Posted by
CyberMom on Wednesday, March 18, 2009 1:14:00 PM
The answer starts at the bottom end - with the people. No - not the work ethics or morality (although, that plays a HUGE part in it - and I 100% blame.. TOTALLY hold accountable, the media for setting the trends, status symbols and selfish standards that govern our world today). What governs our lives at the bottom end, through governmental injection into our daily lives, controlled by Capitalist demands on Democracy -
Equifax, Transunion, Experian, Check Systems, CLUE, et. al.
Ooohh... I'm just a person with bad credit who's complaining, right? No need for you to read on, right? So go - go away. Stop reading - now! I mean it! You'll just be poisoned by some whiner like me, won't you? What's that... you are at least 'interested' in what I have to say? Could that have something to do with the fact that the totalitarian authority of agencies like the ones I listed above, concern you, too? Even, if only, on an unconscious level? The truth is - that's why, you're still reading. Not because you're whining about a credit score (heck, maybe you're one of the lucky few with a HUGELY AWESOME credit score); but because you have come to understand that certain agencies, supposedly 'not' in governmental control, have had laws passed, without the vote of the people, allowing these agencies to govern our everyday lives. How is that possible? How can it be that private enterprise was allowed to take hold of our lives? These reports are used to not only control our eligibility for obtaining loans, but rental contracts, employment opportunities, car insurance, military eligibility, legal representation and a myriad of other, daily elements of our lives are CONTROLLED, by what's on the reports kept by these agencies.
Worse - it's already a well known and somehow, ACCEPTED, fact of life that the majority of these agencies have WRONG information, and it costs us, dearly! It's already an ACCEPTED fact, that we live in such FEAR of identity theft, and how it will affect our CREDIT scores, that a whole new industry, profitting from us and taking our hard earned money, is designed to keep bad guys from getting bad things on our credit reports. But wait.... here's the REAL KICK IN THE BUTTOCKS: It's the crediting companies, that have given good people such BAD scores that they can't qualify for loans, or to shop or to live... that has FORCED the identity theft industry!!!!!
Hold on!!??? Wait a second? Let me get this straight.... the CAR MECHANIC, supposedly, who was given the total control over OUR vehicle, at OUR cost, has intentionally yanked out the spark plugs so the car won't work, so that he can charge US MORE MONEY, to fix the car?
Yup, that's what it is. Try complaining.. go ahead. Did it work? Haven't tried yet... I'll wait. Any luck? Nope. Don't worry - I already knew you wouldn't get anywhere. You see, the authority by which these agencies have been given control, is through Capitalists urging Congress to forcibly pass bills, without our being aware these bills were even on the table, and then allowing the Capitalists to run wild with it. ....... This has been another fine example of Democracy in its most corrupted and polluted form... brought to you by... your Political representatives, who YOU voted in and trusted... living to make your life (well.. actually THEIRS'), a better place.
But, it doesn't stop there. The 'credit' scoring method (which I won't try to explain in here since it's so dang convoluted, corrupted and based, primarily, upon the rich vs. the wealthy.. but I digress.. go look it up for yourselves), not only governs our loans, it tells landlords who is 'rent' worthy and who is a 'risk.' It tells mortgage lenders who to trust and not trust. No - not YOU, not YOUR character, YOUR personality, YOUR dedication to having a better life - YOUR money is what defines you. And, not by how much you have.. make no mistake.. by how much you spend, how much interest you're willing to incur, how quickly/well you pay it back, and thusly - how much money THEY will make off of you. Yes... that is the ACTUAL definition of revolving credit (in my humble opinion only). If you have TONS of credit.. you're a risk 'cause you might go out and spend it and incur more debt than you can pay. If you have NO credit, you're a risk because nobody knows how you'll spend your money. If you have too much debt, you're a risk because you may not be able to pay it all back. If you have an equal amount of debts, spending and expenses and an equal amount of credit.. then... you're okay. Hey - you're a GREAT person! Because each debt you have is interest that someone is making off of you!! Lenders think that's awesome - being able to determine who's eligible based upon who will profit them the most.... neat, huh?!!!
We do NOT live in a society where cash means anything. Why do you think this identity crisis thing is out of control? Because it really is? Yeah right - just look at the news and what they're telling you is happening - and maybe you'll see between the lines.. maybe not. But, they WANT you off of cash. They WANT you in a bank. But, be warned... if you screw up... even once... even slightly... you WILL suffer. Your employer can look at your credit report... and determine if you're a thief or unreliable. Car rental companies look at your credit report to determine if the 4 hour car you want to rent, that you pay for the insurance on, that you paid for in full, is a worthwhile 'risk' to them. Car insurance companies judge whether or not you're a safe driver by what your credit report says. No - NOT you. NOT your DRIVING record! Heaven forbid that we judge people's driving based on their driving records!!! It's all about the money. The cash. The dough. The greenbacks. The almighty, all powerful, uncontained.... AMERICAN CURRENCY!
Without it - you're nothing. Got TONS of money in the banks and are extremely wealthy? Doesn't matter.. what does your credit report say? (thus.. the fear instilled in you about identity theft... ooooo.... guess what?.... all your money means NOTHING). What about courts or law? They look at your credit reports... so do the police. Maybe Joe Blow down the street stole your credit card, or you dropped it and they picked it up and used it... and now YOU'RE responsible. No... NOT the money.. don't be SILLY! You can PROVE you were off on your yacht, sailing the world, not in Nevada, buying up millions in property. But - the law will still hold you responsible - because it WILL stay on your credit report. In England, the child pornography sting that sent hundreds of people to jail, included a report from the AMERICAN FBI, about credit card purchases for the unlawful materials... that were STOLEN cards. And out of the hundreds who were in danger or who went to jail, that didn't know what to do - DOZENS!! killed themselves. But, hey.. that's England, right?
In America... the land of the free and the home of the brave, where individuals were captured and placed in jail and tried in courts for purchasing child pornography with their credit cards (why? Because.. the FBI created a "crisis" and passed another law, without WE the people... and continues to use the media to make us believe we are being attacked on our own soil - playing on our fears an issue that is NOT out of control - bad, and must be dealt with - but in a legal and controlled way - not the way it is now), were later determined to be INNOCENT because their identities were stolen with their credit cards!! Unfortunately, that didn't matter for many, because the marks were on their credit scores and they had permanent arrest records/rap sheepts - and killed themselves. Go read about Mr. America, the U.S. Marine who served ALL OF US with DUTY and HONOR and COURAGE, who put a gun to his head during Mardi Gras because of the same, identical situation of identity theft I just described. Yeah - that's justice for you. He defended you - kept YOU and YOUR children safe, STOPPED terrorism, and had to go out with a gun to his OWN head, leaving behind those HE loved and would never get to see again because YOU people (well, some of you) are TOO ignorant to do something or say something about this. (sorry for the tangent - but HAD to be said)
What does it all mean? It's the credit bureaus that put us on alert for the use of credit cards. It's the credit bureaus that act WITHOUT regulation and can put false information on our reports and destroy our lives, that answer to the IRS EVERY TIME they SCREW UP (and they DO - ALOT!!!!!!!!!! AND WE PAY FOR IT!!!), that is our unConstitutionally, unDemocratically, accepted standard for judging us as people, that CAUSED this in the FIRST PLACE! It's the capitalists that are banking off of this system that are laughing at us in these hard, economic times. And, WHY, can't the economy be repaired?
The banks were told: here's the money - go lend. And they said, okay! All better, right? Homes saved. Jobs kept. Businesses still running, right? Nope. All gone. Why? BECAUSE - the credit bureaus, check systems, even CLUE, all have us - without our knowledge, our permission, our signing off on anything - without our being informed - EVER - in THEIR systems. And, if we DON'T meet the credit scoring standards - we DON'T get the financial help. So, what did the banks do with it all?
HAHAHAHA - they POCKETED it! And, thusly, they needed MORE MONEY to bail them out! AIG - TONS of money, right? All gone in corporate loans? Nope - it's in their banks to spend and play with, because they agreed to hand out insurance to everyone... WHO QUALIFIES. Have you NOT read the stories.. the TENS OF THOUSANDS... not hundreds...not thousands... TENS OF THOUSANDS of stories, in the past 5 YEARS ALONE (that's 4000+ stories every year for those of you keeping score), of people who thought they were doing great, went for their loans, went to refinance, went to get a mortgage, went out to do business as usual, but found themselves suddenly at the losing end of the battle because of the CREDIT BUREAUS, "lending index?" If you haven't - then you're BLIND. If you're ignorant to the subject - then it's time NOT TO BE ANYMORE!! These tens of thousands of people included individuals ranging from the middle class (as the poor usually don't waste their time.. think about it people), to the filthy rich. And, what happened? BILLIONS OF DOLLARS were lost. Taxes couldn't be paid. Businesses hit the dirt.. and guess what?
Here we are today. Sure - spend $785 BILLION... hey, why not spend 140 QUADRILLION? It won't matter. The money is NOT trickling down to the people, because Capitalism sank its claws into the people, THROUGH the government, and because of the GOVERNMENT, we are screwed. And, who's going to fix all this? The GOVERNMENT? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA... no wait, sorry about that... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.... no really, it's not funny... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA - okay, okay - yes it is. It's HILARIOUS!!! Why? Because - the government's NOT STUPID. And, don't you believe for one second that they are. Don't you be fooled. Don't be hornswaggled by the media. The Government knows EXACTLY what they are doing. Even as I write this, Obama is meeting with "small business leaders" (which of course, means a few of the wealthiest... since small business is the WHOLE country and big business are the few who can meet in one meeting...), to discuss a bailout portion for them, to stimulate the economy through incentives for their hiring people.
Wait... won't the businesses CONTINUE to rely upon credit reports, check systems, CLUE, etc.? YES!! They will! Won't the monies that are being offered to them.. THROUGH THE BANKS... be dependent on their credit scores? YES, it will!!! So, how are the businesses that are struggling and don't have high enough credit scores going to profit? How are the people who have lost out from this economy going to be hired when their credit scores are too low?
Wait.. that's STUPID. It DOES NOT WORK! YES!! And, Uncle Obama, KNOWS it. So, why is he doing it? The equation, while I don't have it totally down, is, in its basic form, pretty straight forward: the politics of 'looking good,' keep the people stupid, is what it's all about. It keeps us from realizing the underlying truth of what's killing us financially, morally and ethically - governmental injection of capitalism and control into our very lives. It keeps people having 'hope,' where NONE is to be found. And, when .. NOT IF... WHEN... it fails, the government will be able to sink their OWN fangs in deeper. The only real IRONY, of ALL of this, is that when the government DOES... they'll turn on those creditors who use and instituted the credit bureau lending/renting/living score systems, TEAR them apart (and then they will have to realize the effects of their greed and selfishness WAY too late...includign the gvt. placing the blame on them totally and accepting no responsibility for their own actions), and then take control of the scoring system databases - and our lives - with ALL of our information - right OR wrong - and of course, we all know just how well kept government databases are, accuracy wise, that is. I pray I'm wrong - but I know I'm not.
The solution - simple: equal out everyone's credit scores to zero. Equal out Check Systems to zero. Equal out Clue to nothing. END clue, END check systems and limit the 3 credit bureaus to reporting of lending, not credit cards, change the scoring system to include income, give higher presidence to good than bad, remove all other reporting methods, withhold the ability of any lender to report anything for 1 year, then set a new standard that bases lending scores upon good credit to mean people who are maintaining their finances, not people who are out borrowing and making others rich through exorbitant interest rates. (btw - for those of you arguing against this - credit bureaus don't help lenders reclaim their money.. they are.. in truth.. the only known "legal" method that creditors have to THREATEN you to get back their money by "threatening" to ruin your lives with your credit reports [and thus, the truth in all that I've said thus far] .. and they DO this... IF they want their money, they can go to small claims court and get it back through a solid paper trail.. NOT threat or FEAR tactics). Base it upon a person's life, not the almighty, dollar bill. In fact.. take it a step further - and remove it altogether!! Now, everyone qualifies for a loan based on: do they make enough money to pay for the loan? See? Isn't that simple? Isn't that easy? If a person defaults on a mortgage, what does the bank do? They repo the house, then resell it, and make MORE money than if the person had paid it all themselves. I don't see anyone being hurt except the people who couldn't pay for their house? And, it wasn't because they were lied to or jerked around with interest rates, it was based on: do you make enough money now, and will it be enough in the future, to continue to pay for this loan? Why is that SO HARD? Hell, I couldn't get a loan until I get back to work - but as soon as I did, I could get enough of a one to quit paying $10k a year in rent (I know- I get lucky with such low rent), and pay $10k a year on a home. A standard 20-year loan - $150k home, that's it (the other $50k in the outrageous interest rates that HAVE to drop.. sheesh!). Simple. My car insurance - NOT inflated because of my credit score. Why? I would be judged based upon a GREAT driving history - not how much MONEY I make. Otherwise, the insurance companies.. hey.. JUST like AIG, get to be rich by helping to SCREW the American economy, and violate our rights, in States where insurance is legally required, to be given insurance without bias of age, income, race, religion, etc.! Let's fix it, shall we? Even poorer folks, like myself, can qualify for rentals without living in fear! Maybe, we can EVEN get jobs. And, this time, if we screw up - IF - it is no longer a matter of 'risk' - which is to say: WE ARE CURRENTLY BEING ASSUMED GUILTY FROM THE BEGINNING AND HAVE TO PROVE OUR INNOCENCE REPEATEDLY TO EVERYONE AND ARE BEING PUNISHED FOR SIMPLY "LIVING" IN THIS SO-CALLED 'FREE' AND 'GREAT' COUNTRY; but we can be held accountable IF we screw up, and have a chance to succeed - JUST LIKE our FOREFATHERS INTENDED. And, that system, hurt Nobody except those who couldn't pay their debts, for a VERY long time in this country; and it WORKED. There was no reason for the credit bureau change EXCEPT to support corporate greed and wealth. It's simple, folks... see? Not that hard, is it? Even the stimulus - would suddenly work, because the banks would FINALLY make the loans demanded of them and [unfortunately] continue to charge their outrageous interest (that they never pay back to their investors..... you know... the people... oddly enough... for those of you with a checking or so-called 'savings' account.. you understand what I'm saying), and people can afford to live, the economy can prosper, and hey - we'd all be in a better place financially than we are now!! Think about it...
There is a terrible storm coming... will you build your house from bricks.. or continue to live in straw huts?