The Economic Hitman Playbook: World Bank Debt Traps, IMF Conditionalities & Corporate Power

Investigating the hidden forces behind history and power — and today we’re breaking down economic warfare with John Perkins, author of Confessions of an Economic Hitman.

In this interview, Perkins explains how “economic hitmen” targeted resource-rich countries, pushed massive World Bank/IMF loan packages, and used debt as leverage to extract concessions: cheap access to oil and resources, privatization, and even military bases. We also discuss the propaganda and perception-management campaigns used to justify regime change — and why Perkins says the same playbook still shapes global politics today.

We cover:

✅ What an “economic hitman” actually does

✅ How debt traps work (World Bank → IMF conditionalities)

✅ The corporatocracy + revolving door problem

✅ Why resisting the system can be dangerous

✅ “Death economy” vs “life economy” — and what changes the incentive structure

Guest: John Perkins

Book: Confessions of an Economic Hitman + Touching the Jaguar

Drop your question below: Is economic warfare the real engine behind modern conflict?