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Forum Post: The root of evil

Posted 12 years ago on Dec. 7, 2011, 12:03 p.m. EST by sonofabanker (1)
This content is user submitted and not an official statement

The evil nature of usury (aka interest).

It is not surprising that up until the last century usury was looked down upon as something immoral and disruptive to the society (http://www.alastairmcintosh.com/articles/1998_usury.htm). The three monotheistic religions - Christianity, Judaism, and Islam all condemn usury. Only when the European royalty have started wasting money left and right and going bankrupt did the "usurers" get their titles and have grown from the despised cast into who they are today - the white collar elite.

The past decade has shown what the usury is really all about. The economy based on usury can not be sustained, however, in their corporate greed, the 1% don't understand that it will take them down as well.

Here is why usury is evil.

Usury discourages saving and encourages consumerism - expensive things are just few dollars a month. The outcome is that people spend beyond their capacity and end up with debt on their neck that can drag throughout their life. The usury via compound interest makes it almost impossible to pay off the debt, which enslaves people to the lenders.

The consumerism born out of usury also makes the prices go up due to the increased demand. As a result the economy based on the interest makes it impossible for people to obtain any goods or services (housing and education are prime examples) without borrowing money.

The debt slavery produces economic disparity which pushes the middle class down and the upper class up, giving it power over the government and the rest of the people.

The link is clear: usury -> poverty -> disparity -> government takeover by elite

If OWS movement can demand one thing IMHO it should be that the government once again ban the interest. While hard to imagine, given the "global" nature of the economy, it is still not impossible if WE the people want it.

10 Comments

10 Comments


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[-] 4 points by nucleus (3291) 12 years ago

This is the very reason that Islam is the enemy of "Democracy" (the code word for capitalism).

"Sharia prohibits the fixed or floating payment or acceptance of specific interest or fees (known as Riba or usury) for loans of money. Investing in businesses that provide goods or services considered contrary to Islamic principles is also Haraam (forbidden)."

Islamic banking

[-] 1 points by whisper (212) 12 years ago

Why do people spend more than they can afford?

[-] 1 points by bensdad (8977) 12 years ago

why should I lend you money if I can invest in something.
interest is not evil
if you need to pick an evil -
it is the natural human nature of GREED
but you can't legislate away GREED
but if you elect HONEST people, they can regulate it [Glass-Steagall]

[-] 1 points by stuartchase (861) 12 years ago

No, this is the root of evil.

http://occupywallst.org/forum/make-a-stand-join-the-clan/

The Revolution starts here!

[-] 1 points by ithink (761) from York, PA 12 years ago

I completely agree. I would like to see interest free loans on all necessary large ticket items. Homes, automobiles, and education. This is not socialism. It is practical and ethical. It makes sense and it is a fair way to distribute some of the wealth. People would still be encouraged to work hard and pay off their debt for the actual amount they borrowed. And they might even be able to attain this lofty goal before they die.

[-] 1 points by MVSN (768) from Stockton, CA 12 years ago

Who will supply the loans?

[-] 1 points by ithink (761) from York, PA 12 years ago

The fed pulled 7 trillion dollars out of nowhere to loan banks at virtually no interest.. why can't they do the same for us?

[Deleted]

[-] 1 points by sonofabanker (1) 12 years ago

Fees charges by the so-called islamic banks are as much of a scam as anything else banks do... The only real interest free model that I have seen is the one based on communal investments.

[-] 1 points by simplesimon (121) 12 years ago

True! So the only answer is to live on a commune like the jungle people in the Amazon Forest and run away from yourself when you see a mirror. Maybe some these people around here do the last part right now.

[-] 0 points by kingscrossection (1203) 12 years ago

No the reason those religions are against them is because in them you should help your neighbor and all that jazz. Interest is not wrong. If it is so obvious then people would not buy things that would put them outside of their income.