"THE BABYLONIAN WOE" by David Astle

     David Astle's "The Babylonian Woe" is the finest book on the 
history of money in antiquity that I've ever read. In this scholarly 
work, he has presented to the world a history of the effects of 
monetary mechanics in very ancient times. It illustrates how, even in 
the earliest times of which written record remains, the days of 
Babylonia or before, a so-called monetary science undoubtedly existed; 
being then, as in today, never more than as instrument by which its 
secret and cynical controllers wittingly influenced the destinies of 
individuals, nations, and empires as to (temporary) glory or final 
disaster.
   This important and well-documented work is a most useful reference 
book; complementing any study of Economic or Monetary history. It will 
be a great asset to learned societies, top management, and self-
teaching individuals in all parts of the world.   
     In his preface, Mr. Astle wrote: 

     "In almost all of books of reference on the history of money was 
practically no clear approach to the subject of money and finance, or 
to those exchange systems that must have existed in order that the so-
called civilizations might come to be. In the odd case where the 
translations of the texts might reveal some key clue, no more special 
emphasis was placed herein than might have been placed on the mention 
of a gold cup, a ring, a seal, or some exquisite piece of stone work.
     In almost all of the works of the great archaeologists and 
scholars specializing in the ancient civilizations, there is a virtual 
silence on that all important matter, the system of distribution of 
food surpluses, and surpluses of all those items needed towards the 
maintenance of a good and continuing life so far as were required by 
climate and customs. 
     On the all important subject of the consequences of the creation 
and issuance of money by private persons as opposed to its creation 
and issuance according to the will of a benevolent, instructed and 
dedicated ruler, almost no speculation seems to exist in ancient or in 
modern times. 

   JCT: The situation is just as if future historians, upon studying 
today's economy, found that there were no "economics" textbooks 
explaining how banking worked. Considering how many such textbooks 
there are, they would also find it quite mystifying. 
     I will be studying his book in conjunction with Professor's 
Carroll Quigley's book "Tragedy and Hope where he mentions what he 
calls "unorthodox" financial methods as opposed to "orthodox" 
financial methods. They can be be distinguished by the fact that 
"orthodox" finance has governments allowing banks to create the money 
and then borrowing that money from them at interest to create massive 
growth of public debt whereas "unorthodox" finance has government 
Treasuries create the money and borrowing that money from the Treasury 
without interest to create a stable debt where all payments go against 
the principal. 
     In anticipation of a major improvement on the current unsafe 
engineering design of money, I will be arguing that the unorthodox 
financial methods we will be studying are better than the orthodox 
financial methods that now are enslaving all the planet's nations to 
insurmountable debt. 

CHAPTERS

I. "In the Beginning was the Word." 
II. The Temple and the Counting House
III. "Per Me Die Regnant!"

ANALYIS Chapters I - II

ANALYIS Chapter III

IV. The Left Hand of Dawn
V. Blood, Sorrow, and Silver
VI. Babylon, Banking, and Bullion
VII. Phrygia, Finance, and Front Man
VIII. Tyrant and Trapezitae

IX. Potsherds and other Fragments
X. Pergamum and Pitane
XI. Voices from the Dust.

XII. Sparta, the Pelanors, Wealth and Women
XIII. Money Creators and the Political Control
XIV. Man Proposes but God Disposes




The full text of Babylonian Woe found on the Internet

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