"We were after all saving the world; and the banks were gonna go anyway, right? So what's the harm in defaulting on 5 or 6 thousand dollars, or, say, in not paying back your student loans, under these revolutionary circumstances?"
Factnet posting by "charltonrom," 04-29-2008, 09:23 PM
When I joined I had some work experience and a decent line of credit. I went in basically as a fanatic zealot. The first week in I remember hearing Nancy [Spannaus] on a conference call saying that the financial situation was beyond dire. New Fed [The New Federalist] was constantly on the edge of cessation. It was a serious problem, intoned Lyn; we were going to lose our preferred-postage license, and the members' irresponsible behavior and nonchalant fundraising were to blame. Anyway I was gung-ho and slowly started living off my CitiCard. It got to the point that I was in effect subsidizing the operations of the local, buying supplies and even food on the card.
Part of the sobering up, in addition to recognition of the dark teeth behind the mask, was realizing my time was finite at that clip: I'd have to default if the pace of plastic-enabled life continued much longer. For awhile I thought about it. We were after all saving the world; and the banks were gonna go anyway, right? So what's the harm in defaulting on 5 or 6 thousand dollars, or, say, in not paying back your student loans, under these revolutionary circumstances? I recall the hoots of laughter from the phone team when I floated the idea of the default.
I was on the way out already so ultimately it wasn't really much of a
choice. But all should consider these sorts of Machiavellian methods
wherein the ends are said to justify the means: it's OK if we default on
our student loans; don't pay back our creditors and live in
expressly-announced intent never to do so, as I heard members say; it's
OK to use fascist tactics like doctoring a photo to make Bush look
cross-eyed (EIR [Executive Intelligence Review] cover), comparing one's political enemies to animals, to
insects, calling them monkey-faced cretins (as Mike Billington did, to
Bush), using ad hominem attacks to whip up the troops. 'Cause it's all
for the greater good, you see.