Among what I read and watched this week:

John Perkins The Secret History of the American Empire: The Truth About Economic Hit Men, Jackals, and How to Change the World: John was a podcast guest after his most recent book, Touching the Jaguar. Then a mutual friend mentioned his name. I decided to email him and before I did decided to browse The Secret History. I couldn’t stop. I was equally engaged by the writing and mortified by the global situation he described.

Regular readers know how much I’ve been reading about empire, including Heart of Darkness and King Leopold’s Ghost, after focusing on abolition, slavery, and colonialism. I didn’t mean to stumble on Secret History, but it fit. It’s very relevant to sustainability, as he covers in the book.

Like his Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, which I read maybe ten years ago, it’s easy to be skeptical reading some parts that seem too much, but he keeps mentioning things that connect it to history. I find it credible. The last chapter is eerily similar to sentiments I want to write in my book.

I highly recommend it.

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I also watched several Michael Albert videos (here’s his Wikipedia page), after Daniel, host of the What Is Politics? podcast spoke highly of him.

I also watched a video on electric vehicles, Electric Vehicles: Arthur Berman, Pedro Prieto, & Simon Michaux | Reality Roundtable, including podcast guest Simon Michaux. It’s yet another resource showing that electric vehicles are not remotely a panacea. They hardly make a difference. Proven solutions done all around the world but resisted in America, such as fewer roads and a different culture, are a start.

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