, 8 tweets, 4 min read Read on Twitter
This was hard to read bc it could be about my parents (& maybe yours). There is an elderly bankruptcy crisis in America. Neoliberal policies destroyed unions, pensions & benefits, & inundate us with deceptively cheap credit. Families are now pools of intergenerational debt. 1/
The tragedy, and utter depravity of our society, is in the details. I used to think of astronomical student loan debt as a “millennials” issue: but these loans are increasingly co-signed by grandparents. #CancelStudentDebt would liberate students & seniors alike 2/
Of course, soaring medical bills are a major source of debt. Seniors have to choose between paying off a surgery, paying rent, and eating dinner. This man, on kidney dialysis, wasn’t granted a *two week* extension to get together a $335 fee in order to file bankruptcy 3/
Maybe $335 doesn’t sound like a lot of money to you. But, in the richest country on earth, 40% of Americans couldn’t pay an unexpected $400 sum without resorting to credit cards, payday loans, pawnshops, or a loan from friends or family. 4/
Utility bills are another expense that pushes seniors into bankruptcy — after they’ve suffered the health consequences of foregoing heat or cooking gas. This is, btw, another reason we need a #GreenNewDeal to confront the power of private utilities & make energy a public good 5/
The debt crisis exposes how the injustices of neoliberalism are all connected and compounding. Debt, like the climate crisis, both oppresses us now & denies hope for a future. Our demands must completely reimagine society, & then build the political power we need to build it. 6/
p.s. To understand the connections between debt, family, and neoliberal capitalism, listen to Melinda Cooper on @thedigradio thedig.blubrry.net/podcast/family…
also @its_mccarthy curious what you thought of this / up your alley
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