John Perkins
An excellent book written by an economic “hitman” during the
late 20th century, John Perkins does a wonderful job of mixing a
first-hand professional and personal account of economic policy and planning in
developing countries. The book rides a fine line between conspiracy and
anecdotal experience but many of his stories provide evidence that is difficult
to ignore. The story of economic policies created to encourage debt, dependency
on corporations and suppress developing countries is as provocative as it is
shocking. As the world becomes increasingly globalized, it’s important to look
at how we got here.
Members of a
conspiracy can be rooted out and brought to justice. This system, however, is
fueled by something far more dangerous than conspiracy. It is driven not by a
small band of men but by a concept that has become accepted as gospel: the idea
that all economic growth benefits humankind and that the greater the growth,
the more widespread the benefits. This belief also has a corollary: that those
people who excel at stoking the fires of economic growth should be exalted and
rewarded, while those born at the fringes are available for exploitation.
When men and women are
rewarded for greed, greed becomes a corrupting motivator. When we equate the
gluttonous consumption of the earth's resources with a status approaching
sainthood, when we teach our children to emulate people who live unbalanced
lives, and when we define huge sections of the population as subservient to an
elite minority, we ask for trouble. And we get it.
We need a revolution
in our approach to education, to empower ourselves and our children to think,
to question, and to dare to act. You can set an example. Be a teacher and a
student; inspire everyone around you through your example.
We must hear the
wisdom of the prophecies, open our hearts and minds to the possibilities,
become conscious, and then take action.
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