Money

by Conor McCabe

Money is power. It shapes our world in ways that can leave the mind reeling. Indeed, the bank crisis and subsequent recession made clear the influence that it has over our lives. Yet despite this, money remains an opaque and abstract space, with its own language and gatekeepers to knowledge. As citizens we are required to support the profit-seeking strategies of banks and other financial institutions but we are not supposed to question those strategies, the logic that underpins them, nor the unequal power relations that envelop its world. This book seeks to do precisely that. It explains and questions the world of money, and does so in an Irish context. It then puts forward ways for progressives to come together and work for a better and more inclusive Ireland – one where the money system works for public cohesion over private accumulation.It will argue that money is a social technology, one that underpins a complex system of social relations, and the ownership and control of that technology gives those who hold it enormous social, economic and political power. It will show that there is a class in Ireland that has carved out a niche for itself within that system at a national and international level, and that class is deeply embedded in the institutions of the State. It will put forward alternatives that involve facing up to both the deep economic class divisions within Irish society and the gendered nature of economic inequality, as well as working collectively to transform the institutions and ideas which sustain and reproduce those divisions. Dr Conor McCabe is a research associate with UCD Equality Studies Centre. He has written extensively on Irish finance and is involved in activist education, working with political, trade union, and community groups in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Genres: Nonfiction

162 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 26, 2018

Reviews

[Matt Wrafter · Rating 5 out of 5]

There’s not much new in here for the seasoned leftist, but this book contains the most concise, clear-sighted and accessible “brief histories of modern capitalism” that I’ve ever read. I intend to recommend this to all of my friends vaguely interested in making a better society. McCabe is a treasure.

[Ciaran Finnegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enlightening and accessible. Sets up an explanation of money at the root of Capitalism, and pulls together some compelling solutions.

It's not a long book either, helps with the short attention readers like me.

[Tim Hanrahan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing new here...

There is a lot of interesting ideas regarding the role of money/power in Irish society but these ideas are never fully explored or fleshed out.

[Kristofer McCormack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fire