The Myth of Barter

The origins of modern conceptions of rights and freedoms in ancient slave law are revealed. Adam smith's most famous arguments appear to have been cribbed from freemarket theorists from mediaeval persia, a story which incidentally has interesting implications for understanding the current appeal of political islam. All of this sets the stage for a fresh approach to the last 500 years dominated by capitalist empires. It allows us to at least begin asking what might really be at stake in the present day.