The Unlikely Heroes of Economics – Dennis Kucinich, the American Monetary Institute, and…Occupy Wall Street?

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In this series of interviews in which we have been chronicling Occupy Wall Street since almost its beginning one year ago – oh yes, and Happy Birthday Occupy – we have had the benefit of hearing from guests who have both praised and cautioned us as to the eventual difference that OWS will make in America’s history.  In particular, the impact it will have on the way we deal with “the most dismal science” – economics.

To those purposes, we couldn’t have a better guest today than Stephen Zarlenga, someone who understands what it takes to be an activist and battle the status quo, but who also has economic “street creds” as well as academic degrees to back up his calls for change.

Stephen draws on 35 years of experience in the world of finance, securities, insurance, mutual funds, real estate, and futures trading and has published 20 books on money, banking, politics and philosophy the most recent titled “The Lost Science of Money.”  He is also the Director of the American Monetary Institute (www.monetary.org).

Stephen is famed for challenging what he calls the “Achilles’ heel of American Capitalism” – the private control of the nation’s monetary system.  His Institute puts on a yearly conference – one is coming up shortly in Chicago – which brings together powerful and respected speakers to address exactly that problem as well as other economic thinking that is suspect.

(Its theme this year is “Implementing Monetary Reform Now!”  Visit the site and check out the star speakers.)

Back in 2005 he began working with Congressman Dennis Kucinich’s office on monetary reform legislation, and what resulted was the introduction of HR 2990, the National Emergency Employment Act (NEED), on Sept. 10, 2011.

Occupy holds a special place in Stephen’s thoughts, as you will hear, and he appreciates the raw energy and enthusiasm he finds there.  If he has one recommendation to strengthen the movement, it is education…reading and research to strengthen its arguments.  (A good start would be to purchase “The Lost Science of Money” at his site.)

Want to know more about this man and the work his institute is doing?  Write Steve directly at ami@taconic.net or visit his website at www.monetary.org.  I suggest that you Google him as well and read the excellent material found about him and his institute there and at Wikipedia.

Be sure to follow me on Twitter as @WrittenOffUSA and my blogs for the Huffington Post.