I admit to not reading the article...yet. I find Graebers views challenging but worth the effort. So my comment here may be rather simplistic...it's certainly not in the realm of anthropological study. I was taught 1) to live within my means and 2) if you incur a debt you have a moral obligation to pay that debt. Like I said...simple.
but not simple if someone else imposes the debt on you. like trafficked women who are told that they have to work as prostitute to 'repay' the costs of their travel to a new country, their housing, and their food. They are given no choice as to the scope of these debts, no control over them. and they probably get charged extortionate interest rates too.
Of course...the situation you describe is morally reprehensible...and illegal. One party in that contract is acting illegally. So I amend my remark...or rather condotionalize it. A debt incurred where both parties are acting legally and neither are under duress.
It’s the world we live in. Laws are unfair. The ruling class rigged the laws to indenture people. Property has more rights than individuals. Both political parties in America are corrupted, they desire power more than anything else and lie to keep it.
I admit to not reading the article...yet. I find Graebers views challenging but worth the effort. So my comment here may be rather simplistic...it's certainly not in the realm of anthropological study. I was taught 1) to live within my means and 2) if you incur a debt you have a moral obligation to pay that debt. Like I said...simple.
but not simple if someone else imposes the debt on you. like trafficked women who are told that they have to work as prostitute to 'repay' the costs of their travel to a new country, their housing, and their food. They are given no choice as to the scope of these debts, no control over them. and they probably get charged extortionate interest rates too.
Of course...the situation you describe is morally reprehensible...and illegal. One party in that contract is acting illegally. So I amend my remark...or rather condotionalize it. A debt incurred where both parties are acting legally and neither are under duress.
It’s the world we live in. Laws are unfair. The ruling class rigged the laws to indenture people. Property has more rights than individuals. Both political parties in America are corrupted, they desire power more than anything else and lie to keep it.