Up, Up and Away

I just got what I thought was my credit card statement in the mail. Happily I rarely use it but I'm glad to have it in my back pocket. So I was ready to make my usual payment of a hundred dollars, usually the purchase of some gasoline to travel to Halifax or something like that. But when I opened the letter it seems that they are offering to raise my credit limit once again.

I had to laugh out loud. I can't remember exactly but about 6-8 months ago I was offered another raise of about $2,000. The funny thing is that I don't have a regular income to speak of but I guess I'm a reliable customer because I always pay my bills immediately. But I guess they're hoping that I'll start spending like a madman, and maybe I'll pay them some interest and get into debt. They don't know me very well.

(Incidentally I just got a call from a company hoping to restructure my mortgage. Good luck.)

Desperation abounds it seems. Lacking imagination these companies keep trying their old tricks, but it's over. The chickens, I hope and pray, are coming home to roost.

We must all avoid debt at all costs. I can't shake the feeling that soon, as the economy collapses due to a lack of abundant, cheap energy, debt will logically become the basis of the reincarnation of the pre-oil economy: the slave economy. So if you have debt obligations from the six cars you own, or the three houses or the new 3D television you bought on a payment plan, then you and your family will be sold into slavery. Ideally for the powerful, debt will be transferred to the next generation and interest accrued so that a long-term slave supply is assured. Instead of tractors and pesticides, you'll have slaves and hand weeding (and if you've ever hand weeded carrots get ready for purgatory).

Incidentally check out news that debtors prisons are growing in the US. Is this the start of the future? Debtors prisons are supposed to be illegal but not in this climate. The silly thing is that it costs so much to incarcerate someone so how do these prisons break even? Well I guess that's why we have private prisons to manage the slave, uh I mean prison population.

Things are happening so fast it's certainly hard to keep up and it just makes me incredulous. And still there is no revolution?

But for now I'll take the offer. Or maybe I should do something unexpected and decline it? Nah, maybe I'll buy an ivory backscratcher someday. On credit of course.