Monday, April 28, 2008

Caveat Emptor

"And the credit card era was a help to delay the pain and the shame of being poor in America," she writes.  Brilliant! - And brilliantly couched!
Just to eat and "put food on their family" (also shelter), people are living beyond their crappy paychecks, even when they're destroying themselves being "uniquely [North] American" and holding down three jobs.
Then the banks mail promises of Pre-Approved Credit Cards up to $400!!!!  For any reason!  Sometimes there's even a facsimile credit card right there in the envelope, so you can get the feel of the thing.  Power like a handgun.
The radio ads that dominate the blowhard blather shows on the car radio when people are just listening for a traffic report to explain this f**king traffic jam they're in shout the gospel of Unprecedented Low Interest Rates so they can buy (or refinance) that home.  Sure you can afford it.  Don't you owe it to your kids to live in a Nice Neighborhood with Good Schools?
Then when the shit hits the fan, it's your fault.  The good ol' folksy "President" explains that you selfishly borrowed into a property you couldn't afford, and you'll just have to pay the price for that.
The national debt is up to 9,337, 965, 396, 997 dollars - I'm not even sure how to say that in words.  515 billion dollars of that has gone to ill-considered, murderous and self-destructive military adventures in the Middle East.
Who's gonna have to pay the price for this?

2 comments:

ellwort said...

PS Extra Credit: Explain the phrase "Holding down a job." Isn't it the other way around?

Links to works cited:

http://www.brillig.com/debt_clock/

http://www.nationalpriorities.org/costofwar_home

TeresaB said...

While we are on the subject!
http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Countrywides_CEO_takes_home_millions_0425.html