Gino Accame recently sent me an essay of his from Il Secolo called "Crisi 
Globale," which brings in EP. Here are the relevant paragraphs (Archie 
Henderson's translation):

-----
Secolo d'Italia, 3 October 2008, pp. 1, 4 
GLOBAL CRISIS: MAURO WRITES, POUND SEEMS
Giano Accame 

The issue raised now by Mauro [Ezio Mauro, editor of La Repubblica] with 
respect to those who in the past sought to reassert the primacy of politics over 
the economy, without, on　the other hand, completely despising the material 
and even labor, which,　even more than gold, is the basis of a fruitful 
productive economy, is currently made more difficult by technical progress that, 
in making the world smaller and in many ways unifying it, has at the same time 
emptied　a large part of the sovereign powers of nation states. But similarities 
may be pointed out with the themes put forward in the last century by Ezra 
Pound, the great pacifist American poet who was committed to bringing into 
poetry the dominant themes of the modern era – economic themes, as there had 
been theological themes in other eras and subsequently from the Enlightenment 
claim of reason -  and who for the trouble of affirming (in his imprudence, 
second only to Mussolini) the primacy of mind and of politics over the power of 
the bankers, ended up for a few weeks in an American prison camp at Pisa in a 
cage and then for twelve years in a criminal lunatic asylum in the United States.

That the hapless American poet was correct in some points has been 
recognized by Paolo Savona, former Minister of Industry, administrator of large 
banks and among the most refined Italian economists, writing in 1996 the 
preface to Lavoro e usura, a volume in which the publisher Vanni Scheiwiller had 
collected the compromising writings of the American author on economics.  
Indeed, noted Savona: "The problems raised by Pound were partly mitigated, but 
even in new ways, the same basic features of the past are re-introduced: 
finance has taken control of the productive economy, extending it to society". 
Again, Savona from the same preface: "Political and economic sovereignty, after 
a struggle lasting millennia to tear it from the 'powerful', seemed to be firmly 
returned to the hands of its natural owner, that is the people (or rather, the 
individual), but the international financial market has almost entirely re-
appropriated it." 
---------

Reading this reminded me of a situation most of us know, 
that Pound's writings have remained a point of reference in 
Italian economic discourse. A good half dozen collections of his 
socio-economic writings have appeared since his death. His books have been 
re-issued in well edited editions: ABC of Economics, Jeff/Muss, Oro et Lavoro, 
etc. But in English? We have nothing to turn to except the Selected Prose of 
1973.  

This strikes me as an incongruous and shameful situation. A cultural situation, 
different national cultures--we didn't make it. Yes, yes, but we tolerate it, and 
our toleration makes it certain nothing's going to change.

So why doesn't the Pound List bestir itself and at least sponsor a site that puts 
P's economic writings up where people can read them? P used to plead the 
cause of the dollar pamphlet. Now the cost to the reader would be zero. Old Ez  
would be happy.

Yes, I know, there are some sites that have a few things up. But Pound in the 
crazyhouse didn't always keep the sanest company, and the sites I've seen 
include some hoot-owls most of us might rather forget about.Have a look at http://yamaguchy.netfirms.com/

There one finds the "Intro. to the Economic Natures of the United States" (with 
most of the notes dropped) but right below it large chunks of the radio 
broadcasts. P's stuff as on this site's homepage appears in one list of several 
that mix classics (Jefferson & co.) , fascists, and crackpots.

Economics apart, try a google of  plain "Ezra Pound." It picks up nothing on the 
first results page worthy of EP or this list. The nearest thing is Hishikawa's Kobe 
site, which, whatever its usefulness, is not what we're talking about. A google of 
"Ezra Loomis Pound" picks up a youtube item on the first results page. There 
you can hear EP reading Canto 45 while you watch a photo montage. Click the 
"more info" button and you will read, "Why must you sinners reject the Law of 
your Maker, YHWH? Bank loans are death. Lending at interest, even if only 1%, is 
death. Obey YHWH and live!"

I wonder if anybody's listening. 

Wayne



Wayne Pounds, Ph.D.
Prof. American Literature
Aoyama Gakuin University
4-4-25 Shibuya
Tokyo 150-8366, Japan