In Michigan, Debbie Stabenow voted with Bush and the Republicans to make bankruptcy much more difficult for the 1.5 million citizens pushed there every year. The credit card lobby is besides itself with glee. Carl Levin voted against Bush, by the way.
Read, "Your Money or Your Life," a recent Nation article that captures the setback well
http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20050221&s=frosch
Many people are forced into bankruptcy after a horrific medical crisis put them there, others after unemployment unsettled their security. Many of the medical crises, like cancer, are environmentally related, and so one can see this draconian measure as a double whammy for those casualties of capital and the Republicans.
I read the excellent Environmental Health Perspectives all the time, as well as the Ecology Center's excellent "Science for the People," formerly penned by one of Michigan's leading environmentalists Mary Beth Doyle (and I encourage everyone to read the EcoCenter's special edition commemorated to Mary Beth just out).
In sources like these, we learn about the etiological connections to many of our diseases and illnesses. But because there is rarely a smoking gun linkage between a given cancer and given exposure (what the sociologists call "etiological uncertainty") big business gets away with. . .well, you fill in the blank.
Now for those who face possible death from medical illnesses (many induced by pollution and bad social policy), there is a new dread. . .being in permanent debt to the credit card companies, unable to renew one's life with a fresh start. . .
So much for compassionate conservatism. . .sounds more like proto-fascism. . .for an excellent discussion of Neoliberalism as proto-fascism, read my friend Henry Giroux's excellent book, The Terror of Neoliberalism (2004).
Brian
In a message dated 3/11/05 10:30:25 AM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
Lets say under this new social fascist law one gets on the track they have that you have to pay $100 / month for the rest of your life ( I gotta lawfact check that ) What happens if you miss a payment ? They take more of your $$$ ? You don't have any money .
Next social fascist bill: reintroduce debtors' prison.
Charles
