Black Agenda Report
Black Agenda Report
News, commentary and analysis from the black left.

  • Home
  • Africa
  • African America
  • Education
  • Environment
  • International
  • Media and Culture
  • Political Economy
  • Radio
  • US Politics
  • War and Empire

The Origins of Debt, Money, Slavery and Empire
21 Sep 2011
🖨️ Print Article

Like most of us, you probably learned in school that people invented money to replace barter, markets are guided by The Invisible Hand, and a debt is a kind of sacred promise.  Like much else you learned in school, says anthropologist David Graeber, this is wrong.  Markets are constructed by states, while the appearance of debt, slavery and money in human affairs coincide with the appearance of violent empires, and recede when empires are in decline.  Debts are only sacred, Graeber explains, when the poor owe the rich, and there are key distinctions between debts and promises.  Graeber, the author of Debt: The First 5,000 Years is interviewed by C.S. Soong on KPFA's Against the Grain...

The Origins of Debt, Money, Slavery and Empire

An Against the Grain Interview by C.S. Soong and Sasha Lilley

KPFA.s Against the Grain is consistently one of the best interview shows around.  We at BAR steal ideas from them all the time.  You can find a link to Debt: The First 5,000 Years here.



Your browser does not support the audio element.

listen
http://www.againstthegrain.org/files/files/atg/atg_2013.01.07_graeber.mp3

More Stories


  • Canadian Imperialism in Haiti
    Travis Ross
    Canadian Imperialism in Haiti
    21 Jun 2023
    Canada joins the U.S. in imperialist interventions all over the world, including in Haiti. Canada, the U.S. and the rest of the Core Group interfere in Haitians' efforts to secure sovereignty…
  • Black Agenda Radio June 16, 2023
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    Black Agenda Radio June 16, 2023
    16 Jun 2023
    Dr. Cornel West announcement that he is seeking the Green Party nomination as a presidential candidate, and a discussion of the political implications of Donald Trump’s indictment which charges…
  • The Politics Behind Trump's Indictment
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    The Politics Behind Trump's Indictment
    16 Jun 2023
    A discussion of the recent indictment of Donald Trump for allegedly mishandling of classified documents.
  • Cornel West Discusses His Presidential Campaign
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    Cornel West Discusses His Presidential Campaign
    14 Jun 2023
    Scholar, author, and activist Dr. Cornel West recently announced his 2024 presidential campaign. He discussed his platform and decision to be a candidate for the Green Party nomination. 
  • Trump Indictments Subvert the Legal and Political System
    Margaret Kimberley, BAR Executive Editor and Senior Columnist
    Trump Indictments Subvert the Legal and Political System
    14 Jun 2023
    The recent indictments of former president Donald Trump are political acts intended to keep him from becoming president again. But the impact of dubious legal precedent should be of greater concern…
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us