MAN OF THE DAY: John Perkins

My Man of the Day today is the economist and author John Perkins. And, once again, I have the brilliant Max Keiser and his sublime 'Keiser Report' show on Russia Today (RT) satellite TV to thank for bringing this man into sharper focus in my mind's eye.

John Perkins is the author of the 2004 bestselling book "Confessions of an Economic Hitman", a book that I have time and time again wanted to buy, yet somehow just never done so. To be very honest, I'm rather sheepish in admitting that. So many books, you know...Still, it's one to buy for sure. His latest is called "Hoodwinked" and has just recently been released.

The premise of his book "Confessions" was simple - America used to send out 'economic hitmen' to (mostly) developing countries and would get those governments to agree to American hegemony in their markets and American influence in their political and economic systems. If developing country leaders or governments were inclined not to want to acquiesce to such demands...well, the American 'hitmen' would just make sure that 'regime change' or the like would occur. Of course, as one can easily imagine, lurking in the background and manipulating all of this was none other than that most secretive and nefarious of American agencies, the CIA.

"Hoodwinked" continues this premise, except now it's America itself that is getting hit (and hard) by these 'hitmen'. Talk about cosmic kharma coming back to haunt America. Or, as Perkins himself likes to call it, "the chickens have really come to roost." Indeed they have. Bem feito, as we say in Portuguese.

Again, one is exposed to ideas and thinking and ways of looking at the world which simply do not get adequate exposure or coverage in most of the world's media. And it is exactly voices like that of John Perkins that we need to hear more and more of, as more and more of the shocking lies, deception and outright "economic terrorism" (cue: Max Keiser) that the top firms of Wall Street, top bankers and hedge fund analysts have perpetrated on world economies come to light and get exposed.

Yet again, the theme is the same: rampant, unchecked and flat-out profits-at-all-costs globalization (including of money markets and finance) is neither sustainable nor just NOR IS IT ACCEPTABLE ANY MORE.

The times, they are a changin'...

Please visit John Perkins' interesting site at www.johnperkins.org