John Perkins is an economist, activist, and author. His best known and most controversial book is Confessions of an Economic Hit Man. Perkins is also an authority on indigenous cultures and shamanism.

Confessions of an Economic Hit Man is an autobiographical work that tells the story of how Perkins was recruited by a member of the National Security Agency to become an "Economic Hit Man" or EHM, working in the private sector, primarily as an employee of the economic consulting firm Chas. T. Main, Inc. In this capacity Perkins met many prominent individuals, including Robert McNamara and Omar Torrijos. Perkins describes the role of an EHM as follows:

Economic hit men (EHMs) are highly paid professionals who cheat countries around the globe out of trillions of dollars. They funnel money from the World Bank, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and other foreign "aid" organizations into the coffers of huge corporations and the pockets of a few wealthy families who control the planet's natural resources. Their tools included fraudulent financial reports, rigged elections, payoffs, extortion, sex, and murder. They play a game as old as empire, but one that has taken on new and terrifying dimensions during this time of globalization.

See also:

• Neocolonialism
• Globalization
• Washington Consensus

External links

• Perkins' web site
• Hour-long interview with John Perkins on his book - Democracy Now!, December 31, 2004.