Money without Value
The World According to Robert Kurz

a documentary project by Ernst Hunsicker

Exposé | Filmdescription

As financial crises have followed each other in ever more rapid succession in recent years, it seems the global economy has barely had time to recover from one before lurching to the next. At the same time, the world appears locked in a rising spiral of war and terrorist violence as tensions sparked by ever fiercer competition for resources increasingly erupt in hostile conflicts and growing numbers of the world's population feel marginalized and turn to anti-Semitism, Islamism and other ideologies that promote violence in frustration.

In light of these developments, it has become clear that we need to gain a deeper understanding of the capitalist system if we are to come to grips with the massive crisis we are facing. But while condemning the excesses of unchecked global market capitalism has become fashionable in the mainstream media, anyone looking there for enlightenment or well-reasoned analysis is bound to be disappointed, for they have had little to offer beyond wishful thinking and idle fantasies of a "post-growth economy" or "reining in the markets."

My own interest in economics was kindled by outrage at the impact of the "reform" policies imposed on developing nations by the IMF and World Bank, prompting me to delve into what was for me the new and unfamiliar world of economic theory. My explorations eventually led me to the unorthodox economist Robert Kurz and his hypothesis that the inner dynamic of capitalism will inevitably lead it to run up against its inherent limits, ultimately leading the world to descend into barbarism.

I had the privilege of accompanying Kurz on his last trip outside Europe before his premature death in 2012, and my encounter with this original thinker and his intriguing theories gave new impetus to my journey of discovery. Let There Be Money traces this fascinating journey and explores the question that became the driving force behind it: Was Kurz right? Is that merciless machine of our own making that we call the capitalist system bound to run up against a wall? Is breaking its hold on our minds our only hope for a livable future?

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