By Irving Leemon, Contributing Columnist
All this fuss about the federal debt ceiling has accomplished little but prove that the inmates have taken over the asylum. There are apparently a group of ideologues, who happen to be Republicans, who have taken control of that party. Their mission is to reduce the federal government’s control and spending at any cost.
They don’t care about the social values that have evolved since before the signing of this country’s constitution. All they care about is further enriching the rich and powerful. Have you noticed that the banks and credit card companies are once again asking people to go into deeper debt to them, after creating a society that depends on credit cards? They have consistently raised the cost of their services.
The banks have also raised the price to the depositors of accessing their money, whether by direct with-drawl, card, check, or electronic transfer. The automobile companies are using this same tactic. Sure, leasing a car requires less money up front then buying one out right. However, you pay extra if you drive more then a few miles. During the lease you pay for all of the maintenance and insurance, and, at the end of the lease you have nothing but the travel you used the car for.
You don’t have the option of keeping that car for a longer time without paying a lot of additional money, or, even have the right to any trade in value towards another car. Most cars today will give good trouble free service for at least eight or ten years after the two or three year lease is up. This is another form of financial enslavement. If you start leasing your cars you will have car payments for the rest of your driving career. While if you buy the car and keep it for more then three to five years you can have several years without car payments. The banks and money organizations’ tactics are recreating the robber barons of old.
As a result, they are helping to destroy this country’s social fabric by financially enslaving all but the richest in this country. This is beginning to further divide the country into the haves and have-nots. The current name of the game is to create friction between the rich and the financially disadvantaged. In history it’s been proven time and again that when the divide between the poorer and the wealthiest people is increased all of the people suffer. Agree, Disagree? Email: ileemon@socal.rr.com