The anthropologists vs economists slap fight is at least decades old. (Barter and Economic Disintegration [1985]) So economists have had time to adjust. Sure,

The anthropologists vs economists slap fight is at least decades old. (Barter and Economic Disintegration [1985]) So economists have had time to adjust. Sure, Begg now knows it's a myth. But even he concedes the myth continues to do a lot of heavy lifting. The criticism is that "mainstream economics" is wrong. Which is trivially verifiable. I found a handful of contemporary statements that barter precedes money in just a few minutes. The point is such a minor part of Graeber's thesis. And yet it triggered pundits. Getting fluffed up about nonissues serves to push serious consideration to the side. For all the usual reasons. -- > ...spins bizarre conspiracy theories about the Iraq invasion. What?