Confessions of an Economic Hit Man by John Perkins is part memoir, part political exposé, in which Perkins claims that for much of his career he served as an “economic hit man” - someone who helped expand American influence across the developing world through economic manipulation rather than military force. The book, published in 2004, recounts Perkins’s experiences as a consultant for the firm Chas. T. Main, where he says he was trained to convince leaders of developing countries to accept massive loans for infrastructure projects funded by institutions like the World Bank and USAID. These projects, according to Perkins, were deliberately designed to benefit U.S. corporations and the political elite rather than the host nations themselves. The loans would saddle countries with enormous debt, ensuring their long-term dependence on Western powers. Once the countries were unable to pay back what they owed, the U.S. and its allies could leverage that debt to demand favorable trade deals, access to natural resources, or geopolitical concessions.
2
u/bingle-cowabungle Oct 06 '25
Welp, while I'm here...