<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0"
	xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
	xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
	xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
	>
<channel>
	<title>Comments on: Thinking the Unthinkable: A Debt Write Down, and Jubilee Year Clean Slate</title>
	<atom:link href="http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/09/thinking-the-unthinkable-a-debt-write-down-and-jubilee-year-clean-slate/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/09/thinking-the-unthinkable-a-debt-write-down-and-jubilee-year-clean-slate/</link>
	<description>a radical newsletter in the struggle for peace and social justice</description>
	<pubDate>Thu, 08 Jan 2009 17:48:27 +0000</pubDate>
	<generator>http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5</generator>
		<item>
		<title>By: AaronG</title>
		<link>http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/09/thinking-the-unthinkable-a-debt-write-down-and-jubilee-year-clean-slate/#comment-28998</link>
		<dc:creator>AaronG</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 29 Sep 2008 04:20:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.dissidentvoice.org/?p=3344#comment-28998</guid>
		<description>Good article Michael

You were rightly complaining about your advice being ignored for decades. Imagine how frustrated the Provider of the following advice must feel about us lemmings on earth at the moment, not having a clue about what we're doing:

"You must not give him your money on interest, and you must not give your food out on usury" Leviticus 25:37

It's fair to say that we've ignored this advice. So what? Bankers act with impunity, there are no consequences, no one's watching me gamble with your money. Is that so?:

"Do not be misled: God is not one to be mocked. For whatever a man is sowing, this he will also reap" Galatians 6:7.

Maybe not today, maybe not even tomorrow, but EVENTUALLY it's harvest time for the pokie players..................</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Good article Michael</p>
<p>You were rightly complaining about your advice being ignored for decades. Imagine how frustrated the Provider of the following advice must feel about us lemmings on earth at the moment, not having a clue about what we&#8217;re doing:</p>
<p>&#8220;You must not give him your money on interest, and you must not give your food out on usury&#8221; Leviticus 25:37</p>
<p>It&#8217;s fair to say that we&#8217;ve ignored this advice. So what? Bankers act with impunity, there are no consequences, no one&#8217;s watching me gamble with your money. Is that so?:</p>
<p>&#8220;Do not be misled: God is not one to be mocked. For whatever a man is sowing, this he will also reap&#8221; Galatians 6:7.</p>
<p>Maybe not today, maybe not even tomorrow, but EVENTUALLY it&#8217;s harvest time for the pokie players&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;</p>
]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>By: lichen</title>
		<link>http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/09/thinking-the-unthinkable-a-debt-write-down-and-jubilee-year-clean-slate/#comment-28947</link>
		<dc:creator>lichen</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 28 Sep 2008 02:43:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.dissidentvoice.org/?p=3344#comment-28947</guid>
		<description>Economic justice and basic standards of living cannot be separated from the environment; they can only come together, not separately.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Economic justice and basic standards of living cannot be separated from the environment; they can only come together, not separately.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>By: Gliscameria</title>
		<link>http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/09/thinking-the-unthinkable-a-debt-write-down-and-jubilee-year-clean-slate/#comment-28897</link>
		<dc:creator>Gliscameria</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 26 Sep 2008 18:22:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.dissidentvoice.org/?p=3344#comment-28897</guid>
		<description>DH.

This is the WRONG article to be posting this in.

We are talking about what could be people startving within a year.  This economic meltdown is most important right now.  It is 100% real and will affect us in a short time.

The environment will always take back stage to people holding a basic standard of living.  When the dollar tanks and a Prius costs 5 times as much as a Ford, lets see who support drilling.

This carbon guilt is little more than a tax on everything we do, and it hits the working class the hardest.  This is the last thing we need to worry about right now.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>DH.</p>
<p>This is the WRONG article to be posting this in.</p>
<p>We are talking about what could be people startving within a year.  This economic meltdown is most important right now.  It is 100% real and will affect us in a short time.</p>
<p>The environment will always take back stage to people holding a basic standard of living.  When the dollar tanks and a Prius costs 5 times as much as a Ford, lets see who support drilling.</p>
<p>This carbon guilt is little more than a tax on everything we do, and it hits the working class the hardest.  This is the last thing we need to worry about right now.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>By: Donald Hawkins</title>
		<link>http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/09/thinking-the-unthinkable-a-debt-write-down-and-jubilee-year-clean-slate/#comment-28891</link>
		<dc:creator>Donald Hawkins</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 26 Sep 2008 16:57:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.dissidentvoice.org/?p=3344#comment-28891</guid>
		<description>WASHINGTON (AP) — The world pumped up its pollution of the chief man-made global warming gas last year, setting a course that could push beyond leading scientists' projected worst-case scenario, international researchers said Thursday.

The new numbers, called "scary" by some, were a surprise because scientists thought an economic downturn would slow energy use. Instead, carbon dioxide output jumped 3 percent from 2006 to 2007.

That's an amount that exceeds the most dire outlook for emissions from burning coal and oil and related activities as projected by a Nobel Prize-winning group of international scientists in 2007.

Meanwhile, forests and oceans, which suck up carbon dioxide, are doing so at lower rates than in the 20th century, scientists said. If those trends continue, it puts the world on track for the highest predicted rises in temperature and sea level.



     The train has left the station and not to far ahead where there was a bridge no more.  Still time and a very good idea is to stop the train get off and start walking.  Walking is good for many things.  It's good for you and you can see things better.  Wild and crazy idea?  Wild yes but to stay on the train is the crazy part.  What you just read and I am sure most policy makers Worldwide also read as they sort of keep on this kind of stuff and do you see World summit because of it, no.  They have bigger problems right now making sure the money that is left goes to the right place and the economy a bigger problem than the survival of the human race and that would be my point exactly.  Still time if we start now.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>WASHINGTON (AP) — The world pumped up its pollution of the chief man-made global warming gas last year, setting a course that could push beyond leading scientists&#8217; projected worst-case scenario, international researchers said Thursday.</p>
<p>The new numbers, called &#8220;scary&#8221; by some, were a surprise because scientists thought an economic downturn would slow energy use. Instead, carbon dioxide output jumped 3 percent from 2006 to 2007.</p>
<p>That&#8217;s an amount that exceeds the most dire outlook for emissions from burning coal and oil and related activities as projected by a Nobel Prize-winning group of international scientists in 2007.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, forests and oceans, which suck up carbon dioxide, are doing so at lower rates than in the 20th century, scientists said. If those trends continue, it puts the world on track for the highest predicted rises in temperature and sea level.</p>
<p>     The train has left the station and not to far ahead where there was a bridge no more.  Still time and a very good idea is to stop the train get off and start walking.  Walking is good for many things.  It&#8217;s good for you and you can see things better.  Wild and crazy idea?  Wild yes but to stay on the train is the crazy part.  What you just read and I am sure most policy makers Worldwide also read as they sort of keep on this kind of stuff and do you see World summit because of it, no.  They have bigger problems right now making sure the money that is left goes to the right place and the economy a bigger problem than the survival of the human race and that would be my point exactly.  Still time if we start now.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>By: cemmcs</title>
		<link>http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/09/thinking-the-unthinkable-a-debt-write-down-and-jubilee-year-clean-slate/#comment-28889</link>
		<dc:creator>cemmcs</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 26 Sep 2008 16:10:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.dissidentvoice.org/?p=3344#comment-28889</guid>
		<description>Thanks, HR.  

It's nice to know I have something to look forward to other than counting my money.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Thanks, HR.  </p>
<p>It&#8217;s nice to know I have something to look forward to other than counting my money.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>By: HR</title>
		<link>http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/09/thinking-the-unthinkable-a-debt-write-down-and-jubilee-year-clean-slate/#comment-28868</link>
		<dc:creator>HR</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 26 Sep 2008 01:45:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.dissidentvoice.org/?p=3344#comment-28868</guid>
		<description>Don't believe everything you read.  I'm pushing 60 and sex is as good as ever.  Those enlargement and "disfunction" commercials that feature people much younger are such a joke ... or maybe they're all stock brokers, or just plain old yuppies.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Don&#8217;t believe everything you read.  I&#8217;m pushing 60 and sex is as good as ever.  Those enlargement and &#8220;disfunction&#8221; commercials that feature people much younger are such a joke &#8230; or maybe they&#8217;re all stock brokers, or just plain old yuppies.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>By: Donald Hawkins</title>
		<link>http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/09/thinking-the-unthinkable-a-debt-write-down-and-jubilee-year-clean-slate/#comment-28856</link>
		<dc:creator>Donald Hawkins</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 25 Sep 2008 22:10:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.dissidentvoice.org/?p=3344#comment-28856</guid>
		<description>It is true people are afraid of the unknown they shouldn't be they should be afraid of the known the World we see today.  Stupid is the answer and that's to bad because there is much knowledge in the World.  A lie is used instead of the truth because you can make a lie anything you want.  The truth is what it is.  This economic crisis is the same old stupidity, fear and greed and has reached a crossroads level like many things we see today.  Any hard choices so far on any of this, no.  To much work, yes and of course the dreamland many live in play's tricks with there mind.  Right this second there are people sitting in the White House playing tricks with there mind and then yours that is if you let them don't let them and Deadbeat that's one way.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It is true people are afraid of the unknown they shouldn&#8217;t be they should be afraid of the known the World we see today.  Stupid is the answer and that&#8217;s to bad because there is much knowledge in the World.  A lie is used instead of the truth because you can make a lie anything you want.  The truth is what it is.  This economic crisis is the same old stupidity, fear and greed and has reached a crossroads level like many things we see today.  Any hard choices so far on any of this, no.  To much work, yes and of course the dreamland many live in play&#8217;s tricks with there mind.  Right this second there are people sitting in the White House playing tricks with there mind and then yours that is if you let them don&#8217;t let them and Deadbeat that&#8217;s one way.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>By: Deadbeat</title>
		<link>http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/09/thinking-the-unthinkable-a-debt-write-down-and-jubilee-year-clean-slate/#comment-28850</link>
		<dc:creator>Deadbeat</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 25 Sep 2008 20:55:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.dissidentvoice.org/?p=3344#comment-28850</guid>
		<description>The issue is not saving the mortgage holders because these investment bankers floated securities to bet against the mortgage holders. They want the mortgage holders to default.  Yet they also want to retain inflated asset prices -- that is where the government comes in to retain the inflated assets and to encourage a new crop of workers to buy homes at inflated prices.  

You even see the parade of rich folks on TV like Donald Trump on Larry King telling people that this is a great time to buy homes.  The barrage of advertising and especially geared toward young couples  with kids who want that "American Dream" for their families.  They'll pay 1/2 the paycheck for a house in a "good" neighborhood.

The problem is that banking is &lt;i&gt;privatized&lt;/i&gt;.  There is ABSOLUTELY no need for private banking.  Banking is a social good and it should be treated as a social good.  This bullshit that these bankers "deserve" their high pay and status is all bullshit.

The people need to become Deadbeats and go on a debtors strike.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The issue is not saving the mortgage holders because these investment bankers floated securities to bet against the mortgage holders. They want the mortgage holders to default.  Yet they also want to retain inflated asset prices &#8212; that is where the government comes in to retain the inflated assets and to encourage a new crop of workers to buy homes at inflated prices.  </p>
<p>You even see the parade of rich folks on TV like Donald Trump on Larry King telling people that this is a great time to buy homes.  The barrage of advertising and especially geared toward young couples  with kids who want that &#8220;American Dream&#8221; for their families.  They&#8217;ll pay 1/2 the paycheck for a house in a &#8220;good&#8221; neighborhood.</p>
<p>The problem is that banking is <i>privatized</i>.  There is ABSOLUTELY no need for private banking.  Banking is a social good and it should be treated as a social good.  This bullshit that these bankers &#8220;deserve&#8221; their high pay and status is all bullshit.</p>
<p>The people need to become Deadbeats and go on a debtors strike.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>By: Gliscameria</title>
		<link>http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/09/thinking-the-unthinkable-a-debt-write-down-and-jubilee-year-clean-slate/#comment-28846</link>
		<dc:creator>Gliscameria</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 25 Sep 2008 20:08:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.dissidentvoice.org/?p=3344#comment-28846</guid>
		<description>What would happen if we took some money and evened up upside down mortgages?  Basically write down all mortgages to an honestly assessed value if they are upside down.  Also, use some of that money to ensure a given fixed interest rate.  This way no one is upside down on a mortgage, so they won't walk away, and if the rate is fixed people will know that they can afford payments.

You could recoup some money by selling forclosures at an honest value too, instead of what is owed.  The forclosures in my neighborhood are deflating the prices something fierce.  There's a high demand for housing in the city, but people are waiting for that magic forclosure...

I'm not an economist, but this sounds like a solid way to fix the real-estate market, and to increase the value of the MBSs.  If the MBSs and CDSs go up in value the banks should have more money to lend, and with buyer being insured that they are paying an true value and will have a fixed payment they'll be more likely to buy. Tax payer dollars going directly to help tax payers... it's too simple.

The fact that people are defaulting on the mortgages is the problem... so spend the money to help them NOT DEFAULT/rant/ instead of piping the money throug a bunch of tubes.  The government loves middlemen.  trickledown economics, this bailout...  They find as many middle men as possible so that the absolute minimum gets to the tax payers...Youre the godamn government, do something directly!!! /end rant/

Can some moey savy individual tell me the error in my logic?</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>What would happen if we took some money and evened up upside down mortgages?  Basically write down all mortgages to an honestly assessed value if they are upside down.  Also, use some of that money to ensure a given fixed interest rate.  This way no one is upside down on a mortgage, so they won&#8217;t walk away, and if the rate is fixed people will know that they can afford payments.</p>
<p>You could recoup some money by selling forclosures at an honest value too, instead of what is owed.  The forclosures in my neighborhood are deflating the prices something fierce.  There&#8217;s a high demand for housing in the city, but people are waiting for that magic forclosure&#8230;</p>
<p>I&#8217;m not an economist, but this sounds like a solid way to fix the real-estate market, and to increase the value of the MBSs.  If the MBSs and CDSs go up in value the banks should have more money to lend, and with buyer being insured that they are paying an true value and will have a fixed payment they&#8217;ll be more likely to buy. Tax payer dollars going directly to help tax payers&#8230; it&#8217;s too simple.</p>
<p>The fact that people are defaulting on the mortgages is the problem&#8230; so spend the money to help them NOT DEFAULT/rant/ instead of piping the money throug a bunch of tubes.  The government loves middlemen.  trickledown economics, this bailout&#8230;  They find as many middle men as possible so that the absolute minimum gets to the tax payers&#8230;Youre the godamn government, do something directly!!! /end rant/</p>
<p>Can some moey savy individual tell me the error in my logic?</p>
]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>By: HR</title>
		<link>http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/09/thinking-the-unthinkable-a-debt-write-down-and-jubilee-year-clean-slate/#comment-28842</link>
		<dc:creator>HR</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 25 Sep 2008 19:40:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.dissidentvoice.org/?p=3344#comment-28842</guid>
		<description>Editor, suggest you read both versions yourself.  There are rearrangements and removals.  I've got a house to paint before it starts getting cold here on the high plains!</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Editor, suggest you read both versions yourself.  There are rearrangements and removals.  I&#8217;ve got a house to paint before it starts getting cold here on the high plains!</p>
]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>By: Sunil Sharma</title>
		<link>http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/09/thinking-the-unthinkable-a-debt-write-down-and-jubilee-year-clean-slate/#comment-28839</link>
		<dc:creator>Sunil Sharma</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 25 Sep 2008 18:59:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.dissidentvoice.org/?p=3344#comment-28839</guid>
		<description>HR: We posted the version that Mr. Hudson sent us last night. He probably sent a slightly different version to CounterPunch for whatever reason. Only editing we did is to clean up typos, etc. Can you let me know what's missing? editor@dissidentvoice.org

Thanks,

-- Sunil</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>HR: We posted the version that Mr. Hudson sent us last night. He probably sent a slightly different version to CounterPunch for whatever reason. Only editing we did is to clean up typos, etc. Can you let me know what&#8217;s missing? <a href="mailto:&#x65;&#x64;&#x69;&#x74;&#x6f;&#x72;&#x40;&#x64;&#x69;&#x73;&#x73;&#x69;&#x64;&#x65;&#x6e;&#x74;&#x76;&#x6f;&#x69;&#x63;&#x65;&#x2e;&#x6f;rg">&#x65;&#x64;&#x69;&#x74;&#x6f;&#x72;&#x40;&#x64;&#x69;&#x73;&#x73;&#x69;&#x64;&#x65;&#x6e;&#x74;&#x76;&#x6f;&#x69;&#x63;&#x65;&#x2e;&#x6f;rg</a></p>
<p>Thanks,</p>
<p>&#8211; Sunil</p>
]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>By: HR</title>
		<link>http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/09/thinking-the-unthinkable-a-debt-write-down-and-jubilee-year-clean-slate/#comment-28836</link>
		<dc:creator>HR</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 25 Sep 2008 18:50:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.dissidentvoice.org/?p=3344#comment-28836</guid>
		<description>Odd.  I guess you have to read the version of this article at the 09/25 Counterpunch as well as this one to get the full wording.  Weird editing going on somewhere ...</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Odd.  I guess you have to read the version of this article at the 09/25 Counterpunch as well as this one to get the full wording.  Weird editing going on somewhere &#8230;</p>
]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>By: HR</title>
		<link>http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/09/thinking-the-unthinkable-a-debt-write-down-and-jubilee-year-clean-slate/#comment-28832</link>
		<dc:creator>HR</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 25 Sep 2008 18:05:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.dissidentvoice.org/?p=3344#comment-28832</guid>
		<description>The wealthy have been working for a neofeudal, completely privatized state for decades, now.  We working-class folks will exist only to serve them ... and, judging by how we have voted over the last 40 years, we welcome that eventuality.  Though I dread it, I will not be surprised to hear "congress", which represents the wealthy, enact legislation to sell our public lands to pay the "debt" owed those who engineered this mess.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The wealthy have been working for a neofeudal, completely privatized state for decades, now.  We working-class folks will exist only to serve them &#8230; and, judging by how we have voted over the last 40 years, we welcome that eventuality.  Though I dread it, I will not be surprised to hear &#8220;congress&#8221;, which represents the wealthy, enact legislation to sell our public lands to pay the &#8220;debt&#8221; owed those who engineered this mess.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>By: cg</title>
		<link>http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/09/thinking-the-unthinkable-a-debt-write-down-and-jubilee-year-clean-slate/#comment-28831</link>
		<dc:creator>cg</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 25 Sep 2008 17:36:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.dissidentvoice.org/?p=3344#comment-28831</guid>
		<description>A society of cheaters and the cheated.
From the top on down.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>A society of cheaters and the cheated.<br />
From the top on down.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	<item>
		<title>By: Deadbeat</title>
		<link>http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/09/thinking-the-unthinkable-a-debt-write-down-and-jubilee-year-clean-slate/#comment-28830</link>
		<dc:creator>Deadbeat</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 25 Sep 2008 17:35:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.dissidentvoice.org/?p=3344#comment-28830</guid>
		<description>The "bailout" is a huge wealth transfer from the working class to the rich.  The U.S. is still going to maintain a huge military budget of $485 billion dollars -- greater than Cold War spending levels. 

No money for workers. 

A nation of serfs.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The &#8220;bailout&#8221; is a huge wealth transfer from the working class to the rich.  The U.S. is still going to maintain a huge military budget of $485 billion dollars &#8212; greater than Cold War spending levels. </p>
<p>No money for workers. </p>
<p>A nation of serfs.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
</channel>
</rss>
