Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Debtor's Prison -- The Poor Person's Best Friend
JesBeard.com ^ | Jes Beard

Posted on 03/11/2005 9:27:36 PM PST by The Loan Arranger

Years ago, this country did away with debtors prisons. The nation in general, and poor people in particular, would be well served to bring them back. The harm to business from unpaid debt, and the reduced productivity and even business failure unpaid debt can bring, is obvious. Businesses or individuals who are not repaid the money they loaned or who are not paid for the goods or services they produced and sold on credit are prevented from accumulating needed and even expected capital for expansion, and they are frequently thrown into serious financial constraints making it hard to pay their own creditors and employees. This not only can theoretically choke the gross national product, many recessions and even the Great Depression have been in fact brought on at least partly by unpaid debt.

But debt relief measures, either in the form of actual debt forgiveness or in the form of relaxed procedures to collect debt (including the abolition of debtors prisons), are generally thought to help the poor. The idea that once again forcing poor people into involuntary servitude to pay for meager food and shelter is certainly a tough sell. But here goes.

A return to debtors prisons would help poor people in at least five ways: 1) increasing workforce participation; 2) increasing personal responsibility; 3) making it easier for the poor to climb the economic ladder through entrepreneurship; 4) reintroduction of the virtues which have proven the only reliable way of the poor to leave poverty; 5) making credit more readily available.

(Excerpt) Read more at jesbeard.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Editorial; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: amodestproposal; credit; debtorsprison; paybacktime
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 181-200201-220221-240241-252 next last
To: sevry
ROTFLOL

My "temper"? Your lack of ability in reading comprehension is only matched by your quite dazzling inability to pierce the written word to decipher my "mood". And again, with the use of the word "liberal" as invective ? Too too funny for words!

Listen,precious, you're the one upset here,not I. What I am,though,is bored by and sick to death of uneducated newbies coming here to post their pathetic drivel and then getting all bent out of shape when they get handily refuted. :^)

221 posted on 03/15/2005 11:23:14 PM PST by nopardons
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 220 | View Replies]

To: nopardons
My "temper"?

So - it THAT . . your last word?

222 posted on 03/16/2005 12:35:12 AM PST by sevry
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 221 | View Replies]

To: sevry
You have provided no examples. You have provided data points of dubious origin that are subsets of subsets and attempted to extrapolate proof that somehow things are worse now then they were.

If you don't know why that is wrong then you are too ignorant to even be discussing the matter.

I suggest at least one class in statistics and one class in economics. Then maybe you will be better equipped to understand.

As to my figures, look them up. They are all there.

223 posted on 03/16/2005 3:23:56 PM PST by Harmless Teddy Bear (If I were a better person, I'd ignore her and go on with my life. But I'm not.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 173 | View Replies]

To: nopardons
There were 4,843 strikes in that decade.

Ah the lovely times when unions ruled the country.

224 posted on 03/16/2005 3:27:41 PM PST by Harmless Teddy Bear (If I were a better person, I'd ignore her and go on with my life. But I'm not.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 177 | View Replies]

To: Harmless Teddy Bear
data points of dubious origin

Fine. Take any one of those examples that I gave you. Why do you disagree? Why would you imagine the numbers to be any different? Tell me.

225 posted on 03/16/2005 3:49:50 PM PST by sevry
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 223 | View Replies]

To: sevry
I already told you putting aside their dubious origins. They are data points that are subsets of subsets. In other words, worthless.
226 posted on 03/16/2005 3:52:29 PM PST by Harmless Teddy Bear (If I were a better person, I'd ignore her and go on with my life. But I'm not.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 225 | View Replies]

To: Harmless Teddy Bear
Not just unions...anarchists and MARXISTS and Commies began the strike cycles in the 19th century.

Whenever someone rhapsodizes about the "good old days",it's a sure and certain sign that they have NO idea what those times where really like.

227 posted on 03/16/2005 4:00:54 PM PST by nopardons
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 224 | View Replies]

To: sevry
Nope...that was YOUR word,which YOU have now cherry-picked and ignore the rest of my post.

You'll tire of this long before I shall,sweetums. ;^)

228 posted on 03/16/2005 4:02:40 PM PST by nopardons
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 222 | View Replies]

To: Harmless Teddy Bear

The "make it all up to suit one's agenda and/or post lie after lie" posters are the ones who ignore and/or lie about FACTS posted by others. Isn't that interesting?


229 posted on 03/16/2005 4:05:41 PM PST by nopardons
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 223 | View Replies]

To: nopardons
that was YOUR word

Then I leave the last to you.

230 posted on 03/16/2005 4:11:01 PM PST by sevry
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 228 | View Replies]

To: nopardons
about FACTS

You were asked repeatedly if you disputed any of the examples that I posted. And you were always silent. You can't have it both ways, talking about fact and then ignoring it when it doesn't seem to support your opinion. That does suggest to me, of course, the old line people recite on the subject of statistics. But, even so.

231 posted on 03/16/2005 4:13:28 PM PST by sevry
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 229 | View Replies]

To: Harmless Teddy Bear
They are data points that are subsets of subsets

What specific subset? What specific subsets? Explain what you mean.

232 posted on 03/16/2005 4:14:37 PM PST by sevry
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 226 | View Replies]

To: nopardons
I don't think that he even understands why he can't do what he is trying to do.

He just should be glad the he was not in my college Mathematics and Statistics class. My professor was famous for giving what he called F minuses. Not content with just giving you a zero he would give you up to a -100 depending on how off your logic was. Nobody passed his class the first time around.

233 posted on 03/16/2005 4:20:01 PM PST by Harmless Teddy Bear (If I were a better person, I'd ignore her and go on with my life. But I'm not.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 229 | View Replies]

To: sevry
Go learn. I am not your professor and it is not my job to teach you such basic stuff.

One class in economics. One class in statistics.

Then come back and we will talk.

234 posted on 03/16/2005 4:22:21 PM PST by Harmless Teddy Bear (If I were a better person, I'd ignore her and go on with my life. But I'm not.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 232 | View Replies]

To: Harmless Teddy Bear
The problem some posters have,is that they don't realize that BS, against hard cold facts, don't cut it here and that abject lack of factual knowledge,logic,and reason are a losing hand.

With a prof like that one,YOU are the expert here; that's for sure. :-)

235 posted on 03/16/2005 4:28:53 PM PST by nopardons
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 233 | View Replies]

To: nopardons
Well... I passed... the second time. Barely.

I was never so happy to see a C minus in my life. :)

236 posted on 03/16/2005 4:33:55 PM PST by Harmless Teddy Bear (If I were a better person, I'd ignore her and go on with my life. But I'm not.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 235 | View Replies]

To: Harmless Teddy Bear
One class in statistics

Back when, I took so many classes in statistics, it could have been my minor. Now, I asked you a question. If you want to reply, then don't duck the question. Answer the question.

237 posted on 03/16/2005 4:38:30 PM PST by sevry
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 234 | View Replies]

To: Harmless Teddy Bear
never so happy to see a C minus in my life

Econ?

238 posted on 03/16/2005 4:39:36 PM PST by sevry
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 236 | View Replies]

To: nopardons
factual knowledge

You were asked many times to say whether or not you disputed all the various examples I gave. I don't recall you having done that. Instead, you relied upon character attacks and misrepresentation. And you still seem rather eager to have the last word, at any rate.

239 posted on 03/16/2005 4:41:30 PM PST by sevry
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 235 | View Replies]

To: sevry

And you don't understand why your numbers are subsets of subsets?


240 posted on 03/16/2005 4:41:43 PM PST by Harmless Teddy Bear (If I were a better person, I'd ignore her and go on with my life. But I'm not.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 237 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 181-200201-220221-240241-252 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson