Cor Jesu Sacratissimum

Aisle 18—Economics

As Capitalism runs amok, destroying lives, faith and culture, it is important Catholics consider economics. That said, neither Kim nor myself have specialised in economic thinking.

Nonetheless, here are a few books relating to economics that have spoken to us over the years, often deeply. 

Clearly we owe a tremendous debt to Belloc and the Distributists but we are admiring of many modern authors too—including great Catholics such as Thomas Storck and more secular authors such as highly knowledgeable and idealistic David Korten.

His book When Corporations Rule The World provides an excellent introduction to why modern corporations have such awful power and also the American dominated global financial institutions (WTO, IMF etc.) that have controlled the world since Bretton Woods and the ruin of Europe in WWII. The title alone speaks volumes . . .

Meanwhile Bill Clinton’s Georgetown mentor Carroll Quigley is actually an apologist for American financial power! Still, his books are remarkably helpful in terms of understanding how the banks drove Twentieth Century history.

And however much I disagree with Quigley, I find him almost endearing. This is because the man was remarkably honest about his own agendas compared to many outright propagandists and also his tremendous erudition and scholarship. Quigley has the added advantage that he confirms Belloc’s key thesis in The Party System that Edwardian English politics was indeed controlled by banking cliques . . .

We close with some unusual titles—Arouca Press’s fine compilations of the late, great Integrity magazine, which was filled with such striking insight into American society, very much including the economy.

Finally, Belloc’s Monarchy may seem an odd choice. But as my own 40 page book highlights, the book is all about banking. It is about how, after England’s “glorious” revolution of 1688, the way was paved for the Dutch, English, later American banks to control the State (rather than the other way round!).

Visit More Aisles in Our Book Shop

Buying Books at Amazon Through These Links Gives Us a Commission. This Supports Our Apostolate. Thank You if You Can Help Us Like This!