I just finished reading Confessions Of An Economic Hit Man. By John Perkins. This is a (mostly) first hand account of how government, corporations and international banks have created a global empire on the backs of the third world. I always felt there was something pretty sinister about how these three entities – and ultimately us – achieve what they do while the third world continues to suffer in poverty while their own property and resources are taken from them. This isn’t a story about physical invasion or armstrong politics. That is a thing of the past…or at least a last resort.

What will you do to help make a difference?

What this story is about is the lies, deception and treachery that these three entities have created while creating the illusion that it is is all for the best for everyone involved. In fact, the benefits are significant in the economies where it takes place. Unfortunately, those benefits are very short lived and are designed to be that way. Their design is actually meant to bring these economies to their knees. Designed to put these economies under the control of these three big bullies. Once they are under the control of the bullies, these struggling economies can do nothing except what they are guided to do by the bullies.

What do these bullies want? Oh, nothing much. Just control of their land and resources, their votes at international arenas, the stage to grow their global empire. But it’s okay because there are those is those struggling economies that do really benefit. They just happen to the small group of people who knowingly align themselves with the bullies and the few richest groups at the top of the countries food chain. What about all the others? “Oh, they’ll be okay. It’s all for the best.”

The shortsightedness of the whole system is visible in The Story of Stuff by The Story of Stuff Project. This work is also available in a new book (The Story of Stuff: How Our Obsession with Stuff Is Trashing the Planet, Our Communities, and Our Health-and a Vision for Change). Our world is failing all around us. We may not see if directly while driving in our new cars or watch our huge TVs in our bigger houses while drinking bottled water, but there are people who live it every single day of their lives. We have had a part in creating this failing system. We may not have dreamed it up, but we are contributors to it. It all hinges on our ability to stand up and do something about it.

John Perkins was a huge part of the design of this system. You could say he was one of its founding fathers. Thankfully, he could see the errors and atrocities that he was committing. While it was too late, he did finally step up to start making a difference.

What will you do to help make a difference?