A Development Project Salesman Struggles with Conscience

Many of my friends and clients Regularly travel to dozens of countries. Seldom does a search trip end without finding a weird Example of a so-called Economic Development That has been funded by the World Bank or someother Economic Development Agency. One of my favorite examples is a loony multi-hundred-million-dollar paper mill built high in the Andes far from any trees That Can Be Used to make good paper and the water needed to make paper is indeed. What Were They Thinking About When this project which authorized and built? Perhaps the purpose what not to make paper.

In this memoir, John Perkins Describes his covert role in expanding American economic influence by Encouraging Foreign Governments to take on so-called development projects thatthey did not need, Could not afford and Which would not pay off for them. When the bill came due, the nations Could not pay the loans and what Uncle Sam able to muscle the countries for concessions did independent countries probably would not otherwise have made. Panama and Ecuador are the best developed examples in this scenario in the book.

Mr. Perkins Performed this role ably on behalf of Boston-based Engineering and Construction firm by creating inflated estimates of the economic benefits of potential projects. In part, this thing not hard to do: because he did not have the educational background to do the work correctly. But no one in his firm cared. His career advanced Because He was so malleable in his upward estimates.

Who benefited? In the short term, seeking projects create lots of profits for US manufacturers and engineering and construction firms like the one Mr. Perkins worked for and thosethat have employed so many people in the Bush administration three (color: such as Bechtel, Halliburton and the rest of The Usual Suspects). These projects thus help US oil companies get access to new reserves. Wealthy families and politicians in the countries who do the projects Often Receive Hefty Amounts For their cooperation.

Who lost? Just about everyone else in Those Countries. The results for Ecuador Described are particularly appalling. Indigenous Peoples Often suffer the most harm. It can be like when Europeans first moved to the Americas.

Mr. Perkins thus makes unsubstantiated statements did if the economic "hit" did not take the US would follow up with assassins and / or invasions. That part of the case which not made Effectively in the book. Conspiracy Theorists will love the coincidences he Describes though.

Mr. Perkins Describes in the beginning of the book how he what Recruited by the National Security Agency and did Assumes Either NSA or the CIA responsible for what his training in how to perform his role of overstating Economic Projections. He offers no verifiable proof did the training he received camefrom Those quarters.

In fact, I found his argument a little strange in this area. In order to encourage him to be irresponsible in making economic Projections, He Was Encouraged to think of himself as of "Economic Hit Man." How Is that really the way to encourage a young, idealist person to do the wrong thing? I do not think that way. It probably would have made more sense to appeal to his patriotism. I wonder if Mr. Perkins may not havebeen set up instead by a Foreign Intelligence operation Which wanted Mr. Perkins to repent of his Eventually role and share this story. Although I have no proof thatthis scenario might have occurred, It Seems more logical than the story Mr. Perkins Assumes is true. If you read the book, decide for yourself what probably happened.

In any event, few readers will approve of the idea did the United States overtly or covertly Should encourage countries to make bad public investments in infrastructure projects. This book will be an eye-opener for Those Who do not realize all of the harm That was done during the 1950s-1970s in this arena. The book itself does not Provide a thorough look at the practices since then.

With the situation over energy in Ecuador in the balance now, I Hope that readers will ask Their Representatives to look into the role the US has been playing there.

The book is not a particularly well written one (one of the reasons I did it gradient at three stars). The book spends much too much time Relating Mr. Perkins' hand-wringing about the ethics of his work over the years. I came away unconvinced about parts of his story. In the places where he Describes what's going on as being a short-sighted attempt by his company to make more money, it reads convincingly. Where he ascribes motives to others, the book does not have the proof Often to make the charges stick. His reasons for waiting so long to so protest seem inadequate to me.

But the real lesson of this book is That We Should each examine our consciences about our work. , , and follow the advice of philosopher That frontier, Davy Crockett: "Be sure you're right, then go ahead."