Telling his real-life story, John Perkins spoke to a packed audience at the University Center Auditorium Tuesday evening about his life as an economic hit man for America.

Throughout Perkins’ life, he has had four lives: as an economic hit man, a CEO of a successful alternative energy company, an expert on indigenous cultures and now as a teacher, writer and public speaker. His book, “Confessions of an Economic Hit Man,” explains his first life and how he helped build America into a global empire.

“Much of his influence is from Thomas Paine and Thomas Jefferson,” Issues Committee member Brian Stevens said as he introduced Perkins.

Perkins said he has to act now to stop the empire from growing.

“Young people, your generation will take reign soon, and my generation will be guilty for what we will leave you,” Perkins said.

The guilt his generation is leaving to the younger generation is allowing America to rise into an empire.

“In my lifetime I have seen the empire developing since World War II. It did not rise by military power but subtly, secretly and slowly by economic hit people like me. The empire will be a huge threat to democracy and it will ignore the basic principles of equality, justice and right,” Perkins said.

Perkins brought up the past election and the shift in power in the U.S. Congress.

“In the international perspective, it does not matter who is in charge, Republican or Democrat. What matters are the ones who hold the power by dollars through corporations such as the coal, auto and oil industries,” Perkins said.

It will be an empire run by a corporatocracy, a word given to the national and international corporations that came into power through the economic hit men.

The economic hit man’s job involves finding a country that has resources useful to America.

“I would convince the Third World countries to accept huge loans for infrastructure development from the World Bank. The loans would be much greater than needed and these developments never benefited the poor in these counties,” Perkins said.

Once the countries could no longer afford the debt, the U.S. government or international aid agencies would ally themselves with the country. The country would issue the United States or the international agencies credits of resources, oil or military men during times of conflict.

If this tactic did not work, then the Jackals were sent in. It was their job to “move into the country and cause corruption and possibly overthrow the leaders,” Perkins said. Finally, if the Jackals failed, the military would step in and finish the job, which led to another corporatocracy control.

These situations have recently occurred, according to Perkins.

“In 1970, we went into Saudi Arabia during the oil shortage and we convinced them only to sell oil for U.S. dollars. We became the currency of the world again. From that, we agreed never to have an embargo with Saudi Arabia and to keep the ruling house in power,” Perkins said.

Following these events, parts of Saudi Arabia began to westernize.

“The holiest places of Islam were now surrounded by McDonald’s,” he said.

In 1980, Perkins said, they went to Iraq to have talks with Saddam Hussein.

“Hussein said ‘no’ to the EHM, the Jackals, and even though his military was crushed by America’s, he still did not buy into us. And now we have sent in troops to take him out and start again,” Perkins said.

“I used to wish that I lived in the 1770s with our Founding Fathers and their dream of democracy and freedom. Now I believe we live in a more exciting time than the 1770s,” Perkins said. “Because of our resources, we can fully live up to the dreams of the Founding Fathers. The dream of equality, justice, government for the people and by the people, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all people all over the world.”

Perkins encouraged the audience toward an activism that seeks to realize the dreams of America’s founding fathers and mothers by challenging the corporatocracy.

“We mustn’t do it for ourselves, but for the children that will come into this world. There is nothing greater you could do than to serve the future generations. Be a part of movement, a cause or a community. Be a part of something. We must make a commitment here and now to change things, for everyone,” Perkins said.