Maxed Out (whoa! Wall of text!)

Aug 01, 2007 10:17

Y'know, I've seen a lot of scary movies in my time. Lotsa gory ones, too. Most recently, I've seen The Hills Have Eyes, Hostel, 300, Feast... very bloody films.

Yet, none of them have disturbed me as much as the documentary I watched last night.

Maxed Out is about predatory credit card companies and banks... and our ineffectual government that ( Read more... )

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Comments 17

namedphoenix August 1 2007, 17:48:00 UTC
I like the idea of having credit - like you said, for emergencies. And, recently, for big purchaces. I bought all new furniture (I'd been saving for it since January) and used my credit card to pay, but immediately paid the balance when I got home, after transferring the earmarked money from savings to checking.

My philosophy is yeah, the card makes it easy to buy things, but I never buy unless I have the money right that moment to pay for it. So "credit" is kind of lost on me. Since the idea is "oh, you're worth investing money in, so you go ahead and buy now and pay later." I don't like that. I started getting credit card offers in the mail before I was 18, I think! And my mom and dad just couldn't understand it. When my dad was 22, he came out to California, had to basically hitch the last bit in, and couldn't get a car, because no one would give him credit. And here they were throwing credit cards at me before I'd even graduated high school. It was unfair.

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xdissonance August 1 2007, 18:39:25 UTC
When my dad was 22, he came out to California, had to basically hitch the last bit in, and couldn't get a car, because no one would give him credit. And here they were throwing credit cards at me before I'd even graduated high school. It was unfair.

A story almost exactly like this was told in the documentary. It just goes to show how the credit card companies have gotten more crooked in their attempts to make money.

Makes one go, "hmmmmm...."

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foultip August 1 2007, 19:33:00 UTC
We'll keep having these problems and corruption of our elected officials if we keep voting the same people in instead of change.

Credit has it's useful place but unfortunately it can be too easy to abuse. America has to wake up and kick out the consumer mindset.

Do I sound like a liberal? I don't think I am....?

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xdissonance August 1 2007, 20:54:55 UTC
We'll keep having these problems and corruption of our elected officials if we keep voting the same people in instead of change.

Well, as the documentary kinda points out, it doesn't matter who gets voted in. The banking lobby has interests on both sides of the coin.

Do I sound like a liberal?

Nah. You're like me, a moderate. Though I readily admit I'm a fiscal conservative.

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foultip August 2 2007, 00:06:17 UTC
Well, as the documentary kinda points out, it doesn't matter who gets voted in. The banking lobby has interests on both sides of the coin.

Then we vote for parties or people who are not on either side of the coin. Yes, fellow Americans, that means we'll have to change and actually pay attention to what our gov't is doing.

I'm still all about term limits. Limit elected officials to two 4 year terms or one 6 year term and they step down after they're done. No more lifetime pensions either. Sounds good to me but it will never happen.

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raf37 August 2 2007, 13:25:26 UTC
Then we vote for parties or people who are not on either side of the coin. Yes, fellow Americans, that means we'll have to change and actually pay attention to what our gov't is doing.

Amen brutha.

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pejo August 1 2007, 22:38:28 UTC
Based solely on what I've heard about it (this post and Becky's), I find it hard to believe the writer/director wasn't just a wee bit influenced by Michael Moore. Concentrating on making Republicans look bad, but not painting Democrats as entirely innocent either, mainly portraying the government as vastly influenced by corporations/private interest more than public interest, emotionally manipulative, featuring predatory practices while downplaying personal responsibility, and yet with enough truth and insight to still be worth a viewing...

And about the government being bought out by the banking industry, I find that no more scary than the seemingly equally undue influence of the pharmaceutical, defense, manufacturing, etc. industries. It's awful, but... I dunno, I guess I'm suffering from outrage fatigue. *shrug* Though seeing that movie would probably renew it ( ... )

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xdissonance August 1 2007, 23:07:40 UTC
I find it hard to believe the writer/director wasn't just a wee bit influenced by Michael Moore.

I don't think you're far off the mark. :) This movie is easier to take than a Moore film (and it doesn't have the directors in front of the camera).

But I'm coming to realize that I'm vastly in the minority in this practice, which is why we have this movie and Dave Ramsey, and thank Aisha for them.

See, people like you or me or Becky or my brother *can* handle credit card debt. My attitude is that I don't want to be another person giving those companies money anymore, hence no CC for me. I don't want to be associated with them at all.

And funny you mention Dave Ramsey, as he figures prominently in the beginning and end of the film.

Overall, I liked the film, don't get me wrong... if/when you do see it, I think you'll approach it with the same frame of mind.

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pejo August 2 2007, 02:40:04 UTC
This movie is easier to take than a Moore film (and it doesn't have the directors in front of the camera).

Yeah, sounds more like The Corporation's or Jesus Camp's style, though the latter still had the same sort of narration aspect.

My attitude is that I don't want to be another person giving those companies money anymore, hence no CC for me. I don't want to be associated with them at all.

Damn fine point, and the most compelling one I've heard yet to make me consider giving up credit card use. I've stopped using them for most local/independent store purchases (when I remember) because I'd rather give them that money than have a cut go to MasterCard/whomever, but this takes it a step further.

P.S. A likeness of your icon was a recently updated Featured Picture at Wikipedia. *thumbs up*

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xdissonance August 2 2007, 13:39:54 UTC
I still have Jesus Camp in my Netflix queue! Morbidly curious about that movie.

Regarding MasterCard/Visa, I'm always going to be under their thumb thanks to the debit card system that allows my ATM card to also be used as a credit card. But I can at least NOT use Wells Fargo, MBNA, Citi, Capitol One, etc.

P.S. A likeness of your icon was a recently updated Featured Picture at Wikipedia.

Whee! Tesseracts. I like the icon, the way it moves, and of course, the word "tesseract" brings back one of my favorite childhood stories, L'Engel's "A Wrinkle in Time".

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trappedinabay August 2 2007, 20:45:59 UTC
Have you seen The Descent? Now that movie gave me the willies.

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xdissonance August 3 2007, 12:17:49 UTC
I did see it recently, but wasn't as impressed with it as I thought I'd be. Don't get me wrong, it was way better than that laughable "The Cave" movie that was released at the same time, but it was still lacking...something.

Also, it didn't help that I watched the extras on the DVD and saw a couple of the "creature guys" dancing the hokey pokey in front of a greenscreen. ;)

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Maxed out naiekara August 15 2007, 09:14:20 UTC
Hard to know which issue to tackle first...let's start with debt. I have made horrendous decisions regarding credit, the worst being a hire purchase - at 22% interest. This year, is my year for liberating myself from debt, and your entry just motivates me more.

And as for the government...I don't know if ours is any less effectual. I'd like to think not. However, I know that Food Industry Regulations are often adjusted at the requests of the corporates, usually to benefit the corporates. There is no reason to think that the banking industry couldn't have the same kind of influence.

I'll keep a watchful eye out for the movie here in Godzone.

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Re: Maxed out xdissonance August 15 2007, 17:40:15 UTC
I hope you can find a copy of the movie in New Zealand; I think you'll like it. If not, there's always the original book, which I'm sure is pretty readily available anywhere.

Going debt-free is really the way to go; glad to hear you're liberating yourself from it. :)

As for A Wrinkle in Time: It's *still* a fascinating book, even after all these years. However, I didn't care much for the 3 sequel books, which got increasingly convoluted. Maybe now that I'm older I should give them another try.

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