Barren Metal: A History of Capitalism as the Conflict between Labor and Usury

by E. Michael Jones

Here’s the message I took away from Barren 'Banking is magic that works' (p. 128). I think that’s a fascinating insight, phrased in a sublime way. It really speaks to where we are today in the world, with central banks — including the Federal Reserve — exercising so much power over most of the globe. ... A competing phrase for summing up Barren Metal could be 'Capitalism is state-sponsored usury.' ... From the fall of Rome, th[e] Catholic ban on usury was enforced because the Church treated economics 'as if God mattered.' According to this doctrine, God gave men faith and reason to pursue success in this life, but as the Middle Ages gave way to succeeding eras, God began to matter less and less, and Jews moved in to fill the void. Jones’ lengthy description of this epic transformation is fascinating, allowing Jones to once again show the incredible breadth of his knowledge. The flip side of this unhealthy usurious equation is one that abides by the moral law and puts labor above other economic systems, for 'there is only one use that will turn credit into wealth, and that is the application of labor.' Jones’ views are militantly aracial, by which I mean he is insistent that race is not a factor in the struggle between Jewry and the rest of humanity. Rather, in his view, it is a religious story in which God plays the leading role and the Catholic Church is the agent of God’s work on Earth.” Edmund Connelly, Ph.D, Occidental Observer.

Genres: Economics, History, Nonfiction, Politics

1456 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Catholic writer, former professor at Saint Mary's College in Indiana and the current editor of Culture Wars magazine.

E. Micheal Jones is controversial for his criticism against judaism.

Reviews

[Rosco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. The arguments presented are very well written and obvious once you read them. Economics is not a science and is instead the domain of moral philosophy and practical reason. Capitalism and free trade favour impoverish the middle class, causing usury to run rampant eventually destroying societal order.

The many chapters helped the readability of the book. I would highly recommend this book.

[Powderburns · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of amazing revelations. It felt like I was reading a secret story, a forbidden text, full of spells and epiphanies.

Capitalism bound by the Moral Law. That is what we need.

[K. · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am blind. This book is not sold electronically and is extremely long. I asked the author, since I cannot easily read or scan print books, that he send me an electronic copy for private use only. Not only did he refuse—which often happens, and which I perfectly understand—he suggested the best way to access the book would be to have a relative read it to me. Keep in mind that the book is over 1,000 pages; hardly a convenient length for anyone. I have never received such a rude response and would encourage others to not support this author monetarily.

[Henry]

I really enjoyed reading this book. It’s frustrating in the way that a lot of Dr. Jones’ work is frustrating. For example, given the size of the book I was surprised by how little time he spent defining the concept of usury. He does have a definition - essentially that it is profit without risk - but that needs a whole lot more unpacking than he gives it. Still, this is a great read, but it’s something you read for historical understanding rather than doctrinal understanding of what the Church teaches about usury.

[Radu · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is HUGE (1300+ pages!), though most chapters are cut down to around fifteen pages with a few pages worth of citations at the end of each chapter for easy reference.

It never occurred to me that the key change in how economics developed from antiquity to Adam Smith and modern day economics was by replacing the moral questions in the science with purely Newtonian physics...

As a history book, Barren Metal does a very good job of chronicling the key events in European and American history that started as a result of compound interest, very often in succession as one event sparking the embers that led into the another in a perfect illustration at how usury (ie; compound interest) acts as a cancer on society.

That said, however, there are points in the book that show E. Michael Jones' economic illiteracy with his stubbornly dogmatic belief in the Marxist labour theory of value and frequent quotations of Heinrich Pesche.

[N.B. Austin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book contextualizes the totality of economic history in a way few others would be capable of doing. Rather than the perverted understanding that is today’s irrelevant Smith v. Marx binary, Jones focuses on the underlying issues: namely, labor as the source of value, usury as a source of creative destruction, and the unsustainable nature of markets without morals.

These issues remain at the forefront today as Barren Metal demonstrates they have always been. Whether we are talking about the events of 2008 or the economic realities at the heart of 2020, the root causes remain the same. There are also prescriptions here, which hopefully with a rise of consciousness lead to an ability to excise the cancer of predatory debt/contracts.

My favorite parts of the book were the review of Wagner’s Das Rheingold, the tying together of today’s economics with the Newtonian worldview, and the origination of technocracy in the rise of Keynesian immoralism.

[Churchillest · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nonsensical ravings of a rabid anti-semite. Nothing but horrific writing and incomprehensible conspiracies are contained in this overpriced trash.

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

The one essential book for understanding the historical development and essence of capitalism, in my humble opinion. Throw away every other book on 'economics' and read this.

[noblethumos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Barren Metal: A History of Capitalism as the Conflict between Labor and Usury is a book written by E. Michael Jones, a writer and cultural critic who has published extensively on topics such as religion, politics, and history. The book is a comprehensive history of capitalism, focusing on the relationship between labor and usury (lending money at interest). Jones argues that capitalism is a system characterized by the exploitation of labor by those who control the means of production, and that this exploitation has roots in the long history of usury, which he sees as a corrupt and anti-social practice. Jones traces the development of capitalism from its origins in medieval Europe to its global reach today, and examines the social and economic consequences of this system for workers and society as a whole.

GPT