The Route of All Evil

by Meghnad Desai

Ezra Pound was a major figure in the American and European literary world in the last century. He was also notoriously indicted for treason in a US court - but judged unfit to stand trial and incarcerated in a mental hospital for thirteen years. His anti-semitic and fascist views are well-known. But he also wrote a great deal of economics. He championed the Social Credit schemes of Major Douglas and proposed his own plans for restoring full employment in the middle of the Great Depression. His economic writings span nearly two decades and range from the nature of money to the evils of banks' monopoly over credit creation and the debilitating effects of Usury. His views on money are part of a rich tradition of monetary heterodoxy which argues that money and monetary authorities should be made to serve the people rather than be slaves to financial prudence. "The Route of All Evil" will restore Pound's relevance as a radical economist who has much to offer those who protest against the injustice of Third World Debt and the Washington Consensus, participants in the World Social Forum, and everyone interested in heterodox economics.

192 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Meghnad Desai is emeritus professor of economics, London School of Economics, where he was also founder and former director of the Global Governance Research Centre. He is a member of the House of Lords and chairman of the Official Monetary and Financial Institutions Forum.