Salus Populi Suprema Lex Esto or let the welfare of the people be the supreme law has long been an egalitarian political aspiration throughout history. We the people opens the US Constitution written in 1787 with African, Irish, and native slaves comprising over 20% of the registered population of the Thirteen States. The cruel institution spread with the conquests of Spanish and Mexican and First Peoples' lands, until slavery was ended after the Surredner of the Confederate States in 1865. Sadly African slaves, foreign emigrants, and criminals were subject to exploitation by capitalists until the present day.
Land of the Free.
That is how we Americans call our nation, but no one recognizes the power of debt shackling people to the wishes of the billionaires and their lackey millionaires. When Julius Caesar returned to Rome after ten years of plundering Gaul, the richest land in Europe, he paid off the debts of every roman citizen with his booty or gold and slaves, thus freeing them from debt slavery. The Senate lost its power over the hoi polloi, Greek for the unwashed masses. Not for long, the wealthy including his friend Brutus and other conspirators murdered Caesar on the Ides of March. No one was free. Only those who hold slaves are free. Only those without debt are free. Only those without desire to consume that which the owners sell them are free.
This slavery can only exist with the help of the banks, police, prisons, government et al. Fifteen years ago my friend James Steele owed the credit cards six-figures. He had no way to pay it off. HIs internet company in Thailand had been shut down for internet copyright infringement ie selling F1 merchandise cheaper than the F1 owners. He asked the credit cards to up his limit, as he was awaiting trial in Thailand.
"We are not bail bondsmen."
Click.
James kept on calling and asking for the same person always or their supervisor. He explained my situation; possible prison or deportation.
"Ten thousand dollars would see me right and then I can resume my business and I will pay you everything."
"No."
"Could you at least freeze the interest on my debt?"
"No."
He might have said more, but he had heard a single word. They still called James for the money owed and he began to answer the phone simply, "I'm naked, what about you?"
Only the men. Women James pretended to be Muktah, an Indian with no idea of his whereabouts. James' Thai court case was resolved with a $100 fine and he returned to the USA. An exile for a year. Not because of the charges. Because he had no money and no credit. James was not a bad man. He sent money to his family via Western Union. $12 for $100. He had little for himself, but it was summer and James had been employed by a rich techie to live in a haunted Palm Beach mansion. His job. Taking care of a mad Airedale scarred from fights for a family on vacation. A Land Rover, a swimming pool, and food stamps. $400 a week. James bought the cheapest wine from the Dixie Supermarket. The biggest bottle. Afternoons he drank $2 happy hour beer at the Kit Kat Club in West Palm Beach. The life of an exile.
Things got better and the credit card collectors stopped calling and James was very proud for having thwarted their attempts to exact payment. He had stood his ground. He had no choice. He had no money and there was a freedom from debt. He had lost my chains. In the fall James left Pom Pom and Palm Beach. She was sad to see him go. They had come to an understanding. Them against the world. Back in New York James was homeless, but worked on 47th Street selling diamonds. A stroke of luck. A big sale. $10,000 commission. All his. He cashed the check at a bank on 5th Avenue. The manager came out to ask, if he wanted to open an account. James thought, "Why not?" THey went to her office and after a minute, she said, "Seems like you owed $66,000 in credit card charges to a bank we acquired."
Shock. There's the why not.
"Did you declare bankruptcy?"
"Something like that?"
"So do you till want to open an account?"
"Why not?"
Do you want a credit card or ATM card?
"Just an ATM card." James had learned his lesson on debt.The manager cashed his check and handed over a ATM card. James was freed of debt. Somewhere not, but he lives to this day in peace and peace feels better than debt.
“If you owe your bank a hundred pounds, you have a problem. But if you owe a million, it has.” ― John Maynard Keynes
Statue of Eirene with the infant Ploutos: Roman marble copy of bronze votive statue by Cephisodotus the Elder, now in the Glyptothek, Munich.
