Anti-Debt Heroes – The Debt Collective
The Debt Collective first formed in 2012 as part of the Occupy Wall Street movement.
Early members wrote the Debt Resisters’ Operations Manual , and launched the Rolling Jubilee, a mechanism for purchasing portfolios of people’s debt on secondary debt markets — and cancelling it.
In 2015, the Collective organized the nation’s first student debt strike, against Corinthian Colleges, a predatory for-profit college chain. (Note: The Education Department eventually deployed its existing legal powers to wipe out$5.8 billion in debt held by 560,000 students of Corinthian Colleges.)
The Debt Collective team today is a mix of staff, volunteers, and advisors that coordinate nationally to advance their work. There are numerous local branches, primarily run by members.
What is their basic message?
Debt is the cost we all pay for not having public, democratic, reparative social programs to begin with.
Medical debt doesn’t exist in countries with nationalized healthcare systems, and student debt is unheard of where public college is free.
For the past few decades, accumulating more and more debt has been the only solution to the impossible bind of low wages and lack of social services.
Instead of taxing rich people and corporations, we borrow from them, paying them interest for the privilege. What should be publicly financed goods are turned into individual debt obligations.
Most Americans have no choice but to borrow money to go to college; to visit a doctor; to stave off eviction notices; to bail out a loved one from prison; to keep a car that might also be our means to a job ; to pay the cost of detox treatment for someone gripped with addiction.
Tens of millions of both middle- and lower-income households – essentially, the bottom 60 percent – have essentially no net worth and high levels of debt. And much of that debt is for purchases of goods and services from companies owned largely by the top 10 percent.
The Debt Collective admits they have a difficult task. It is very hard to organize debtors…..for most of us, debt feels punishing, shameful, and isolating; debt is endured painfully and alone.
The Collective encourages people to escape the trap of the individual debtor — and see themselves instead as part of a broader class.
The point of their organizing isn’t to produce a one-person protest; it is to turn all the little wavelets into a collective tide. Their emphasis is on the solidarity side of debt relief, not just the charitable side. The Debt Collective are true Anti-Debt heroes.
You can join a working group at the Debt Collective, or get help in disputing your debt, or just get their latest news by contacting their web site at https://debtcollective.org/.
I like the efforts you have put in this, thanks for all the great posts .
You created some decent points there. I looked online for any problem and discovered most individuals go in conjunction with together with your internet site.
Hiya, I am really glad I have found this information. Today bloggers publish only about gossips and web and this is actually irritating. A good blog with interesting content, that’s what I need. Thanks for keeping this web site, I’ll be visiting it. Do you do newsletters? Cant find it.
I precisely desired to say thanks again. I am not sure what I could possibly have tried in the absence of those ideas contributed by you relating to such a topic. It had become a distressing condition in my view, however , being able to view the well-written tactic you processed it made me to weep over joy. Extremely grateful for your guidance and believe you realize what an amazing job you’re doing instructing others with the aid of a web site. Most likely you haven’t come across any of us.
some truly interesting details you have written.
Hi there, I must say that Tales from abroad » Blog Archive » Rafting is a extremely excellent place to slack from function I really really like your blog and I’ve already bookmarked it. Make sure you, maintain it up to date much more often. Thank you!
Hello! I merely would choose to make a enormous thumbs up for that excellent information you may have here for this post. I’ll be returning to your blog for much more soon.
The next time I learn a weblog, I hope that it doesnt disappoint me as much as this one. I mean, I do know it was my choice to read, however I actually thought youd have something attention-grabbing to say. All I hear is a bunch of whining about something that you could fix for those who werent too busy in search of attention.
From now on, it could be a swell idea to make up with a additional entry to this. Many people want to look at this and will wait for it.
I got what you intend,bookmarked , very nice internet site .
I’m not that much of a online reader to be honest but your blogs really nice, keep it up! I’ll go ahead and bookmark your site to come back later. Cheers
hi and thanks for the blog post i have been on the lookout for this specific information on-line for sum time now therefore appreciate it
Thanks a ton for finding the time to line all of this out for us. This kind of posting has been quite helpful if you ask me.
Hello! I just would like to give an enormous thumbs up for the great data you have here on this post. I will probably be coming again to your blog for extra soon.
This is a terrific article. Thanks a lot for taking the time to detail this all out for us. It truly is a great guide!