Thread: [Books] Recommendations

He supports much of what he says with footnotes, and as much as I am against the conspiracy types out there this isn't so much that hard to believe..

It's not the book's broad claim that's hard to believe; I don't disagree that the US and large corporations have used the international financial system, and international lending and debt, to manipulate and take advantage of poor countries in a number of ways. That's all pretty much a matter of fact. What's hard to believe is the author's specific claims about his personal involvement in this sort of activity--that he was covertly recruited by the NSA (a signals intelligence agency for god's sake) to jet-set around the world as a financial action hero, while being banged by gorgeous women to keep him happy. Some of what he actually has to say about international finance is quite interesting, but the book would be a lot more respectable if he hadn't tried to say those things through a rather ludicrous James Bond narrative starring himself.

Obviously, as with any good fib, it's pretty much impossible to factually refute his claims about the real nature of his personal involvement. No matter how total the lack of supporting evidence, it can be blamed on government/corporate secrecy and cover-ups, CIA goons intimidating those who might corroborate his claims, and so on and so forth. Anyone who accuses him of dishonesty can be dismissed as an apologist for the system. On the other hand it also seems to be impossible to confirm his claims about his personal involvement, all we have to go on is his word. Anyhow I think it's clear that his accounts of his personal involvement are "embellished" to say the least. IMO, that detracts a good deal from the reputable and factual message he is trying to convey about the way in which international financial power is used.