Greece
Apology of an Economic Hitman
Review by gloria wong
In an address to the American people shortly after 9/11, 'President' Bush said, "Americans are asking, why do they hate us?", then went on to explain, "They hate our freedoms... These terrorists kill not merely to end lives but to disrupt and end a way of life..." With the film Apology of an Economic Hitman, and the book that served as the documentary's basis, author John Perkins (a former economic hitman) offers an alternate and, ultimately, much more convincing answer to this question.
According to Perkins, economic hitmen are paid indirectly by the U.S. government (through consulting firms) to further the interests of the United States and multi-national corporations in resource-rich 'Third World' nations. They do this by convincing/blackmailing/seducing/bribing political leaders into entering their countries into massive, insurmountable debt arrangements with the World Bank. When these debts are called, countries are forced to create policies tailored to maximize profits for foreign companies, starting with the privatization of valuable resources - it's serfdom on a global scale.
The film offers the most details on one specific case - that of oil- and uranium-rich Ecuador - which was one of Perkins' assignments during his tenure at utilities 'consulting firm' Chas T. Main. Ecuador had been subject to a series of military governments throughout the 1970's while the country became one of South America's chief exporters of oil. Perkins claims that, around 1980, newly-elected President Jaime Roldos Aguilera refused proposals to expand Ecuador's oil exploitation. Many believe that Roldos and his wife were assassinated by the C.I.A. when it became clear that the President would not succumb to the economic hitmen. The film also documents a tense evening in which Perkins goes to speak in a theatre in Ecuador following the release of his book and is confronted by angry people who have had to live with the legacy of his and others' actions. Though an important part of the horrifying story of American empire building over the past 60 years, Apology of an Economic Hitman is unfortunately, not one of those documentaries that will likely persuade unconvinced people that it speaks some fundamental truths. Instead, it plays more as a piece in a growing body of work made for people like me who already know a lot of this stuff but like having their worst fears confirmed by people who were there.
Apology of an Economic Hitman
Stelios Koiloglou | Greece | 2008 | 90min
Fri. Sept. 26 | 7:15pm | Empire Granville Theatre 6
Sun. Sept. 28 | 2:15pm | Empire Granville Theatre 6
Thur.Oct. 9 | 7:15pm | Empire Granville Theatre 6