Hope and chains

usury - (n)  the act or practice of extracting a rate of interest beyond what is allowed by law.

The law of unintended consequences as applied to congress simply means they have to pass a minimum of 2 laws:  one just because it gives them something to do and the other(s) to "fix" problems caused by the passage of the first.

Exorbitant interest rates used to be illegal.  One could bring suit against a company for such practices.  Then our elected officials took themselves out of the equation (probably about the time they accepted campaign bribes contributions from banks and credit card companies) and decided interest rates could best be set by those in the business of loaning money.  After all, everyone knows the best one to guard the henhouse IS the fox. 

So you deposit your money in a bank.  At one time, they may have even paid 3% back to you.  But they charged the borrower 10%.  What else could they do but pocket the difference?  A bank's business is to make money, isn't it?  Now, they could have made money by charging simple interest, but they can make lots more if they compound the interest.  Good for them, bad for you.  Because wages aren't compounded.  Oh sure, you've been told that if you work hard you will succeed.  Go to college, get a degree, start your career climb ~ and you, too, will be at the top of the heap........some day. 

But the hope is that you will be a lifetime consumer debtor.  Always working ever harder to pay off the things you are constantly bombarded with needing. Millions combined in the same pursuit are called an asset.  When an asset is on your balance sheet, it's a good thing.  If loaning entities were honest about the columns in their ledgers, borrowers would be listed under Indentured Servants.  And your term of servitude is however long you use credit.

Thankfully, our representatives are always looking out for the little people.  Outlawing such things as borrowing money from an unregulated entity (ie parents, grandparents, friends)  Everyone knows the wealthy (1%) would take such advantage of such a thing and go completely nuts buying houses for all family members and then only charging them a paltry amount of interest!  Those we send to Washington decided this is not fair to those of us who weren't born into a wealthy family (99%).   So they constructed laws whereby we (99%) borrow the necessary funds from them (1%).  Neat how that works, isn't it?

I'm calling bullsh*t on all of it.  As Queen, I would like to bestow on the Land the ability to decide who you want to help or be beholden to.  Giving to others is so rewarding ~ when it's my choice of what to give and who to give it to.  This is a feeling I'd like many to experience!  Oh sure, I may not be able to give on the scale of Mitt, but I'm pretty sure I give Joe a run for his money.  And the feeling I get from knowing I truly have done something for an individual is priceless.  Until CONgress figures out a way to tax it, that is.