#136 - John Perkins | Confessions of an Economic Hitman

John Perkins is an American author known for his book "Confessions of an Economic Hitman," published in 2004. In the book, Perkins describes his role as an economic hitman, working for a consulting firm contracted by the U.S. government to facilitate development projects in developing countries. He describes how these projects were often a cover for promoting the interests of large corporations, pushing nations into debt and dependency. "Confessions of an Economic Hitman" became a bestseller and remained on the New York Times bestseller list for an extended period, sparking debate about American foreign policy and economic imperialism.

EPISODE OUTLINE:

00:00 Introduction and Compelling Opening
00:58 John Perkins' Role and Job Description
03:06 Conditionalities and Making Countries Subservient
04:05 Believing in the Right Thing and Measuring Prosperity
05:21 Wealth Disparity and Misleading Economic Reporting
06:18 Benefits for the Elite and Lack of Benefits for the Population
07:39 Awareness of the Terms and Conditions
08:20 Legal Bribing and Promises of Benefits
09:17 Scholarships and Connections with Universities
10:45 Working for a Private Company and Entry into Conversations
11:49 Offering Grants and Negotiating Loans
15:38 The Role of Jackals and Subtle Threats
19:33 Understanding the Truth and Confronting the Jaguar
22:22 Debt and Perception of its Impact
25:29 Difficulties in Following the Truth and Ethics
27:47 Believing in the Right Thing and Denial
30:42 Confronting the Jaguar and Changing the System
31:13 Transitioning to a Life Economy
32:32 Internal Struggle and Awakening
35:26 Leaving the Industry and Finding a New Path
38:42 Writing Confessions of an Economic Hitman
39:38 Resistance and Threats
42:12 The Decision to Publish the Book
46:26 Media Response and Influence
53:28 Power of Independent Media
59:09 Mainstream Media and Advertiser Influence
01:02:18 Media Bias and Freedom of the Press

TRANSCRIPT:
https://share.transistor.fm/s/7aa5e78d/transcript.txt

EPISODE LINKS:

John's Website: https://johnperkins.org

PODCAST INFO:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdpxjDVYNfJuth9Oo4z2iGQ
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/pop-culture/id1584438354
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2gWvUUYFwFvzHUnMdlmTaI
RSS: https://feeds.transistor.fm/popculture

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