Quotes by John Perkins

“all of those people - millions in Ecuador, billions around the world - are potential terrorists. Not because they believe in communism or anarchism or are intrinsically evil, but simply because they are desperate.”

“I would love it if they came in while were playing our show at the Harp [a bar near North Station]. But the chances of that happening are very unlikely.”

“If three fully uniformed police officers show up at your door and knock, I guess I dont know what else youre supposed to do,”

“What if it was a stranded motorist getting shot in the chest?”

“When 9/11 struck, I had a change of heart. I knew the story had to be told because what happened at 9/11 is a direct result of what the economic hit men are doing, and the only way that were going to feel secure about ourselves again and that were going to feel good about ourselves is if we use these systems weve put into place to create positive change around the world.”

“It didnt go very well,”

“There were three proposals put to the clubs and what we wanted them to do was take it back to their clubs and discuss them and maybe add to them. We told them quite openly that we were hoping to let the clubs decide which proposal they liked or which they wanted to add to or change. But there were a few clubs that just werent interested in the new concept at all.”

“It will go back to the Country board now to sort out,”

“I think something will go ahead. I just dont know what itll be. We wanted to take the proposal that we thought was best, or one that we added to, or one we made up and then start doing draws and the like. But we cant do a draw until we know what the concept is. So its all in limbo again.”

“Theyre in business to sell drugs, and I dont think we need that, ... Im going to fight like hell against it.”

This book was written so that we may take heed and remold our story. I am certain that when enough of us become aware of how we are being exploited by the economic engine that creates an insatiable appetite for the worlds resources, and results in systems that foster slavery, we will no longer tolerate it. We will reassess our role in a world where a few swim in riches and the majority drown in poverty, pollution, and violence . We will commit ourselves to navigating a course toward compassion, democracy, and social justice for all.

The first question we must address deals with optimism, the possibility of achieving our goal. Are we in a position where we can actually hope to effect change? Assuming we become convinced that there are reasons for optimism, we move to the next question. Are we cetain that we want change? The stories about EHMs, jackals, and suffering around the globe strike raw nerves, but now we demand absolute proof that our grievances justify the efforts change will demand. Third: Is there a unifying principle that will validate our efforts? We look to ascertain that we are not merely seeking to impose our moral, religious, or philosophical values on others but instead are intent on creating something of true and lasting universal benefit. And finally: What can we each do? You and I personally need to evaluate our talents and passions. What are our individual options and desires? How do they fit into the bigger picture?

Who can see twenty-five years into the future?” she had asked. “Your guess is as good as theirs. Confidence is everything.

The United States spends over $87 billion conducting a war in Iraq while the United Nations estimates that for less than half that amount we could provide clean water, adequate diets, sanitations services and basic education to every person on the planet. And we wonder why terrorists attack us.

In response to my question about how we might rein in the empire, he said, Thats why Im meeting with you. Only you in the United States can change it. Your government created this problem and your people must solve it. Youve got to insist that Washington honor its commitment to democracy, even when deomcratically elected leaders nationalize your corrupting corporations. You must take control of your corporations and your government. The people of the United States have a great deal of power. You need to come to grips with this. Theres no alternative. We in Brazil have our hands tied. So do the Venezeulans. And the Nigerians. Its up to you.

Stop being so greedy, and so selfish. Realize that there is more to the world than your big houses and fancy stores. People are starving and you worry about oil for your cars. Babies are dying of thirst and you search the fashion pages for the latest styles. Nations like ours are drowing in poverty, but your people dont even hear our cries for help. You shut your ears to the voices of those who try to tell you these things. You label them radicals or Communists. You must open your hearts to the poor and downtrodden, instead of driving them further into poverty and servitude. Theres not much time left. If you dont change, youre doomed.

No matter how many toys we amass we leave them behind when we die, just as we leave a broken environment, an economy that only benefits the richest, and a legacy of empowering greed over goodness. It is now time to commit to following a new path.

Ive never met anyone who wanted to be a terrorist. They are desperate people.

Some would blame our current problems on an organized conspiracy. I wish it were so simple. 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.

This empire, unlike any other in the history of the world, has been built primarily through economic manipulation, through cheating, through fraud, through seducing people into our way of life, through the economic hit men. I was very much a part of that.