Parmar Inderjeet – foundations of the American century. The Ford, Carnegie, and Rockefeller foundations, New York, Columbia University Press, 2012

Inderjeet Parmar’s book on the big three American foundation (Rockefeller, Carnegie, Ford) offers a first look into a fascinating subject: the so-called philanthropic foundations and the birth of the industry of NGO’s. The foundations, as he describes, despite their claimed impartiality, political neutrality and dedication to the good of humanity, are shown to be instrument of political and social change, They build networks, create networks of scholars, business and media leaders, create institution that in long run do not achieve the stated explicit goals – the improvement of the condition of the large masses, but serves themselves; they deprive many countries of their intellectual resources. They are an instrument of regime change, often producing a divide between intellectuals and the people to whom they belong, both home and overseas. They are and contribute to the building of strong, centralized states, diminishing freedom. They are a tool of tyranny and foreign intervention.