07/us/07mcnamara.html.

Chapter6.SellingMySoul1.SusanRosegrantandDavidR.Lampe,Route128:LessonsfromBoston’sHigh-TechCommunity(NewYork:BasicBooks,1993).

Chapter7.MyRoleasInquisitor1.TheodoreFriend,IndonesianDestinies(Cambridge,MA:BelknapPress,2003),5.

Chapter8.CivilizationonTrial1.ArnoldToynbeeandD.C.Somervell,CivilizationonTrialandTheWorldandtheWest(NewYork:MeridianBooks,1958).

Chapter10.Panama’sPresidentandHero1.SeeDavidMcCullough,ThePathBetweentheSeas:TheCreationofthePanamaCanal,1870–1914(NewYork:SimonandSchuster,1999);WilliamFriar,Portraitofthe

PanamaCanal:FromConstructiontotheTwenty-FirstCentury(NewYork:GraphicArtsPublishingCompany,1999);andGrahamGreene,ConversationswiththeGeneral(NewYork:PocketBooks,1984).

2.See“ZapataPetroleumCorp.,”Fortune,April1958,p.248;DarwinPayne,InitiativeinEnergy:DresserIndustries,Inc.1880–1978(NewYork:SimonandSchuster,1979);StephenPizzo,MaryFricker,andPaulMuolo,InsideJob:TheLootingofAmerica’sSavingsandLoans(NewYork:McGraw-Hill,1989);GaryWebb,DarkAlliance:TheCIA,theContras,andtheCrackCocaineExplosion(NewYork:SevenStoriesPress,1999);andGerardColbyandCharlotteDennett,ThyWillBeDone:TheConquestoftheAmazon—NelsonRockefellerandEvangelismintheAgeofOil(NewYork:HarperCollins,1995).

3.ManuelNoriegaandPeterEisner,America’sPrisoner:TheMemoirsofManuelNoriega(NewYork:RandomHouse,1997);OmarTorrijosHerrera,Ideario(EditorialUniversitariaCentroamericano,1983);GrahamGreene,ConversationswiththeGeneral(NewYork:PocketBooks,1984).

4.Greene,Conversations;andNoriegaandEisner,Memoirs.5.DerrickJensen,ALanguageOlderThanWords(NewYork:ContextBooks,2000),86–88.6.Greene,Conversations;andNoriegaandEisner,Memoirs.

Chapter11.PiratesintheCanalZone1.ForfurtherreadingabouttheCanalZone,seeJohnMajor,PrizePossession:TheUnitedStatesGovernmentandthePanamaCanal1903–1979(NewYork:CambridgeUniversityPress,1993);andDavidMcCullough,ThePathBetweentheSeas:TheCreationofthePanamaCanal,1870–1914(NewYork:SimonandSchuster,1999).

Chapter13.ConversationswiththeGeneral1.WilliamShawcross,TheShah’sLastRide:TheFateofanAlly(NewYork:SimonandSchuster,1988);andStephenKinzer,AlltheShah’sMen:AnAmericanCoupandtheRootsofMiddleEastTerror,2nded.(Hoboken,NJ:JohnWiley&Sons,2008),45.

2.AgreatdealhasbeenwrittenaboutArbenz,UnitedFruit,andtheviolenthistoryofGuatemala.See,forexample,HowardZinn,APeople’sHistoryoftheUnitedStates(NewYork:Harper&Row,1980);andDianeK.Stanley,FortheRecord:TheUnitedFruitCompany’sSixty-SixYearsinGuatemala(GuatemalaCity:CentroImpresorPiedraSanta,1994).Forquickreference,see“CIAInvolvedinGuatemalaCoup,1954,”lastmodifiedMay31,2007,www.english.upenn.edu/~afilreis/50s/guatemala.html.FormoreontheBushfamily’sinvolvement,see“ZapataPetroleumCorp.,”Fortune,April1958,p.248.

Chapter14.EnteringaNewandSinisterPeriodinEconomicHistory1.“RobertS.McNamara:8thSecretaryofDefense,”accessedAugust12,2015,www.defense.gov/specials/secdef_histories/SecDef_08.aspx.

Chapter15.TheSaudiArabianMoney-LaunderingAffair1.Formoreontheeventsleadinguptothe1973oilembargoandtheimpactoftheembargo,seeThomasW.Lippman,InsidetheMirage:America’sFragilePartnershipwithSaudiArabia(Boulder,CO:WestviewPress,2004),155–159;DanielYergin,ThePrize:TheEpicQuestforOil,Money&Power(NewYork:FreePress,1993);StephenSchneider,TheOilPriceRevolution(Baltimore:JohnsHopkinsUniversityPress,1983);andIanSeymour,OPEC:InstrumentofChange(London:Macmillan,1980).

2.Lippman,InsidetheMirage,160.3.DavidHoldenandRichardJohns,TheHouseofSaud:TheRiseandRuleoftheMostPowerfulDynastyintheArabWorld(NewYork:Holt,Rinehart&Winston,1981),359.

4.Lippman,InsidetheMirage,167.

Chapter16.Pimping,andFinancingOsamabinLaden1.RobertBaer,SleepingwiththeDevil:HowWashingtonSoldOurSoulforSaudiOil(NewYork:CrownPublishers,2003),26.

2.ThomasW.Lippman,InsidetheMirage:America’sFragilePartnershipwithSaudiArabia(BoulderCO:WestviewPress,2004),162.

3.Lippman,InsidetheMirage,2.4.HenryWasswa,“IdiAmin,MurderousUgandanDictator,Dies,”AssociatedPress,August17,2003.

5.“TheSaudiConnection,”USNews&WorldReport,December15,2003,p.21.6.“TheSaudiConnection,”19,20,26.7.CraigUnger,“SavingtheSaudis,”VanityFair,October2003.FormoreontheBushfamily’sinvolvement,Bechtel,etc.,see“ZapataPetroleumCorp.,”Fortune,April1958,p.248;DarwinPayne,InitiativeinEnergy:DresserIndustries,Inc.1880–1978(NewYork:SimonandSchuster,1979);NathanVardi,“DesertStorm:BechtelGroupIsLeadingtheCharge,”Forbes,June23,2003,pp.63–66;RobWherry,“ContactsforContracts,”Forbes,June23,2003,p.65;GraydonCarter,“Editor ’sLetter:FlytheFriendlySkies...,”VanityFair,October2003;andRichardA.OppelJr.withDianaB.Henriques,“ANationatWar:TheContractor,”NewYorkTimes,April18,2003,www.nytimes.com/2003/04/18/business/a-nation-at-war-the-contractor-company-has-ties-in-washington-and-to-iraq.html.

Chapter17.PanamaCanalNegotiationsandGrahamGreene1.See,forexample,JohnM.Perkins,“ColonialisminPanamaHasNoPlacein1975,”lettertotheeditor,BostonEveningGlobe,September19,1975;andJohnM.Perkins,“US–BrazilPactUpsetsEcuador,”lettertotheeditor,BostonGlobe,May10,1976.

2.ForexamplesofpapersbyJohnPerkinspublishedintechnicaljournals,seeJohnM.Perkinsetal.,“AMarkovProcessAppliedtoForecasting—Part1:Economic

Development,”InstituteofElectricalandElectronicsEngineers,ConferencePapersC73475-1(July1973),and“PartII:TheDemandforElectricity,”ConferencePapersC74146-7(January1974);JohnM.PerkinsandNadipuramR.Prasad,“AModelforDescribingDirectandIndirectInterrelationshipsbetweentheEconomyandtheEnvironment,”ConsultingEngineer,April1973;EdwinVennard,JohnM.Perkins,andRobertC.Ender,“ElectricDemandfromInterconnectedSystems,”TAPPIJournal(TechnicalAssociationofthePulpandPaperIndustry),28thConferenceEdition,1974;JohnM.Perkinsetal.,“IranianSteel:ImplicationsfortheEconomyandtheDemandforElectricity”and“MarkovMethodAppliedtoPlanning,”presentedattheFourthIranianConferenceonEngineering,PahlaviUniversity,Shiraz,Iran,May12–16,1974;andJohnM.Perkins,forewordtoEconomicTheoriesandApplications:ACollectionofTechnicalPapers(Boston:Chas.T.Main,Inc.,1975).

3.Perkins,“ColonialisminPanama.”4.GrahamGreene,GettingtoKnowtheGeneral(NewYork:PocketBooks,1984),89–90.5.Greene,GettingtoKnowtheGeneral.

Chapter18.Iran’sKingofKings1.WilliamShawcross,TheShah’sLastRide:TheFateofanAlly(NewYork:SimonandSchuster,1988).FormoreabouttheShah’srisetopower,seeH.D.S.Greenway,“TheIranConspiracy,”NewYorkReviewofBooks,September23,2003;andStephenKinzer,AlltheShah’sMen:AnAmericanCoupandtheRootsofMiddleEastTerror,2nded.(Hoboken,NJ:JohnWiley&Sons,2008).

2.FormoreaboutYamin,theFloweringDesertproject,andIran,seeJohnPerkins,Shapeshifting(Rochester,VT:DestinyBooks,1997).

Chapter19.ConfessionsofaTorturedMan1.ErichKolig,ConservativeIslam:ACulturalAnthropology(Lanham,MD:Rowman&Littlefield,2012).

2.SaeedKamaliDehghanandRichardNorton-Taylor,“CIAAdmitsRolein1953IranianCoup,”Guardian,August19,2013,www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/19/cia-admits-role-1953-iranian-coup.

Chapter20.TheFallofaKing1.Formoreabouttheshah’srisetopower,seeH.D.S.Greenway,“TheIranConspiracy,”NewYorkReviewofBooks,September23,2003;andStephenKinzer,AlltheShah’sMen:AnAmericanCoupandtheRootsofMiddleEastTerror,2nded.(Hoboken,NJ:JohnWiley&Sons,2008).

2.SeeTimemagazinecoverarticlesontheAyatollahRuhollahKhomeini,February12,1979,January7,1980,andAugust17,1987.

Chapter21.Colombia:KeystoneofLatinAmerica

1.GerardColbyandCharlotteDennett,ThyWillBeDone:TheConquestoftheAmazon—NelsonRockefellerandEvangelismintheAgeofOil(NewYork:Harper-Collins,1995),381.

Chapter22.AmericanRepublicvs.GlobalEmpire1.Foranexpertopinion,seeDylanMatthewsandKimberlyAnnElliot,“PoorCountriesCanKeepWorkersSafeandStillEscapePoverty,”WashingtonPost,April25,2013,www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/04/25/poor-countries-can-keep-workers-safe-and-still-escape-poverty.ForinformationonsweatshopsinChina,inparticular,see“SweatshopsinChina,”WaronWant,accessedAugust12,2015,www.waronwant.org/sweatshops-china.

Chapter24.Ecuador’sPresidentBattlesBigOil1.MariaGuadalupeMoogRodrigues,“EnvironmentalActivismBeyondBrazilI—TheStruggleagainstOilExploitationinEcuador,”inGlobalEnvironmentalismandLocalPolitics:TransnationalAdvocacyNetworksinBrazil,Ecuador,andIndia(Albany:StateUniversityofNewYorkPress,2004),93–114.

2.ForextensivedetailsonSIL,itshistory,itsactivities,anditsassociationwiththeoilcompaniesandtheRockefellers,seeGerardColbyandCharlotteDennett,ThyWillBeDone:TheConquestoftheAmazon—NelsonRockefellerandEvangelismintheAgeofOil(NewYork:HarperCollins,1995);andJoeKane,Savages(NewYork:AlfredA.Knopf,1995).ForinformationonRachelSaint,seeKane,Savages,85,156,227.

3.JohnD.Martz,PoliticsandPetroleuminEcuador(NewBrunswick,NJ:TransactionBooks,1987),272.

4.JoséCarvajalCandall,“ObjetivosypolíticasdeCEPE”(Quito:PrimerSeminario,1979),88.

Chapter26.Ecuador’sPresidentialDeath1.JohnD.Martz,PoliticsandPetroleuminEcuador(NewBrunswick,NJ:TransactionBooks,1987),272.

2.GerardColbyandCharlotteDennett,ThyWillBeDone:TheConquestoftheAmazon—NelsonRockefellerandEvangelismintheAgeofOil(NewYork:Harper-Collins,1995),813.

3.Martz,PoliticsandPetroleum,303.4.Ibid.,381,400.

Chapter27.Panama:AnotherPresidentialDeath1.GrahamGreene,GettingtoKnowtheGeneral(NewYork:PocketBooks,1984),11.2.GeorgeShultzwassecretaryoftheTreasuryandchairmanoftheCouncilonEconomicPolicyunderNixon–Ford,1972–1974;executivepresidentorpresidentofBechtel,1974–

1982;andsecretaryofstateunderReagan–Bush,1982–1989.CasparWeinbergerwasdirectoroftheOfficeofManagementandBudgetandsecretaryofhealth,education,andwelfareunderNixon–Ford,1973–1975;vicepresidentandgeneralcounselofBechtelGroup,1975–1980;andsecretaryofdefenseunderReagan–Bush,1980–1987.

3.Duringthe1973Watergatehearings,inhistestimonybeforetheUSSenate,JohnDeanwasthefirsttodiscloseUSplotstoassassinateTorrijos.In1975,atSenateinquiriesintotheCIA,chairedbySenatorFrankChurch,additionaltestimonyanddocumentationofplanstokillbothTorrijosandNoriegawerepresented.See,forexample,ManuelNoriegaandPeterEisner,America’sPrisoner:TheMemoirsofManuelNoriega(NewYork:RandomHouse,1997),107.

Chapter28.MyEnergyCompany,Enron,andGeorgeW.Bush1.ForadditionalinformationonIPS,itswhollyownedsubsidiaryArchbaldPowerCorporation,andformerCEOJohnPerkins,seeJackM.DalyandThomasJ.Duffy,“BurningCoal’sWasteatArchbald,”CivilEngineering,July1988;VinceCoveleskie,“Co-GenerationPlantAttributesCited,”ScrantonTimes,October17,1987;RobertCurran,“ArchbaldFacilityDedicated,”ScrantonTribune,October17,1987;“ArchbaldPlantWillTurnCoalWasteintoPower,”Wilkes-Barre(PA)Citizens’Voice,June6,1988;and“LiabilitiestoAssets:CulmtoLight,Food,”editorial,Wilkes-Barre(PA)Citizens’Voice,June7,1988.

2.JoeConason,“TheGeorgeW.BushSuccessStory,”Harper’sMagazine,February2000;andCraigUnger,“SavingtheSaudis,”VanityFair,October2003,p.165.

3.Unger,“SavingtheSaudis,”178.4.SeeGeorgeLardnerJr.andLoisRomano,“TheTurningPointafterComingUpDry,”WashingtonPost,July30,1999;Conason,“TheGeorgeW.BushSuccessStory”;andSamParry,“TheBushFamily‘Oiligarchy,’”Consortiumnews.com,June12,2015,https://consortiumnews.com/2015/06/12/the-bush-family-oiligarchy.

5.Thistheorytookonnewsignificanceandseemedreadytofallunderthespotlightofpublicscrutinywhen,yearslater,itbecameclearthatthehighlyrespectedaccountingfirmofArthurAndersenhadconspiredwithEnronexecutivestocheatenergyconsumers,Enronemployees,andtheAmericanpublicoutofbillionsofdollars.Theimpending2003IraqWarpushedthespotlightaway.Duringthewar,BahrainplayedacriticalroleinPresidentGeorgeW.Bush’sstrategy.

Chapter29.ITakeaBribe1.JimGarrison,AmericanEmpire:GlobalLeaderorRoguePower?(SanFrancisco:Berrett-Koehler,2004),38.

Chapter30.TheUnitedStatesInvadesPanama1.ManuelNoriegaandPeterEisner,America’sPrisoner:TheMemoirsofManuelNoriega(NewYork:RandomHouse,1997),56.

2.DavidHarris,ShootingtheMoon:TheTrueStoryofanAmericanManhuntUnlikeAnyOther,Ever(Boston:Little,BrownandCompany,2001),31–34.

3.Harris,ShootingtheMoon,43.4.NoriegaandEisner,America’sPrisoner,212.SeealsoCraigUnger,“SavingtheSaudis,”VanityFair,October2003,165.

5.NoriegaandEisner,America’sPrisoner,114.6.See“GeorgeH.W.Bush,”FamousTexans,accessedAugust12,2015,www.famoustexans.com/georgebush.htm.

7.NoriegaandEisner,America’sPrisoner,56–57.8.Harris,ShootingtheMoon,6.9.“GeorgeH.W.Bush,”FamousTexans.10.Harris,ShootingtheMoon,4.11.NoriegaandEisner,America’sPrisoner,248.12.Ibid.,211.13.Ibid.,xxi.

Chapter31.AnEHMFailureinIraq1.MorrisBarrett,“TheWeb’sWildWorld,”Time,April26,1999,p.62.

Chapter32.September11andItsAftermathforMe,Personally1.FormoreabouttheHuaorani,seeJoeKane,Savages(NewYork:AlfredA.Knopf,1995).

Chapter33.Venezuela:SavedbySaddam1.“VenezuelaontheBrink,”editorial,NewYorkTimes,December18,2002.2.“VenezuelanPresidentForcedtoResign,”AssociatedPress,April12,2002.3.SimonRomero,“TenuousTruceinVenezuelafortheStateandItsOilCompany,”NewYorkTimes,April24,2002.

4.BobEdwards,“WhatWentWrongwiththeOilDreaminVenezuela,”NationalPublicRadio,MorningEdition,July8,2003.

5.GingerThompson,“VenezuelaStrikersKeepPressureonChávezandOilExports,”NewYorkTimes,December30,2002.

6.Formoreonthejackalsandothertypesofhitmen,seeP.W.Singer,CorporateWarriors:TheRiseofthePrivatizedMilitaryIndustry(Ithaca,NY:CornellUniversityPress,2003);JamesR.Davis,Fortune’sWarriors:PrivateArmiesandtheNewWorldOrder(VancouverandToronto:Douglas&McIntyre,2000);andFelixI.RodriguezandJohnWeisman,ShadowWarrior:TheCIAHeroof100UnknownBattles(NewYork:SimonandSchuster,1989).

7.TimWeiner,“ACoupbyAnyOtherName,”NewYorkTimes,April14,2002.8.“VenezuelaLeaderUrges20YearsforStrikeChiefs,”AssociatedPress,February22,2003.

9.PaulRichter,“USHadTalksonChávezOuster,”LosAngelesTimes,April17,2002.

Chapter34.Conspiracy:WasIPoisoned?1.AmericanmenfearChinamorethantheyfearISIS.See“WhatAreAmericansMostAfraidOf?,”VanityFair,January2015,www.vanityfair.com/culture/2015/01/fear-60-minutes-poll.

Chapter35.AJackalSpeaks:TheSeychellesConspiracy1.Althoughhisnameisonrecordforanyonewhocarestodelve,athisrequest,I’vedecidedtousethealiasof“Jack.”HehasalwaysmaintainedthathedidnotworkfortheCIA,which,strictlyspeaking,istrue.

2.“IndianOceanIsleRepulsesRaiders,”NewYorkTimes,November27,1981,www.nytimes.com/1981/11/27/world/indian-ocean-isle-repulses-raiders.html.

3.Formoreinformation:“TrialGivesPeekatSouthAfricanIntelligenceWeb,”byJosephLelyveld,NewYorkTimes,May10,1982,http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB0A11FA3F5C0C738DDDAC0894DA484D81&scp=1&sq=TRIAL+GIVES+PEEK+AT+SOUTH+AFRICA+INTELLIGENCE+WEB+&st=nytandMikeHoare,TheSeychellesAffair(PaladinPress,2009).

Chapter36.EcuadorRebels1.EncyclopaediaBritannica,s.v.“RafaelCorrea,”updatedOctober23,2014,www.britannica.com/biography/Rafael-Correa.

2.SandyTolan,“Ecuador:LostPromises,”NationalPublicRadio,MorningEdition,July9,2003,www.npr.org/programs/morning/features/2003/jul/latinoil.

3.JuanForero,“SeekingBalance:Growthvs.CultureinAmazon,”NewYorkTimes,December10,2003.

4.AbbyEllin,“SuitSaysChevronTexacoDumpedPoisonsinEcuador,”NewYorkTimes,May8,2003.

Chapter37.Honduras:TheCIAStrikes1.MarkWeisbrot,“Who’sinChargeofUSForeignPolicy?,Guardian,July16,2009,www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/cifamerica/2009/jul/16/honduras-coup-obama-clinton.

2.AmyGoodman,“ExclusiveInterviewwithManuelZelayaontheUSRoleinHonduranCoup,WikiLeaksandWhyHeWasOusted,”DemocracyNow!,May31,2011,www.democracynow.org/2011/5/31/exclusive_interview_with_manuel_zelaya_on.

Chapter38.YourFriendlyBankerasEHM

1.NicholasKristof,“ABankerSpeaks,withRegret,”NewYorkTimes,November30,2011,www.nytimes.com/2011/12/01/opinion/kristof-a-banker-speaks-with-regret.html.

2.JamesMcBride,ChristopherAlessi,andMohammedAlySergie,“UnderstandingtheLiborScandal,”CouncilonForeignRelations,May21,2015,www.cfr.org/united-kingdom/understanding-libor-scandal/p28729.

Chapter40.Istanbul:ToolsofModernEmpire1.“UseItandLoseIt:TheOutsizeEffectofUSConsumptionontheEnvironment,”ScientificAmerican,September14,2012,www.scientificamerican.com/article/american-consumption-habits.

Chapter41.ACoupagainstFundaciónPachamama1.OliverBalch,“BuenVivir:TheSocialPhilosophyInspiringMovementsinSouthAmerica,”Guardian,February4,2013,www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/blog/buen-vivir-philosophy-south-america-eduardo-gudynas.

2.“TheHagueRulesagainstChevroninEcuadorCase,”teleSUR,March13,2015,www.telesurtv.net/english/news/The-Hague-Rules-against-Chevron-in-Ecuador-Case-20150313-0009.html.

3.“Data:Ecuador,”WorldBank,updatedSeptember17,2015,http://data.worldbank.org/country/ecuador.

4.DanielCancelandLesterPimentel,“Ecuador ’sAuditCommissionFinds‘Illegality’inDebt(Update5),”Bloomberg.com,November20,2008,www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=a8suBA8I.3ik.

Chapter42.AnotherEHMBankingScandal1.VirginiaHarrisonandMarkThompson,“5BigBanksPay$5.4BillionforRiggingCurrencies,”CNNMoney,May20,2015,http://money.cnn.com/2015/05/20/investing/ubs-foreign-exchange/index.html.

2.LeoKing,“Bandits,Mafia,Cartel.BankTraders’AstonishingOnlineMessages,”Forbes,May21,2015,www.forbes.com/sites/leoking/2015/05/21/forex-barclays-citi-ubs-jpmorgan-online-chat-instant-messenger.

3.HarrisonandThompson,“5BigBanksPay$5.4Billion.”4.StephanieCliffordandMattApuzzo,“AfterIndicting14SoccerOfficials,USVowstoEndGraftinFIFA,”NewYorkTimes,May27,2015,www.nytimes.com/2015/05/28/sports/soccer/fifa-officials-arrested-on-corruption-charges-blatter-isnt-among-them.html.

5.LauraShin,“The85RichestPeopleintheWorldHaveasMuchWealthasthe3.5BillionPoorest,”Forbes,January23,2014,www.forbes.com/sites/laurashin/2014/01/23/the-85-richest-people-in-the-world-have-as-much-wealth-as-the-3-5-billion-poorest.

6.RicardoFuentes-NievaandNickGalasso,“WorkingfortheFew:PoliticalCaptureand

EconomicInequality,”178Oxfambriefingpaper—Summary,January20,2014,www.oxfam.org/sites/www.oxfam.org/files/bp-working-for-few-political-capture-economic-inequality-200114-summ-en.pdf.

7.“PovertyOverview,”WorldBank,updatedApril6,2015,www.worldbank.org/en/topic/poverty/overview.

8.JamesS.Henry,“WheretheMoneyWent,”AcrosstheBoard,March/April2004,42–45.Formoreinformation,seeJamesS.Henry,TheBloodBankers:TalesfromtheGlobalUndergroundEconomy(NewYork:FourWallsEightWindows,2003).

9.JacobKushneretal.,“BurnedOut:WorldBankProjectsLeaveTrailofMiseryAroundGlobe,”HuffingtonPost,April16,2015,http://projects.huffingtonpost.com/worldbank-evicted-abandoned/worldbank-projects-leave-trail-misery-around-globe-kenya.

Chapter43.WhoAreToday’sEconomicHitMen?1.LeeFang,“WhereHaveAlltheLobbyistsGone?,”TheNation,February19,2014,www.thenation.com/article/shadow-lobbying-complex.

2.BrooksBarnes,“MPAAandChristopherDoddSaidtoBeNearDeal,”NewYorkTimes,February20,2011,mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/20/m-p-a-a-and-christopher-dodd-said-to-be-near-deal.

3.CenterforResponsivePolitics,“FormerMembers,”OpenSecrets.org,accessedJuly24,2015,www.opensecrets.org/revolving/top.php?display=Z.

4.Fang,“WhereHaveAlltheLobbyistsGone?”5.LeeDrutman,“HowCorporateLobbyistsConqueredAmericanDemocracy,”Atlantic,April20,2015,www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/04/how-corporate-lobbyists-conquered-american-democracy/390822.

6.ConnHallinanandLeonWofsy,“‘TheAmericanCentury’HasPlungedtheWorldintoCrisis.WhatHappensNow?,”CommonDreams,June22,2015,www.commondreams.org/views/2015/06/22/american-century-has-plunged-world-crisis-what-happens-now.

7.NirajChokshi,“TheUnitedStatesofSubsidies:TheBiggestCorporateWinnersinEachState,”WashingtonPost,March18,2015,www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/govbeat/wp/2015/03/17/the-united-states-of-subsidies-the-biggest-corporate-winners-in-each-state.

8.SeeJimBrunner,“LaborGroupDisinvitesInsleeoverBoeingTensions,”SeattleTimes,July20,2015,www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/labor-group-disinvites-inslee-over-boeing-tensions;andMikeBaker,“BoeingtoThrowPartytoThankWashingtonLawmakersfor$8.7B,”St.LouisPost-Dispatch,February4,2014,www.stltoday.com/business/local/boeing-to-throw-party-to-thank-washington-lawmakers-for-b/article_6d191691-9f07-5063-8e67-c2808ad4b302.html.

9.GregLeRoy,“SiteLocation101:HowCompaniesDecideWheretoExpandorRelocate,”chap.2inTheGreatAmericanJobsScam:CorporateTaxDodgingandthe

MythofJobCreation(SanFrancisco:Berrett-Koehler,2005);andLeroy,“FantusandtheRiseoftheEconomicWaramongtheStates,”chap.3inTheGreatAmericanJobsScam.

10.PhilipMatteraandKasiaTarczynska,withGregLeRoy,“Megadeals:TheLargestEconomicDevelopmentSubsidyPackagesEverAwardedbyStateandLocalGovernmentsintheUnitedStates,”GoodJobsFirst,June2013,www.goodjobsfirst.org/sites/default/files/docs/pdf/megadeals_report.pdf.

11.DamianCarringtonandHarryDavies,“USTaxpayersSubsidisingWorld’sBiggestFossilFuelCompanies,”Guardian,May12,2015,www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/may/12/us-taxpayers-subsidising-worlds-biggest-fossil-fuel-companies.

12.AndreaGermanos,“‘CorporateInfluenceHasWon’:HousePassesAnti-GMOLabelingBill,”CommonDreams,July23,2015,www.commondreams.org/news/2015/07/23/corporate-influence-has-won-house-passes-anti-gmo-labeling-bill.

13.DeirdreFulton,“Exposed:HowWalmartSpunan‘ExtensiveandSecretiveWeb’ofOverseasTaxHavens,”CommonDreams,June17,2015,www.commondreams.org/news/2015/06/17/exposed-how-walmart-spun-extensive-and-secretive-web-overseas-tax-havens.

14.ClareO’Connor,“Report:WalmartWorkersCostTaxpayers$6.2BillioninPublicAssistance,”Forbes,April15,2014,www.forbes.com/sites/clareoconnor/2014/04/15/report-walmart-workers-cost-taxpayers-6-2-billion-in-public-assistance.

15.GregPalast,MaggieO’Kane,andChavalaMadlena,“VultureFundsAwaitJerseyDecisiononPoorCountries’Debts,”Guardian,November15,2011,www.theguardian.com/global-development/2011/nov/15/vulture-funds-jersey-decision.

16.“VultureFundsCaseStudy,”JubileeUSANetwork,2007,www.jubileeusa.org/vulturefunds/vulture-fund-country-studies.html.

17.Palast,O’Kane,andMadlena,“VultureFundsAwaitJerseyDecision.”18.JosephStiglitz,“SovereignDebtNeedsInternationalSupervision,”Guardian,June16,2015,www.theguardian.com/business/2015/jun/16/sovereign-debt-needs-international-supervision.

19.LauraShin,“The85RichestPeopleintheWorldHaveasMuchWealthasthe3.5BillionPoorest,”Forbes,January23,2014,www.forbes.com/sites/laurashin/2014/01/23/the-85-richest-people-in-the-world-have-as-much-wealth-as-the-3-5-billion-poorest.

Chapter44.WhoAreToday’sJackals?1.SarahLazare,“‘YouHaveaChoice’:VeteransCallOnDroneOperatorstoRefuseOrders,”CommonDreams,June19,2015,www.commondreams.org/news/2015/06/19/you-have-choice-veterans-call-drone-

operators-refuse-orders.2.“TopUSGeneral:DronesAre‘FailedStrategy’That‘CauseMoreDamage,’”DemocracyNow!,July17,2015,www.democracynow.org/2015/7/17/headlines/top_us_general_drones_are_failed_strategy_that_cause_more_damage

3.MarkMazzettietal.,“SEALTeam6:ASecretHistoryofQuietKillingsandBlurredLines,”NewYorkTimes,June6,2015,www.nytimes.com/2015/06/07/world/asia/the-secret-history-of-seal-team-6.html.

4.“IsThereaDroneinYourNeighbourhood?RiseofSpyPlanesExposedafterFAAIsForcedtoReveal63LaunchSitesacrossUS,”MailOnline,April2012,www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2134376/Is-drone-neighbourhood-Rise-killer-spy-planes-exposed-FAA-forced-reveal-63-launch-sites-U-S.html.

5.“AP:FBIUsingLow-FlyingSpyPlanesoverUS,”CBSNews,June2,2015,www.cbsnews.com/news/ap-fbi-using-low-flying-spy-planes-over-us.

6.“NSASpyingonAmericans,”ElectronicFrontierFoundation,accessedJuly24,2015,www.eff.org/nsa-spying.

7.“ObamaBansSpyingonLeadersofUSAllies,ScalesBackNSAProgram,”Reuters,January17,2014,www.reuters.com/article/2014/01/18/us-usa-security-obama-idUSBREA0G0JI20140118.

8.JamesBall,“NSAMonitoredCallsof35WorldLeadersafterUSOfficialHandedoverContacts,”Guardian,October25,2013,www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/24/nsa-surveillance-world-leaders-calls.

9.“StatisticsonthePrivateSecurityIndustry,”PrivateSecurityMonitor,UniversityofDenver,accessedAugust12,2015,psm.du.edu/articles_reports_statistics/data_and_statistics.html.

10.“30MostPowerfulPrivateSecurityCompaniesintheWorld,”SecurityDegreeHub,January11,2013,www.securitydegreehub.com/30-most-powerful-private-security-companies-in-the-world.

Chapter45.LessonsforChina1.DanielCancelandLesterPimentel,“Ecuador ’sAuditCommissionFinds‘Illegality’inDebt(Update5),”Bloomberg.com,November20,2008,www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=a8suBA8I.3ik.;andMickRiordanetal.,“DailyBrief:EconomicsandFinancialMarketCommentary,”GlobalEconomicMonitor,December16,2008,www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2011/05/31/000356161_20110531005514/Rendered/PDF/612410NEWS0DEC0BOX0358349B00PUBLIC0.pdf

2.MercedesAlvaro,“China,EcuadorSign$2BillionLoanDeal,”WallStreetJournal,June28,2011,www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304314404576412373916029508.

3.ThereisdisagreementoverEcuadoriandebtandthewayChinesefinancingisinterpreted.Someofthisisduetodivergentdefinitionsof“loans”asopposedto“investments.”OneinterpretationisofferedbyAdamZuckerman,whostates,“Ecuador ’s

PresidentCorreawaswell-rewardedforhistriplastweektoChina,butthiscouldhavegraveimpactsfortheAmazonandthepeoplewholivethere.OnWednesday,BeijingagreedtolendEcuador$7.53billiontohelptheheavilyoil-dependenteconomycopewiththerecentdropinglobalcrudeprices.Thislatestsum—thelargestChinahaseverlentEcuador—bringsChinesefinancingtoEcuadortonearly$25billion,overaquarterofthenation’sGDP.In2013Beijingprovided61percentofEcuador ’sexternalfinancingandpurchased83percentofEcuador ’soil;thislatestloanwillundoubtedlybringbothnumbersmuchhigher”(Zuckerman,“EyeonEcuador:RackingUptheChinaDebtandPayingItForwardwithOil,”AmazonWatch,January13,2015,http://amazonwatch.org/news/2015/0113-racking-up-the-china-debt-and-paying-it-forward-with-oil).TheWallStreetJournalanalysisstates,“Currently,China’sloanstoEcuadorexceed$6billion,including$1.7billiontofinance85percentofCocaCodoSinclair,ahydropowerplanttobebuiltbyChina’sSino-hydroCorp.inEcuador,whichwillsupplyabout75percentofthecountry’senergyneeds”(Alvaro,“China,EcuadorSign$2BillionLoanDeal”).I’vechosentousetheofficialgovernmentfiguresfordebt,asreportedinEcuador ’sElCommercio,July29,2015,“LaprensadeEE.UU.alertaladependenciadeEcuadoraChina.”

4.“Ecuador:Over50%ofOilExportsWenttoChinainSeptember,”LatinAmericanHeraldTribune,May23,2015,http://laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=434747&CategoryId=14089.

5.AndrewRoss,“WhyIsEcuadorSellingItsEconomicandEnvironmentalFuturetoChina?,”TheNation,December18,2014,www.thenation.com/article/193249/why-ecuador-selling-its-economic-and-environmental-future-china.

6.CliffordKraussandKeithBradsher,“China’sGlobalAmbitions,withLoansandStringsAttached,”NewYorkTimes,July24,2015,www.nytimes.com/2015/07/26/business/international/chinas-global-ambitions-with-loans-and-strings-attached.html.

7.“TotalValueofUSTradeinGoods(ExportandImport)withChinafrom2004to2014,”Statista,accessedJuly24,2015,www.statista.com/statistics/277679/total-value-of-us-trade-in-goods-with-china-since-2004.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

WithoutthemanypeoplewhoselivesIsharedandwhoaredescribedinthepreviouspages,thisbookwouldnothavebeenwritten.Iamgratefulfortheexperiencesandthelessons.

Beyondthem,Ithankthepeoplewhoencouragedmetogooutonalimbandtellmyoriginalstory:StephanRechtschaffen,BillandLynneTwist,AnnKemp,andArtRoffey;somanyofthepeoplewhoparticipatedinDreamChangetripsandworkshops,especiallymyco-facilitatorsEveBruce,LynRoberts,andMaryTendall;andmyincredibleex-wifeandpartnerofthirtyyears,Winifred,andourdaughter,Jessica.

Iamgratefultothemanymenandwomenwhoprovidedpersonalinsightsandinformationaboutthemultinationalbanks,internationalcorporations,andpoliticalinnuendosofvariouscountries,withspecialthankstoMichaelBen-Eli,SabrinaBologni,JuanGabrielCarrasco,JamieGrant,PaulShaw,andseveralothers,whowishtoremainanonymousbutwhoknowwhotheyare.

Oncethemanuscriptforthefirsteditionwaswritten,Berrett-KoehlerfounderStevePiersantinotonlyhadthecouragetotakemeinbutalsodevotedendlesshoursasabrillianteditor,helpingmetoframeandreframethebook.MydeepestthanksgotoSteve;toRichardPerl,whointroducedmetohim;toNovaBrown,RandiFiat,AllenJones,ChrisLee,JenniferLiss,LauriePellouchoud,andJennyWilliams,whoreadandcritiquedthemanuscript;toDavidKorten,whonotonlyreadandcritiqueditbutalsomademejumpthroughhoopstosatisfyhishighandexcellentstandards;toPaulFedorko,myagent;toValerieBrewsterforcraftingthebookdesign;andtoToddManza,awordsmithandphilosopherextraordinaire.

ForthisNewConfessionsofanEconomicHitMan,IwanttothankKimanLucas,whoencouragedmetokeepgoing,organizedandaccompaniedmeontripstocountriessheknowssowellthatplayedinstrumentalrolesinthewritingofthisbook,andwhosefearlesswillingnesstochallengemyopinions,helpedmeimmeasurably;myex-wife,Winifred,whocontinuestosupportmeinsomanyways,whosegenerosityofheartseemslimitless,andwhoisthewisestadvisoranypersoncouldeverhopefor;ourdaughter,Jessica,andgrandson,Grant,whocontinuetoempowermetodomybest;AliYurtseverandUmutTasaYurtsever,AlperandFilizUtku,andBernaBaykal,whofacilitatedmytripstoIstanbulandaredoingsomuchtochangebusinessandgovernmentleaders;DanielKoupermann,whofirstconnectedmewiththeAchuar,madethePachamamaAlliancepossible,andhasbeenmyfriendandtravelingpartneronsomanyadventures;thepeopleandleadersoftheAchuarnation;onceagain,myliteraryagentPaulFedorko,withoutwhoseideas,editingskills,patience,andperseverancethisbookwouldnothavebeenwritten;mypublicistsPegBoothandJessicaMuto,whoarrangedsomanyofmyspeakingtoursandmediaevents;BeckyRobinsonandtheteamatWeavingInfluenceforworkingtheirmagiconmywebsiteandsocialnetworkingplatforms,andCathyLewisandtheteamatC.S.Lewis&Co.Publicists,fortheirpublic

relationsexpertise;mydearfriendandthebrilliantbusinessmanDanWieden;myconfidantandthegeniusentrepreneurScottJames;DreamChange’sinspirationalguidinglightandexecutivedirector,SamanthaThomas,andLlynRoberts,whosteppedbackintomylifeatatimewhenherhelpwasneeded.

AtBerrett-Koehler,IonceagainowesoverymuchtoStevePiersantiforhisamazingandbrillianttalentasaneditorialcoachandcheerleaderandforsculptingandshapingthisbook;JennyWilliams,forresearchingandpreparingtheextensive“Documentation”section;AlanaPrice,forcontributingmanyentriestothe“Documentation”sectionaswellasmuchotherresearch;AnitaSimhaandClairePershan,BKeditorialinternsandmanuscriptreviewers;CharlotteAshlock,AnnaLeinberger,JeevanSivasubramaniam,DavidMarshall,NealMaillet,andStevePiersanti(membersofBK’sEditorialDepartment);KristenFrantz,KatieSheehan,MichaelCrowley,ShabnamBanerjee-McFarland,MattFagaly,ZoeMackey,andMarinaCook(membersofBK’sSalesandMarketingDepartment);MaríaJesúsAguiló,CatherineLengronne,JohannaVondeling,andLeslieCrandell(membersofBK’sInternationalSalesandSubsidiaryRightsDepartment);LasellWhipple,CourtneySchonfeld,andEdwardWade(membersofBK’sDesignandProductionDepartment).

AspecialthankstoDavidKorten,AnitaSimha,LornaGarano,MalWarwick,MariaLewytzky-Milligan,NicAlbert,andClairePershanforreadingthedraftsofthemanuscriptandofferingsomanyinsightfulsuggestionsandedits,andtoradiobroadcasterandauthor,ZoharaHieronimus,forsuggestingtomethewords“deatheconomy”and“lifeeconomy.”

ImustthankallthosemenandwomenwhoworkedwithmeatMAINandwereunawareoftherolestheyplayedinhelpingEHMsshapetheglobalempire.IespeciallythanktheoneswhoworkedformeandwithwhomItraveledtodistantlandsandsharedsomanypreciousmoments.AlsoEhudSperlingandhisstaffatInnerTraditionsInternational,publisherofmyearlierbooksonindigenousculturesandshamanism,andgoodfriendswhosetmeonthispathasanauthor.

Iameternallygratefultothemenandwomenwhotookmeintotheirhomesinthejungles,deserts,andmountains,inthecardboardshacksalongthecanalsofJakarta,andintheslumsofcountlesscitiesaroundtheworld,whosharedtheirfoodandtheirliveswithme,andwhohavebeenmygreatestsourceofinspiration.

ABOUTTHEAUTHOR

JohnPerkinshaslivedfourlives:asaneconomichitman(EHM);astheCEOofasuccessfulalternativeenergycompany,whowasrewardedfornotdisclosinghisEHMpast;asanexpertonindigenousculturesandshamanism,ateacherandwriterwhousedthisexpertisetopromoteecologyandsustainabilitywhilecontinuingtohonorhisvowofsilenceabouthislifeasanEHM;andnowasawriterandactivistwho,intellingthereal-lifestoryabouthisextraordinarydealingsasanEHM,hasexposedtheworldofinternationalintrigueandcorruptionthatisturningtheAmericanrepublicintoaglobalempiredespisedbyincreasingnumbersofpeoplearoundtheplanet.

AsanEHM,Johnhadthejobofpersuadingeconomicallydevelopingcountriestoacceptenormousloansforinfrastructuredevelopment—loansthatweremuchlargerthanneeded—andtoguaranteethatthedevelopmentprojectswouldbecontractedtoUScorporationssuchasHalliburtonandBechtel.Oncethesecountriesweresaddledwithhugedebts,theUSgovernmentandtheinternationalaidagenciesalliedwithitwereabletocontroltheseeconomiesandtoensurethatoilandotherresourceswerechanneledtoservetheinterestsofbuildingaglobalempire.

InhiscapacityasanEHM,Johntraveledallovertheworldandwaseitheradirectparticipantinorawitnesstosomeofthemostdramaticeventsinmodernhistory,includingtheSaudiArabianMoney-LaunderingAffair,thefalloftheshahofIran,thedeathofPanama’sheadofstate,thesubsequentinvasionofPanama,andeventsleadinguptothe2003invasionofIraq.

In1980,PerkinsfoundedIndependentPowerSystemsInc.,analternativeenergycompany.UnderhisleadershipasCEO,IPSbecameanextremelysuccessfulfirminahigh-riskbusinesswheremostofitscompetitorsfailed.Many“coincidences”andfavorsfrompeopleinpowerfulpositionshelpedmakeIPSanindustryleader.Johnalsoservedasahighlypaidconsultanttosomeofthecorporationswhosepocketshehadpreviouslyhelpedtoline—takingonthisrolepartlyinresponsetoaseriesofnot-so-veiledthreatsandlucrativepayoffs.

AftersellingIPSin1990,Johnbecameachampionforindigenousrightsand

environmentalmovements,workingespeciallycloselywithAmazonnationstohelpthempreservetheirrainforests.Hewrotefivebooks,publishedinmanylanguages,aboutindigenouscultures,shamanism,ecology,andsustainability;taughtatuniversitiesandlearningcentersonfourcontinents;andfoundedandservedontheboardofdirectorsofseveralleadingnonprofitorganizations.

Twoofthenonprofitorganizationshefoundedorcofounded,DreamChangeandthePachamamaAlliance,havebecomemodelsforinspiringpeopletomakeabetterworld,empoweringindividualstocreatemoreenvironmentallysustainable,resourceregenerative,sociallyjust,andbalancedcommunities.TheseorganizationsalsohaveplayedmajorrolesinhelpingAmazonianpeopleprotecttheirlandsandculturesagainstencroachingdevelopment.

Duringthe1990sandintothenewmillennium,JohnhonoredhisvowofsilenceabouthisEHMlifeandcontinuedtoreceivelucrativecorporateconsultingfees.Heassuagedhisguiltbyapplyingtohisnonprofitworkmuchofthemoneyheearnedasaconsultant.Arts&EntertainmenttelevisionfeaturedhiminaspecialtitledHeadhuntersoftheAmazon,narratedbyLeonardNimoy.ItalianCosmopolitanranamajorarticleonhisworkshopsinEuropethatfocusedoninspiringparticipantstoexperienceindividualtransformationandtotakeactionsthatcreatemoreharmoniousrelationshipsbetweenhumansocietiesandtheplanet.TimemagazineselectedDreamChangeasoneofthethirteenorganizationsintheworldwhosewebsitesbestreflecttheidealsandgoalsofEarthDay.

ThencameSeptember11,2001.TheterribleeventsofthatdayledJohntodroptheveilofsecrecyaroundhislifeasanEHM,toignorethethreatsandbribes,andtowriteConfessionsofanEconomicHitMan.HecametobelieveinhisresponsibilitytosharehisinsiderknowledgeabouttherolethattheUSgovernment,multinational“aid”organizations,andcorporationshaveplayedinbringingtheworldtoaplacewheresuchaneventcouldoccur.HewantedtoexposethefactthatEHMsaremoreubiquitoustodaythaneverbefore.Hefeltthatheowedthistohiscountry,tohisdaughter,toallthepeoplearoundtheworldwhosufferbecauseoftheworkheandhispeershavedone,andtohimself.Inthisbook,heoutlinedthedangerouspathhiscountryistakingasitmovesawayfromtheoriginalidealsoftheAmericanrepublicandtowardaquestforglobalempire.ConfessionsofanEconomicHitManbecameaninternationalbestseller.Itspentmorethan

seventyweeksontheNewYorkTimesbestsellerlist,hassoldmorethan1.25millioncopies,andhasbeenpublishedinmorethanthirtylanguages.ItlaunchedJohnonaglobalspeakingtourthathascontinuedeversince.Hehastakenworldwidehismessageoftheneedtoreplacethedeatheconomywithalifeeconomy,speakingatcorporatesummits,tolargegroupsofCEOsandotherbusinessleaders;andatconsumerconferencesandmusicfestivals;andhehastaughtorlecturedatmorethanfiftyuniversities.

JohnhasbeenfeaturedonABC,NBC,CNN,CNBC,NPR,A&E,andtheHistoryChannel;beeninterviewedinTime,theNewYorkTimes,theWashingtonPost,Cosmopolitan,Elle,DerSpiegel,andmanyotherpublications;andappearedinnumerousdocumentaries,includingTheEndofPoverty?,ZeitgeistAddendum,andApologyofanEconomicHitMan.HewasawardedtheLennonOnoGrantforPeaceandtheRainforestActionNetworkChallengingBusinessAsUsualAward.

SinceConfessionsofanEconomicHitMan,JohnhaswrittenTheSecretHistoryofthe

AmericanEmpire(Penguin)andHoodwinked(RandomHouse).Healsoistheauthorofbooksonindigenousculturesandtransformation,includingShapeshifting,TheWorldIsAsYouDreamIt,Psychonavigation,SpiritoftheShuar,andTheStress-FreeHabit(allfromInnerTraditions).

TolearnmoreaboutJohn,toconnectwithhimonhissocialchannels,toorderhisbooks,tosubscribetohisnewsletter,ortocontacthim,pleasevisitwww.johnperkins.org.

TodiscovermoreabouttheworkofDreamChangeandPachamamaAlliance,twoofhis501(c)organizations,pleasevisitwww.dreamchange.organdwww.pachamama.org.

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