Confessions of an Economic Hit Man - John Perkins

Sometime ago in my highscool years. I was very much into Conspiracy Theories. This was due to all my years feeling that something is wrong with this world.
I came across this book Confessions of an Economic Hit Man
by John Perkins. I'm not sure how this book came into my hands, but it did at a time in my life when I was mad at the world. I smile as I say this, because this is something every teenager can relate to. I wanted the knowledge require to change the world and this is how I still feel, I handle my anger better now a days.
The book was dedicated to someone very close to me and my country. He was my mother's favorite president. Here is John Perkins words of dedication:

"I wrote that in 1982, as the beginning of a book with the working title, Conscience of an Economic Hit Man. The book was dedicated to the presidents of two countries, men who had been my clients, whom I respected and thought of as kindred spirits—Jaime Roldós, president of Ecuador, and Omar Torrijos, president of Panama. Both had just died in fiery crashes. Their deaths were not accidental. They were assassinated because they opposed that fraternity of corporate, government, and banking heads whose goal is global empire. We EHMs failed to bring Roldós and Torrijos around, and the other type of hit men, the CIA-sanctioned jackals who were always right behind us, stepped in."

On December 20th 1989 I was five years old. I heard bombs early in the morning, it was still dark. My mother had sent me to my aunt's house, she lived right near Tocument International Airport at the time.
The bombs were so loud the ground would shake. My 3 cousins and I spent hours under the bed, hearing bombs and the mob in the streets screaming. For a 5 year old it seemed like the end of the world. Now I remember this time in my life as a movie; but as I got older I could see the change and the nightmare that had just started for my country on that December month in 1989.
The ones in power do not bomb your country and take their weapons back. They leave them there so the killing can continue; but its easier now. They don't have to fire the guns; we fire them against each other. Murder rates and suicides in my country sky rocketed after 1989.
This book opened up my eyes to what might be the truth, specially after Manuel Noriega became "chief executive officer" right after Omar Torrijos was killed in an "accidental" plane crash. Manuel Noriega was a CIA agent at the time.
The president of Ecuador Jaime Roldós was killed a month before, the same year (1981)in an "accidental" plane crash. Jiame Roldos was opposing U.S. oil companies and displeasing the U.S. government while Omar Torrijos opposed U.S. interest in the control of the Panama Canal. Omar Torrijos died, but he gave us our country back before he did. Thank you.

This brings me to...why did I write this blog? Well this book, the story, is a part of me and so I leave some of my thoughts here.
Question everything and don't be afraid to ask, even if you ask yourself the answers will come. Maybe a book, video, or a song will bring the answer.
This was a great book, I really enjoyed it. The stories in this book are not only the ones from these two great presidents, but it goes as far out as the Middle East.
Economic Hitmans were there first, now there is war.

Don Miguel Ruiz - Toltec Wisdom

Great truth is found in Don Miguel Ruiz's books. I can honestly say I'm a happier person because of them. One of my favorite books
The Four Agreementsmade it possible for me to get over those situations in life that seem so big that our life feels out of track , but it's all part of our creation. The key is train our minds to substitute negative thoughts and ways to release that energy in a more positive way. One of the agreements that impacted me the most is:
"Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering."
Everyone is a universe, no universe is like mine. I learned to detach myself from situations I had no control over. People's behaviors that didn't reflect my personality or what I stand for would create an illusion in which I was the only one with something worthy to say. Reflecting back on my feelings and coming across this book at the perfect time made me realize that everyone has divine timing encoded in their DNA, and focusing on how fast someone else could find their way was draining my energy. Life has a way of bringing into our lives clues that could help our current situation, we just have to look & listen; be present in all you do, our actions lay the tracks to our future. I still care dearly for the opinion of those closest to me and I listen, but I know their world will never be the beautiful dream that is mine.

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Thousands of years ago, the Toltec were known throughout southern Mexico as women and men of knowledge. Anthropologists have spoken of the Toltec as a nation or a race. But the Toltec were scientists and artists who formed a society to explore and conserve the spiritual knowledge and practices of the ancient ones. It may seem peculiar that they combined the secular with the sacred, but the Toltec considered science and spirit to be the same since all energy, whether material or ethereal, is derived from the same source and governed by the same universal laws.

Toltec knowledge arises from the same essential unity of truth as all the sacred esoteric traditions around the world. Though it is not a religion, it honors all the spiritual masters who have taught on the earth. Though it does embrace spirit, it is most accurately described as a way of life. Unlike our familiar experience, this way of life is distinguished by the ready accessibility of happiness and love.

The Avatar - The Last Airbender

While growing up, I was very happy with the cartoon selection playing on my T.V. I couldn't wait to get off school to sit and watch my favorite shows: ThurnderCats, Dragon Ball Z, Knights of the Zodiac were one of my favorites. The mid 90's to me was the start of the Anime Revolution for many of us; I've never seen cartoons being drawn so good, so detailed, with powerful dialogue and true meaning to them, but as the years went by, a poor selection of cartoons, bad drawing and dialogue started emerging. Whether it was from T.V. Radio or Movies.
I felt sad for the new generation, because I thought their childhood is lacking fantasy and hope; its lacking honor, originality.
But then, I met an 8 year old boy named Ka'saun, and he couldn't wait to watch The Avatar everyday.
While babysitting he said "Tiana, please lets watch The Avatar, you would like it" a little skeptical I said ok.
As the cartoon started I was blown away. This is how the introduction goes:

"Water... Earth... Fire... Air. Long ago, the 4 nations lived together in harmony. Then everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked. Only the Avatar, master of all 4 elements, could stop them, but when the world needed him most, he vanished. A hundred years passed and my brother and I discovered the new Avatar, an airbender named Aang. And although his airbending skills are great, he still has a lot to learn before he's ready to save anyone. But I believe Aang can save the world."

I was hooked to the T.V. after this. I felt hope and happiness for the children growing up in our world now. I like the fact that it's based out of the 4 elements that make up our world. I believe it keeps kids and also adults focus on what's really important. Even as a children's anime, it has great dialogue for adults too. Martial Arts is a big part of it, since The Avatar must master Water Bending, Fire Bending, Earth Bending to fight the Fire Lord and save the world. It's such a moving story and it's the perfect cartoon for kids.

Avatar: The Last Airbender takes place in a fantasy world that is home to humans, fantastic animals, and spirits. Human civilization is divided into four nations: the Water Tribes, the Earth Kingdom, the Air Nomads, and the Fire Nation. Each nation has its own natural element, on which it bases its society. Within each nation exists an order called "Benders" who have the ability to manipulate the eponymous element of their nation.

The series was created and produced by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, who served as executive producers along with Aaron Ehasz.

I'm so excited The Avatar Movie is coming out next year July 2nd, 2010. I'm planning to make this a birthday gift for my friend Ka'saun.

Atlas Shrugged - Best Quotes - Ayn Rand

“Rearden heard Bertram Scudder, outside the group, say to a girl who made some sound of indignation, Don?t let him disturb you. You know, money is the root of all evil ? and he's the typical product of money.”

“Rearden did not think that Francisco could have heard it, but he saw Francisco turning to them with a gravely courteous smile.”
"Have you ever asked what is the root of money? Money is a tool of exchange, which can't exist unless there are goods produced and men able to produce them. Money is the material shape of the principle that men who wish to deal with one another must deal by trade and give value for value. Money is not the tool of the moochers, who claim your product by tears, or of the looters, who take it from you by force. Money is made possible only by the men who produce. Is this what you consider evil?

"Money will not purchase happiness for the man who has no concept of what he wants: money will not give him a code of values, if he's evaded the knowledge of what to value, and it will not provide him with a purpose, if he's evaded the choice of what to seek. Money will not buy intelligence for the fool, or admiration for the coward, or respect for the incompetent. The man who attempts to purchase the brains of his superiors to serve him, with his money replacing his judgment, ends up by becoming the victim of his inferiors. The men of intelligence desert him, but the cheats and the frauds come flocking to him, drawn by a law which he has not discovered: that no man may be smaller than his money. Is this the reason why you call it evil?

"Money is your means of survival. The verdict you pronounce upon the source of your livelihood is the verdict you pronounce upon your life. If the source is corrupt, you have damned your own existence. Did you get your money by fraud? By pandering to men's vices or men's stupidity? By catering to fools, in the hope of getting more than your ability deserves? By lowering your standards? By doing work you despise for purchasers you scorn? If so, then your money will not give you a moment's or a penny's worth of joy. Then all the things you buy will become, not a tribute to you, but a reproach; not an achievement, but a reminder of shame. Then you'll scream that money is evil. Evil, because it would not pinch-hit for your self-respect? Evil, because it would not let you enjoy your depravity? Is this the root of your hatred of money?

"Let me give you a tip on a clue to men's characters: the man who damns money has obtained it dishonorably; the man who respects it has earned it." - Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand

 Some time ago, when I started questioning my life and this system. I asked myself, "why does money rule the world?" I got my answer from this book. I understood that money is civilizations way of rewarding a man for his ability, his skills.

I believe our world is moving towards a new era, where money has no worth; just like it does now. All of our money has no value behind it. Money for our generation is based on promises and credit. There is no gold to back our monetary system, it's just paper.

This book made me understand the world in so many ways. Many would say it's a capitalist book, and I agree. Capitalism to my knowledge served its purpose. Capitalism forced man to be the best they could be, because it's the only way to be rewarded.
I think Capitalism has lived its days, the powers in charge, wont let go of their old ways and greedy nature.
The universe; our world is all about change. I believe this change is coming soon.Atlas Shrugged is a 20th century master piece. Whenever our world starts looking like this

Atlas Shrugged will tell our story

Ayn Rand Quotes:

"A creative man is motivated by the desire to achieve, not by the desire to beat others."

"Ask yourself whether the dream of heaven and greatness should be waiting for us in our graves - or whether it should be ours here and now and on this earth."

"Every man builds his world in his own image. He has the power to choose, but no power to escape the necessity of choice."

"It only stands to reason that where there's sacrifice, there's someone collecting the sacrificial offerings. Where there's service, there is someone being served. The man who speaks to you of sacrifice is speaking of slaves and masters, and intends to be the master."

"Love is the expression of one's values, the greatest reward you can earn for the moral qualities you have achieved in your character and person, the emotional price paid by one man for the joy he receives from the virtues of another."
"Money is only a tool. It will take you wherever you wish, but it will not replace you as the driver."

"Potentially, a government is the most dangerous threat to man's rights: it holds a legal monopoly on the use of physical force against legally disarmed victims."

"Reason is not automatic. Those who deny it cannot be conquered by it. Do not count on them. Leave them alone."

"The purpose of morality is to teach you, not to suffer and die, but to enjoy yourself and live."

"The truth is not for all men, but only for those who seek it."

"To say "I love you" one must first be able to say the "I."

"We are fast approaching the stage of the ultimate inversion: the stage where the government is free to do anything it pleases, while the citizens may act only by permission; which is the stage of the darkest periods of human history, the stage of rule by brute force."

"What's the most deprave type of human being? The man without a purpose"

"Suffering was a senseless accident, it was not part of life as she knew it - Pain and ugliness are never to be taken seriously"

"There are things one must not contemplate. There is an obscenity of evil which contaminates the observer. There is a limit to what is proper for a man to see. He must not think of this, or look within it, or try to learn the nature of its roots."

"What is morality?
A: Judgment to  distinguish right and wrong, vision to see the truth, courage to act upon it, dedication to that which is good, integrity to stand by the good at any price"



Thoughts & Dialogue

Dagny Taggart:
"Her work was all she had or wanted. But there were times like tonight, when she felt that sudden, peculiar emptiness, which was not emptiness, but silence, not despair, but immobility, as if nothing within her were destroyed, but everything stood still. Then she felt the wish to find a moments joy outside, the wish to be held as a passive spectator by some work or sight of greatness. Not to make it, she thought, but to accept, not to begin, but to respond, not to create, but to admire. I need it to let me go on, she thought, because joy is one's fuel."

Francisco D'Anconia:
"You ought to discover some day that words have an exact meaning" "It's not advisable, James, to venture unsolicited opinions. You should spare yourself the embarrassing discovery of their exact value to your listener."


Dagny Taggart:
"The capacity for unclouded enjoyment, she thought, does not belong to irresponsible fools; an inviolate peace of spirit is not the achievement of a drifter; to be able to laugh like that is the end result of the most profound, most solemn thinking"

"You know, I think that only if one feels immensely important can one feel truly light"

"She did not know the nature of her loneliness. The only words that named it were: This is not the world I expected"

"The security of being first, with full sight and full knowledge of one's course - not the blind sense of being pulled into the unknown by some unknown power ahead. It was the greatest sensation of existence: Not to trust, but to know"