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

The carnival atmosphere at Zuccotti park was deceptive. The naked woman having her body painted red and the drum circle, like the media's false reports demonizing the protesters for having sex in their tents and shitting on the sidewalk, were sideshows that distracted from the real meaning of the Occupy Wall Street protest. The city block that encompassed Zuccotti Park was lined with people holding small home-made signs. "Debt is slavery" was a common theme, with special emphasis on student debt. "F**k unpaid internships" was another. There was focus, even if no one could articulate it: This protest was about the conflict between usury and labor. The Occupy Wall Street protesters couldn't articulate their plight because they lacked the moral vocabulary necessary to do so. Barren Metal: A History of Capitalism as the Conflict between Labor and Usury by E. Michael Jones attempts to return the science of economics back to where Adam Smith found it when he wrote The Wealth of Nations, back to its proper matrix in moral philosophy.