AMES, Iowa --John Perkins, author of "The Secret History of the American Empire: Economic Hit Men, Jackals and the Truth About Global Corruption," will speak at Iowa State University as part of the World Affairs Series. His lecture, "Geo-Politics, Human Rights and You" will be at 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 18 in the Memorial Union Sun Room. The lecture is free and open to the public.
As an economic hit man, John Perkins' job was to convince Third World countries to accept enormous loans - much larger than needed - for infrastructure development, and to guarantee that the development projects were contracted to American corporations like Halliburton and Bechtel. Perkins contends that once these countries were saddled with huge debts, the U.S. government and allied international aid agencies could control their economies, ensuring that oil and other resources were channeled to serve the interests of global empire-building. "The Secret History of the American Empire: Economic Hit Men, Jackals, and the Truth About Global Corruption," draws on interviews with other hit men, jackals, reporters, government officials and activists, to examine the current geopolitical crisis.
John Perkins has also worked as the chief executive officer of an alternative energy company and as an expert on indigenous cultures, shamanism, ecology and environmental movements. He is the author of several books, including "Confessions of an Economic Hit Man," "Shapeshifting," and "The World Is As You Dream It."
Since l966 the World Affairs Series (originally the Institute on World Affairs) has offered lectures on topics of international interest. This series is sponsored by the Committee on Lectures with funding provided by the Government of the Student Body.