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Very much so! David Graeber's Debt, the First 5000 Years deals a lot with how the language of debt and morality are intertwined, and what the consequences of th
by NoGravitas 11y ago
Very much so! David Graeber's Debt, the First 5000 Years deals a lot with how the language of debt and morality are intertwined, and what the consequences of that are, especially when different peoples' debts aren't treated the same way. There's a really good summary at Two Friars and a Fool: http://twofriarsandafool.com/2013/09/debt-on-the-experience-of-moral-confusion/ http://twofriarsandafool.com/2013/09/debt-on-the-experience-...
- rsync 11y agoI have read "Debt.." twice and really enjoy and appreciate it. However, even as I approach his summary and final chapter with an open mind, I remain unconvinced that monetary debt and financial contracts can be divorced so easily from personal morality (or reputation or "face" or whatever). Certainly there is some nuance to explore here when an entity or group of entities manufactures desires and then provides easy credit for those desires at bad terms and then uses morality as a strong-arm to enforce that debt. However, to whatever degree you cry foul to that exploitation is also the degree to which you admit your own gullibility or vulnerability to manipulation. You can't have it both ways and righteously walk away from your debts AND maintain the posture of someone who can't easily be duped.
- pdkl95 11y agohttp://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b054zdp6/episodes/guide http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b054zdp6/episodes/guide BBC radio ran a short series where David Graeber himself explains his (very insightful) theories about debt.