so what happens if millions of us decide to not pay our mortgages, credit cards and auto loans?

[ORDagnabbit]

Betcha we'd get a deal damn quick.

time to start some sort of freedom from the banksters party.

[villager]

1. I think it's a rather marvelous idea.

n/t

[roguevalley]

76. put it in escrow and earn a few too.

[zagging]

2. Done, and done

[WolverineDG]

3. I'd keep paying my secured loans (house)

but credit cards? Buh-bye.

dg

[Greyhound]

4. I think that's pretty much what has happened.

Not voluntarily in most cases though.

[Fire1]

5. But obviously not enough.

[L. Coyote]

73. Exactly. We are living with the results now. Economy crashed and Pukes got thrown out.

There is always a good side! I'm paying half as much for gas.

[Greyhound]

81. Maybe people will start to catch on that they need us far more than we need them.

In fact we would be better off without most of them.

[Zywiec]

6. Please do and share your experiences!! n/t

[ORDagnabbit]

9. stopped on the card and the car and I've asked for them to provide the original note

havent started the house yet.

[Zywiec]

10. Great. Let us know when the repo men come for the car.

Keep us posted.

[ORDagnabbit]

11. that was 5 years ago still have the car been at this a while... your fear is your undoing and

the shackles you put on are of your own making

[Zywiec]

15. So let me get this straight

You buy a car using credit, then stop paying and no one comes after the car?

I guess in some corners of the world, that might be considered stealing or fraud?

:shrug:

[backscatter712]

20. Considering that the banks have been committing a form of theft known as usury,

try to think of it as stealing back what was rightfully yours.

I remember hearing that during the Depression and other economic downturns, citizens would do things like eviction resistance. As in if a person was getting foreclosed on, the entire neighborhood would blockade the cops from evicting the person from his home.

We need to be doing more of that.

[Zywiec]

23. "Banks have been committing a form of theft known as usury"

If people didn't succumb to buying everything on credit, then there would be no usury, would there?

In each case of the "theft", YOU initiate the transaction:

- Gotta have something instead of saving for it - then complain about the interest rate and default on the loan
- Intentionally purchase a car with the intent on not even paying the loan - blame it on banks again

Is this the way the current generation really thinks?

Wow!

:crazy:

[frylock]

29. it's not like people are buying gas or groceries with those cards..

wake the fuck up or go back to freerepublic, but don't even think for a fucking second you're going to run your republican talking points around here and not get called out for it.

[Zywiec]

54. What did they do before there were credit cards?

So does everyone that isn't burdened by credit card debt belong at freerepublic?

:eyes:

[Dreamer Tatum]

62. Anyone lucidly pointing out theft is evidently a Republican, you see

That one should make payments on a promissory note bearing their signature is a Republican
talking point?

Amazing. Awe-inspiring in its chutzpah.

[InkAddict]

67. Hey, just because it bears one's signature does mean it is one's signature n/t

[pipi_k]

112. Aliens...evil twins...

happens to me all the time.

They buy all kinds of shit using my signature.

I have to keep changing my signature just to stay one step ahead of the bastards.

[readmoreoften]

132. Anyone who doesn't realize that the American public has been scammed by

an incredibly unjust system of low wages, union busting, and usury is a fool or a stooge or a rich kid. But not necessarily a Republican. There are plenty of fools, stooges, and pampered babies in the Democratic party as well.

[tsuki]

66. They got pay raises. nt

[Zhade]

84. Do you even know what the economy used to be like before cards?

Ever heard the phrase "indexed to inflation"?

[Stellabella]

94. Many people were paid a living wage and did okay. Others didn't.

Before Social Security was enacted in the 1930s, the largest group of Americans living in poverty were the elderly.

The school lunch program was started because, when examining recruits for WWII, the government discovered that many of the men were malnourished.

You either prospered or starved. You want to go back to that??

[dysfunctional press]

24. "eviction resistance"...try watching 'the grapes of wrath' to see how they handled resisting okies..

(it involved a bulldozer)

[backscatter712]

129. Eviction resistance is making a comeback.

ACORN is organizing it. Stay tuned...

http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/nation/02/18/0218foreclose.html

[Statistical]

75. Is it also morally ok to steal from criminals...

Get me a posse and round up prostitutes, drug dealers, robbers are other criminals and steal from them?

Or is just stealing from banks that is ok?
I want to make sure I get the rules right.

[readmoreoften]

133. I didn't realize that prostitutes and drug dealers are responsible for low pay and high debt.

Your analogy makes no sense. It's a category error.

It's not "stealing" from a bank. If someone steals from you, you have the right to take back what belongs to you. Banks have stolen our economy with insane, bloodsucking schemes.

What's the difference between scamming someone through Universal Credit Default--saying they were late on a payment, usually when they weren't, then raising ALL their cards to 30% interest--and stealing?

Bank of America has STOLEN so much money from me I can't even begin. I mean LITERALLY not counting cash deposits (which I fought and proved existed through receipts), debiting deposits, and then charging fees, and refusing to give me a receipt to prove my account is closed.

The banking system funds anti-union campaigns, scams customers, scams one another, and its the fault of the WORKING CLASS that this system is in a shambles? Fighting foreclosures and repos are probably BETTER for the US economy than bailing out criminal scumbags.

Does that explain "the rules"?

[olegramps]

109. In the case of farms this was a tactic to stop repossession

My parents told me how they and their neighbors would all gather at the farm auction and would intimidate anyone who dared to bid. The bankers were so hated that bank robbers were considered as heroes. In small towns if they insisted on repossession they were ostracized. Perhaps these tactics weren't exactly kosher, but the times were desperate and even preachers condemned the bankers who profited from repossessions. Large sections of prime farm land were bought for practically nothing by those who had bilked the system just as these modern day robber barons. Perhaps suspending trading on the stock market should be considered since it is being manipulated by speculators who are driving the prices to the bottom.

[ORDagnabbit]

32. nope...Been on this site 4+ years yelling about the coming economic tidal wave..watch this it'll

bring you up to speed and make you very very very angry at whats been done to us.

www.moneyasdebt.net

you can watch it at

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVkFb26u9g8

its only 47 minutes long and then you'll know more than 90% of the people on the planet about how money is created out of thin air

[Control-Z]

122. Bookmarking these links.

About five years ago, my dumpy little condo was appraised for 400,000.00. A little more than a year later it had reached a 1/2 million. I was shocked. Now my condo isn't really that dumpy, but it is tiny. And while I do live in an affluent and desirable community in So Cal, we're some of the lower end folks here, living on the poor side of town, so to speak. There wasn't a real chance in hell that my home was really worth so much, and I knew it. And it worried me.

People with incomes less than our household's were buying homes three times the size, and it seemed like everyone had a couple of new cars in their driveways. Without a sizable income, it stood to reason that many of these people were surely maxed out on the credit. It really freaked me out, and logically, a financial crisis seemed inevitable to me. But what did I know? I was just a regular gal, and had to assume that the professionals knew something too complex for me to understand. It's a shame they didn't.

Thanks for the links.

[Raskolnik]

71. So you got away with stealing a car. Congratulations, I guess?

Do you expect to be admired for that behavior?

[seabeyond]

83. really, to brag? and he is the one that costs ALL of us more money

i just have no respect for people like this.

me me me

fuck everyone else.

[ORDagnabbit]

91. so you didnt watch the video if you can start this post with that sentence. Seabeyond you are on

alot of threads and you seem to be reading from a single script

[seabeyond]

105. i watched a handful of minutes. couldnt keep watching.

maybe i will try again... but no, i do not know how in my mind i can rationalize theft.

my husband owned a business. worked his ass off

you ask for his service. he provides and charges you. you dont pay....

he doesnt put the food on our table.

on edit: i do see what you are suggesting is not hurting in a direct manner people like my husband cause he would get paid.

[pipi_k]

117. ummmm...question....

when you say you've "been at this for a while", what exactly does that mean?

"Been at" what?

[marew]

7. Damn! And to think I bought a very small house...

that I could afford to and did pay off. How dumb! I coulda had a mansion!

[Fire1]

12. snarky remarks are unnecessary. Rising credit card interest

rates on customers with A+ credit, sub prime loans with 'creative' financing are indicative of corrupt financial institutions and lenders in most cases. CDS was the brain child of the greedy fat cats on Wall St. who clearly took advantage of false prosperity along with apparaisers, realtors and underwriters.

[marew]

27. So personal responsibility doesn't count?

So people who thought they could buy a $400,000 or more house making $20,000 a year, that HAD to charge the latest HD TV, the latest iphone, drive a new car every year, whatever, aren't responsible for their own condition? Come on. These people are not in the same league with the people with normal mortgages based on a ratio to their income, who worked hard and lost their jobs through no fault of their own. Those are the people we should be helping. Regarding credit cards, no one ever forced anyone to run their credit card to the max or to live beyond their means. Yes, the financial institutions were corrupt but the people who fell for it very much wanted to believe it. Just like the Madoff victims. They wanted to deny reality and believe the fantasy.

[Name removed]

30. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

31. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Thickasabrick]

37. Bullshit. The past decade has seen wages stay stagnant while

everything else increased. People were using these cards to just keep up. I'm really sick of hearing that talking point..."no one was ever forced to use their cards". Bite me.

[Fire1]

40. LOL!

[marew]

41. Agreed, that was funny!

He must have CC issues!

[readmoreoften]

134. You like the banks so much? There's a political party that represents their interests.

You might be interested in taking a look at their platform.

I love how rich people and people who haven't hit hard times YET love to put down people with medical bills, student loans, and mortgages. You're the same as Republicans, and frankly, I wish the Democratic party wouldn't cater to you. But then again, we are in a "center-right" nation, now. :eyes:

[Generator]

74. Excellent point, one I've made before

And on the housing issue-I think many were sold a bill of goods-the loan man says I can afford this house so I can! But people are in denial-I think Americans are in denial over EVERYTHING-so thinking you can afford a huge mortgage on small $$ is just another. I am constantly amazed at what I read-in the paper a guy with him and his wife working making $64k and a $2000 house payment-I don't get where they think that will ever be affordable,now one has lost their job-we just moved up after saving and living in a crap neighborhood for years-and our payment is $1700 and we make $100k a year-and I don't like that much of a payment. Denial. We have never bought a new car, and our cars are ten and five years old. Denial-you don't get to have new cars AND a big new house on $65k a year.

When we were making $60k a year they wanted to approve us for a $250k mortgage and I knew that was insane. Unfortunately many don't.

But yes-many use credit cards because how the hell else are you going to afford the $200 dental bill-for little more than a cleaning for instance? I can't imagine real health bills. We had a check up for our daughter that the Blue Cross didn't want to cover $225-water bills $300-how do people live on small paychecks without being in debt?

[NNN0LHI]

77. water bills $300?

Is water expensive where you live? I thought mine was high its about $60 a month. $300 bucks for water? Damn that would have me in the poor house too.

Have you checked for leaks?

Don

[Thickasabrick]

80. It sounds like you were taught or had the innate wisdom to live within

your means. I honestly think personal finance should be a class required in high school. Part of the course would be how in debt you would be by using sub prime cards even a little and only make minimum payments. It's scary. There are many people who get out in the real world and are either seriously misinformed about things or eternal optimists (thinking if you work hard you will get ahead).

I read an article about a lady in NY who gets a $740.00 SS check and her rent is $719.00 per month. I do not understand how people are surviving.

$225 for a checkup? I don't see how people raise kids anymore either.

[Zhade]

86. You used to be able to have both on ONE salary.

NT!

[dana_b]

126. thank you for bringing that up

three kids on one salary - we were lower class but my dad paid the bills, my mom didn't work and we had health insurance. Thank God because i was a sick kid. Then they divorced and my mom had to support three kids on $300/month. tough times but we survived.

Now it definitely takes two salaries to buy a home, put kids into college, etc. I'm single and can't put my kid through school. She's going to community college and working 30+ hours a week. She's definitely not spoiled and I worry about her future opportunities. I'm not complaining because I know that I'm lucky to have a job but I don't think her generation is going to be better off than we are.

[Zhade]

85. Sure it counts -- when the ones with the power don't keep CHANGING THE FUCKING RULES.

NT!

[Synicus Maximus]

128. Right on

[xchrom]

8. i think we'd get a stimulus by way

of building more prisons fast.

[Greyhound]

13. In spite of what you may wish, we still don't have debtors prisons. n/t

[xchrom]

18. things change. nt

[Greyhound]

33. You sure you're in the right place? n/t

[xchrom]

38. are you? nt

[Zhade]

87. Fuck you.

NT!

[Grinchie]

14. Lets try it for a year.

Actually, I have succeeded at it, and I am completely out of debt, live in a wonderful set of homes, don't buy much, because in reality there is nothing of any quality available that is made in the U.S.

The only thing I need is healthy food, pure water, and the Internet.

I can thank Enron for Bankrupting California, and as a side effect, me several years ago. It forced us to re-evaluate the rat race, and experience first hand what a total sham our economy really is.

I work for myself, make my own hours, and have the ability to actually think about current events instead of worrying about things for other people. I pay myself first, and I am much happier for it.

[sinkingfeeling]

16. We become a nation of thieves.

[leftstreet]

19. So it's not theft when the Ruling Class steals from us?

:shrug:

[sinkingfeeling]

25. So it's moral to walk into a auto dealership and sign a contract to pay for that $25K car and then

say, "Don't want to pay for it because the dealer might make more money than me"?

[ORDagnabbit]

35. simple question...where did that 25k come from?

www.moneyasdebt.net

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVkFb26u9g8 watch it here

[leftstreet]

48. ^^Everyone should watch these Money as Debt videos^^

:thumbsup:

[jtrockville]

55. An absolutely MUST WATCH video.

If I recall, I first saw it BEFORE the collapse of our financial system, but it's ever so relevant now.

[pipi_k]

110. Of course it's theft...

But, as they say, two wrongs don't make a right.

There must be other ways of making a point besides sinking to the level of the amoral thieves.

Is that what we've degenerated to now?

An eye for an eye? Straight from the bible...

[Freddie Stubbs]

17. Sure, but you go first

;)

[ORDagnabbit]

36. It was hard in the Revolutionary war too half the people sat out

Historian Robert Calhoun wrote concerning the number of loyalists and patriots:

Historians' best estimates put the proportion of adult white male loyalists somewhere between 15 and 20 percent. Approximately half the colonists of European ancestry tried to avoid involvement in the struggle — some of them deliberate pacifists, others recent emigrants, and many more simple apolitical folk. The patriots received active support from perhaps 40 to 45 percent of the white populace, and at most no more than a bare majority.<7>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loyalist_(American_Revolution)



A small number of people can change the world. :)

[Freddie Stubbs]

65. Becoming a deadbeat is not being a revolutionary

[ORDagnabbit]

68. pretend for a minute you have an open and curious mind. watch the video and then get back to me.

and we can have a discussion with facts instead of your morality accusations.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVkFb26u9g8

[Zhade]

88. You're talking to a republican. Don't waste your breath on him.

NT!

[Raskolnik]

107. And the OP is advocating stealing things because he/she doesn't like to pay for them

In my book, that's about as Republican as you can get.

[Raskolnik]

70. Comparing no wanting to pay for the car you drive to the Revolutionary War?

Bravo.

[ORDagnabbit]

98. somebody forget the tea party? have you watched the video yet?

[Raskolnik]

106. The people involved in the Boston Tea Party didn't steal tea to drink it.

You're just trying to pretend that being a deadbeat is somehow an indicator of your virtue.

It isn't.

And, on edit, I don't care about your little youtube video. Whether you like the monetary system or not is irrelevant to the fact that you just don't want to pay for something you received. It's no different than if I went out for a nice dinner, got the bill, then told the waitress that I wasn't going to pay it because an animated youtube video told me that the debt system in this country isn't fair. That's just rationalization for stealing, and you should know it.

[ORDagnabbit]

118. minds only work when open. why are you afraid of what you call "your little youtube video"

[Raskolnik]

121. You are dodging the issue of you being a deadbeat by flogging a youtube video

If you want to start a thread about how mind-blowing this video is, be my guest. However, your OP and subsequent posts in this thead have indicated that you are merely a deadbeat that considers himself virtuous for taking things and not paying for them.

You should be ashamed of that behavior, not proud.

[pipi_k]

119. Hee hee

that's the same thing I say to people who tell me we should all poke our eyes out with a salad fork...

"Cool...you go first!"


:7

[leftstreet]

21. CNN headline: Rebels fight back on Credit Front in Class War

Not sure what the graphics would look like though.

[Bake]

22. It's already happening. Millions are losing their jobs and CAN'T pay those items.

Not by choice.

Bake

[Missy Vixen]

26. Wait till people start getting passed over for jobs because of their credit report

That's already happening, too.

In other words, the cheaters are running the table. Those who make mistakes and try their best to fix them are penalized.

[ejpoeta]

28. well, i do believe i had heard something about a bill to change that

so that employers couldn't use your credit history to determine hiring or whatever. i know that when my husband got hired where he works, they did a full, comprehensive background check on him. including a credit history. we both have bad credit history. not proud of it, but it's there. he was sweating that. thought it might sink him. but he did get hired. i imagine the cost of that backround check is pricey.... they spend a lot to hire a person at the company bob works for.

[ORDagnabbit]

34. no the cheaters are the ones in control of the banks and wallstreet.

watch this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVkFb26u9g8


www.moneyasdebt.net

[seabeyond]

57. yes they are cheaters, and if you want into walmart and buy something on credit card with intent to

not pay, then you too are a cheater. theft. stealing.

this is really not a tough one to figure out.

[ORDagnabbit]

60. pretend for a minute you have an open and curious mind. watch the video and then get back to me.

and we can have a discussion with facts instead of your morality accusations.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVkFb26u9g8

[seabeyond]

78. yup. still stealing. n/t

[ORDagnabbit]

90. cool now that you've watched it lets discuss it. fair enough?

[SammyWinstonJack]

139. .

:evilgrin:

[Donnachaidh]

39. And we also need to take note of EVERY added charge on EVERY bill

People don't realize just how MUCH they are being ripped off with added fees. Even if you pay a bill, check for added fees, QUESTION them - and demand the answers in WRITING.

If you are too afraid of stopping payments, make the companies justify EVERY single payment fee they try to tack on your bill.

Yeah -- JUSTIFY them. Turn the heat up on these bastards.

[TexasObserver]

42. as a practical matter, that's happening with millions of people

Let me speak for a moment to those on the bubble.

If you have to stop paying your credit cards to survive, do it.

If you have to disappoint unsecured creditors to survive, do it.

If you have to ask for a lower interest rate for your home mortgage, do it.

First, pay what it takes for you to live. Then pay what it takes to keep your secured assets (home, cars). You feel bad about not paying those cards. I know. But you have to take care of you and your family, and that credit card company isn't going to do it. This is a time for priorities, so choose to keep yourself and your family in your home and with your car. Unsecured debt? If anything has to go unpaid, that is it.

[Bryn]

99. 16 rules for paying bills

I agree with you....

to read the rest go to http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/SavingandDebt/P67356.asp

The Basics
16 rules for paying bills when money is tight


When you're struggling under a mountain of money obligations, it's important to take a deep breath and set priorities. Here are some guidelines to help put first things first.

By Lucy Lazarony, Bankrate.com

Start with the essentials
Pay family necessities first.
Paying for food and essential medical expenses should be your first priority.

Pay housing-related bills.
Keep up your mortgage or rent payments, if possible. If you own your home, real estate taxes and insurance must be paid. (They may be included in the monthly mortgage payment.) Any condo fees or mobile home lot payments also should be considered a high priority. Failure to pay these debts could lead to loss of your home.

Keep utilities on.
Make necessary utility payments next if possible. Working hard to keep your house or apartment makes little sense if it is not livable because you have no utilities.

Pay a car loan or lease.
If you need your car to get to work or for other essential transportation, rank your car payment just below food, medical expenses, housing costs and utilities on your priority list. You may want to pay your car payment first, if your car is essential to holding onto your job. Stay current on your insurance payments as well. If you don't, your creditor may buy insurance for you at your expense. It will be more costly collision and theft coverage with liability protection. In most states, it is illegal not to have automobile liability coverage.

<snip>

[earth mom]

43. Kinda like Robin Hood for the new millennium?

I love the idea of sticking it to the banks. :evilgrin:

[Mike 03]

44. Call me old fashioned (even though I'm not old enough to be old fashioned), I actually

only buy things that I can pay for.

[Zywiec]

56. Isn't that a Republican talking point?

:sarcasm:

:eyes:

[steelmania75]

45. You'll be left on the streets, but the CEOs will still be living large, that's capitalism for ya

[bvar22]

46. There is another way to rebel.

In 2004, my wife and I made a decision to stop paying for the obscenity that America had become.

We started making plans to withdraw our support from CorpoAmerica and our One Party System in 2004. We began researching the availability of undeveloped "Bubble Proof" (inexpensive) property, energy demands, pollution levels, availability of clean "on site" water, soil fertility, growing season, local taxes, cost of living, surrounding industry and other sources of pollution.

We wanted the Pacific NorthWest, but everything was either way over inflated, lacked abundant clean water, or had other problems. After much research, we found property in a very rural unspoiled/undeveloped area of The South with an on property clean water supply (Spring) surrounded by National Forest (plenty of wildlife, long growing season, low energy demands, very low property taxes).

In 2006, sold everything, cashed out most of our IRAs, quit our jobs, left the Big City (Minneapolis), and moved to our new place.

We have reduced our taxable income to near poverty levels.
We no longer use "credit", don't have a mortgage, build everything ourselves, buy "used, 2nd hand, or salvage" directly from previous owners, and Barter, Trade, or pay CASH to avoid all taxes whenever possible.
As much as possible, we have stopped consuming in the Corporate America sense of the word.
Next year we will consume even less.

We have planted a large vegetable and fruit garden, have two healthy HoneyBee colonies (expand to 4 colonies this Spring), and keep a dozen chickens. We added more fruit trees and a large BlueBerry patch over the Winter. We freeze and can our produce for consumption over the Winter. This year we will experiment with sun drying herbs and berries for long term storage or marketing.

We ARE registered to vote, and supported the Democratic Party 100% this election, but don't hold much hope that anything will really change. Our focus has become local Humanitarian/Community Issues, and methods of denying support for Corporate America and our One Party system.

We realize we are very fortunate to be in a situation to do this. We have no dependent children, and are in good health. We miss some of the luxury of Urban Consumption, but have no desire to return.

WE QUIT!
Someone else will have to pay for the Endless Wars/Occupations and Wall Street Bailouts.

Spring Promise 2008

[marybourg]

58. I admire (and envy ) you, except for the part

about the south. I hope you'll continue to post about your lifestyle.

[bvar22]

61. The South is stunningly beautiful.

Why waste it?
It belongs to you too.

Cost of living, length of growing season, fertility, inexpensive land, no industrial pollution for MILES, abundant clean water, low energy demands, smaller carbon footprint, abundant wildlife (nuisance levels) birds-bees-butterflies,...nothing north of Missouri and west of Texas can come close.

Our total heating cost for the Winter was less than $50 . (Passive Solar + wood stove)
And then there is this:


More people like us are moving here for the same reasons.
Another DUer has purchased property close by, and is moving in this Summer.
We can either be a victim of prejudice, including our own, or we can get active and make our own choices.

We're turning The South Blue!

1/3 of the people in our rural precinct voted for Obama.
That is a sizable number of like minded people (more than we thought).
There is an active Democratic Women's Group which Starkraven has joined, a small spiritual drumming group, and we are very active members of our RVFD, local Art Gallery, and BeeKeepers Association. (BeeKeepers are the most spiritual and laid back people you will ever meet!)

There is backwardness and ignorance here, as there is everywhere. We have chosen to not let it rule our lives or limit our choices.


More photos and text here:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=246x5729

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=246x7979

[Bryn]

101. Arkansas!

I am in Hot Springs..how far are you from me? Your place looks so lovely. Sounds like you and your wife have quality life, living like that. Wonderful!

[Morning Dew]

102. I think you've posted Summer Solstice and Spring Promises before... they made me happy.

Thanks for posting them again.

:)

[bvar22]

125. Thanks.

I thought about putting them in my sig line,
but decided to just use them when appropriate.

[seabeyond]

47. that is called theft. i dont get this mentality. n/t

[AlCzervik]

51. no doubt.

:thumbsup:

[seabeyond]

53. lol lol

i was happy to see your post too. scary....

[AlCzervik]

49. that would make me be like them, i'd have a hard time with that.

i do have a sense of shame.

[seabeyond]

50. i do have a sense of shame... or integrity anyway..... thank you. n/t

[MadHound]

52. Umm, I thought that's how we got into this mess.

Millions of people not paying their mortgages, auto loans and credit card debts. Yet you want even more of the same? What, are you a masochist?

[ecstatic]

59. only if i could get a guarantee that everyone else would do the same!

I'm not trying to ruin my "credit."

[Dreamer Tatum]

63. Here's the deal you'd get

You'd get the stuff you stol...er, BOUGHT for a nice discount, and then there would be no credit for
anyone, ever again.

If interest rates are usurous, the appropriate response is to not sign a promissory note or a
credit agreement. You are not entitled to free property.

But of course, those are "Republican talking points," since we all know that the Tom Joads of the
world who inspired progressive thought were all thieves. :eyes:

[GeorgeGist]

64. That might spoil Obama's chance ...

to save capitalism from it's victims.

[tammywammy]

69. I'd called it stealing if I expect to keep those things

I walked into the bank on my own accord to sign up for a mortgage. No one forced me to sign those papers.

Same deal with the car loan.

:shrug:

[Thothmes]

104. Theft, IMO

[Raskolnik]

72. so what happens if millions of us decide to not pay for groceries & clothes?

You're not proposing "freedom," you're proposing stealing.

[Uncle Joe]

79. Rick Santelli's house will go down in value. n/t

[Zhade]

82. Sure does seem that deadbeats are the only ones who get stimulated.

I don't include people who lost their jobs or suffered through something not their fault, of course.

Meanwhile, us renters? No help. We just keep paying more and more, and our taxes go to subsidize the rich CEOs who destroyed the economy.

[cliffordu]

89. That's the BEST fucking idea I've seen here in MONTHS!!!!!

STRIKE!!!! STRIKE!!!!!

[BlooInBloo]

92. hahah! And these are the same people who bitch about being called "irresponsible borrowers".

:rofl:

[Joe Fields]

93. Have you seen the latest credit card commercials? They're scred to death.

These new credit card commercials (I forget which card) are all touchy feely, gently urging us to call them, in case we get laid off, lose our job or have some other economic downturn, and they will work with us to help us out....:puke:

In other words, they are scared to death that we are going to do just what was suggested by the OP. I'm sure that a lot of the institutions are worried as hell as to how we are going to act and react tin the coming months.

[Control-Z]

123. We should maintain that climate of fear,

actually make it worse, and let the banking industry cater to us. That is how it should be, after all. They make money off of us. It's about time they showed a little appreciation.

Is it possible?

[Rosa Luxemburg]

95. we would have to borrow from the Chinese and not ever pa it back

if we can have it for the Iraq war we can have it for us $$$$$$$$

[Rosa Luxemburg]

96. we would have to borrow from the Chinese and not ever pay it back

if we can have it for the Iraq war we can have it for us $$$$$$$$

[defendandprotect]

97. It's the beginning of a great idea . . . maybe a few kinks tho???

We'd need a bit of advice on this --

It ain't what you do it's the way that you do it?

Let's see . . . how about Michael Moore holds the money for us???

[Imagevision]

100. Not to shabby! - just tell the rich - you'll get it when we get it - fuck off, what worse can happen

[Waiting For Everyman]

103. You played the players back at their own game.

Two words: brilliant, and justice.

[Raskolnik]

108. How about shoplifting? Also brilliant? Also justice?

And if not, could you explain the difference?

[Waiting For Everyman]

127. You're ignoring the financing in the transaction

in between the "shop owner" and the supposed "shoplifting". The goods were paid for by the bank. It's the bank that was ripped off - the bank which first tried to rip off the OP with the fine print of the transaction and the system it has created. The OP used the fine print and its own system back.

Yes, I call it brilliant and justice.

[northernlights]

140. easy

If you shoplift, you steal from the store and the store takes the loss.

If you pay the store with your cc and then don't pay the cc bill, the store has already been paid for the goods by the bank. You steal from the bank and the bank takes the loss. The same bank that stole from all of us by knowingly making fraudulent loans and now that the fraud coming undone, is "too big to fail."

Not saying that I agree or disagree with OP. Just 'splaining the difference between shoplifting and unarmed bank robbery.

[pipi_k]

111. Haven't decided if I'm amused or disgusted...

that there are some here who are actually advocating stealing as a way to "get back at the people who stole from us".

And then they're seriously calling honesty and integrity "Republican talking points"


WTF?


OMG. Did the universe just split open and suck us all into some alternate reality?


Whatever.

Like a few of the others said...be my guest. Go ahead and refuse to pay for stuff you already have, then report back how it went.

I, for one, am not going to jeopardize my own good credit by taking the dubious suggestions of people who think adding to the economic woes of this country is actually a good idea

[Raskolnik]

114. Go back to Free Republic.

How dare you criticize people that just want to get things without paying for them? Don't you understand that because some people got scammed by mortgage brokers, that makes it ok to steal from other entities that didn't necessarily do anything wrong? It only makes sense--if there are usurious interest rates being charged in one car loan, that makes it acceptable to quit paying another, non-usurious car loan. That's iron-clad logic, man!

If someone wants a car, what are they supposed to do--pay for it according to the terms they agreed to when they drove it off the lot!? What kind of fantasy land do you live in?

[pipi_k]

115. Oh NOES!!!111 I've been caught!!!

What gave me away?

should I have been more amused and less disgusted?


:cry:

[tjwash]

113. Better yet...try paying them all off.

They don't make money on the loans. They make money on shaking you down on the interest. They want you to max out your cards. Nothing is worse to a credit card company, than to for you pay them off and keep a zero balance on their card.

I paid off all my credit cards, and those fuckers were falling all over themselves to give me sweet rates, just so I would use the cards again.

[pipi_k]

116. On further thought, a suggestion...

Just for shits and giggles, why doesn't someone go over to Free Republic and post this same idea?

I'd be willing to bet a majority of them would be falling all over themselves in sheer rapture at the thought.

which, IMO, at least, would mean it's a somewhat ridiculous and self-defeating idea.

[theboss]

120. You first....

Anyway, the one good thing that will come from all this is, I think, much smaller credit card bills in the future for this country, because everyone I know is scrambling to eliminate as much debt as possible right now.

[LanternWaste]

124. I imagine it would result in...

"so what happens if millions..."

I imagine it would result in millions more in this country losing any sense of honor and dignity they may have had prior to their choice to engage in theft, and becoming in fact, no better than those they accuse of stealing from them.





Although I imagine it doesn't really fit in too well with the trendy, stylish, flavor-of-the-month "stickin' it to the man" stage routines, I personally have a moral obligation to pay off my debts-- but that's just me, as I imagine many people are under absolutely no moral obligation to pay off their own debts because (insert justification here).

[Waiting For Everyman]

130. Shame on you, OP!

How could you rip off Guido and Vinnie, the friendly corner Mafia knee breakers? Don't you have any honor and integrity?

:rofl:

Don't you realize the role you're expected to play in the societal food chain? How dare you refuse to play dead for the vultures?

Geez, talk about "sheeple"...

Evidently some here don't understand how white-collar crime works. First they pay legions of lawyers and lobbyists to remove the laws against certain long-recognized thefts which they like to do, and then they vilify any victims who object to being robbed.

After all, the banks' crimes have been made legal now, so you'd better be a good little victim and hand over your money without making a big hassle for them. You keep this up and you're going to tip off the other victims, who are going to feel stupid about complying if you don't, and we can't have that now, can we? The whole system will stop working. Now see what you've done! You deadbeats who refuse to pay whatever is demanded have gone and broke it now! LOL!

What's wrong with you? Why didn't you just go out and get 12 more jobs and fork it over like they told you to? What are you, lazy or something?

[readmoreoften]

135. I'd give you a heart, if I could afford it.

Seriously. It's about as reasonable as saying that people who cross the "free speech zone" lines to protest Bush deserve to go to jail because "two wrongs don't make a right."

Sometimes you have to punch back.

[Waiting For Everyman]

137. It's the thought that counts

and I thank you, readmoreoften. I can't afford it either (wish I could), so I'll imagine an extra one if you will.

(And also to my anonymous benefactors, whoever you are. I didn't get to say that anywhere, but thank you.)

[donna123]

131. I'm angry

I'm frugal, I save, I'm responsible and what does that get me? No incentive to save as interest rates are like 0 and basically we're told to invest in the market which is unreliable. No break in being able to buy a house as the government now wants to help homeowners so that housing prices don't fall. Why shouldn't housing prices fall? They were all too inflated in the first place. I rent and may buy a house in the future but why should I not want houses to be cheaper and more affordable? Why do real estate agents and brokers and whoever else make so much money off a house sale? They do crap and from what I can see, half of them take the crappiest pictures of houses and put them on their site. Don't tell me real estate agents don't make money, cause I know several who own million dollar homes. What education do you even need to be a real estate agent? So we're going to artifactually keep house prices up, give incentives for people to buy houses so real estate agents who don't deserve as much as they make can make more money and keep interest rates low to keep on not giving people any incentive to save money. What's wrong with renting? The only thing I feel bad about is the pets that get left behind cause they have no control over anything. Why should I feel sympathy for someone trying to hold onto their 380,000 house? What's wrong with them renting or buying a 200,000 house????

I guess consumerism stimulates the economy but how much crap do people need? I guess I'm like Suze Orman, I don't understand all this consumerism. I'm glad they aren't building more and more houses. Does this make me a liberal or a conservative? I don't know. I am angry that I am going to be paying for the greed, hubris, stupidity, and intentional ignorance of so many others.

[Waiting For Everyman]

138. What do you "do" for your interest?

And why shouldn't you have a turn at earning 0 on it, just as others have had their assets fall, which you're so happy about? You openly are glad about others' losses, so you can profit from them, but I don't see anybody applauding your lack of earnings.

The difference is, homes are the rooves over peoples' heads, whereas your bank account isn't quite the same. Grow up.

[Cerridwen]

136. It'd be kinda like every other boycott people talk about these days.

"No one" will do it because it won't be "successful" therefore it won't be "successful" because "no one" will do it.

"Everyone" will be afraid to be the first one(s) to make a move because "everyone" will judge the first one(s) as irresponsible and lazy. "No one" wants to be judged as irresponsible and lazy so they'll continue to bust their ass to play by "the rules" and lose everything anyway and "everyone" will judge them to be irresponsible and lazy and one who didn't play by "the rules."

I believe this is called, "Catch 22."

[TK421]

141. Millions of people who refuse to pay for those things will not keep these

companies from collecting in the long run. Your credit will be ruined, you will be harassed by bill collectors, you will never again be able to rent or own property without hell to pay. I understand the idea and the frustration here, but it doesn't matter if ten million of us decide one day not to pay shit....they will come after you and get you one way or another. Not worth ruining your entire life over it.