Reading a few recent threads about debt and bankruptcy, I realised I was uninformed about the pro-creditor nature of US bankruptcy laws. From what it looks like at first glance (wikipedia articles, general media online etc), it could be possible to quasi-enslave people by deliberately lending more than they will likely pay back, because it is then difficult for them to escape the loan.
In most countries people will just declare bankruptcy or, in some places, go to prison and then the debt is wiped off.
Without that option, debtors face long-term wage garnishment, liens on property, difficulty getting a mortgage, car, even renting property etc. You could effectively fuck up someone's life for a long time if you were a creditor, unless they had very low ambitions.
So I was thinking, wouldn't it be possible to lend to people you wanted to control, then when they can't pay, you can easily coerce them by threatening to call in the debt? The consequences under US law at the moment seem sufficiently severe that I'm sure you could get a few hot young recent college grads to do your bidding, and you could even turn a profit on it.
I don't think I'm sufficiently evil to actually do this, but I'm sure there are others with less scruples. What gives?
In most countries people will just declare bankruptcy or, in some places, go to prison and then the debt is wiped off.
Without that option, debtors face long-term wage garnishment, liens on property, difficulty getting a mortgage, car, even renting property etc. You could effectively fuck up someone's life for a long time if you were a creditor, unless they had very low ambitions.
So I was thinking, wouldn't it be possible to lend to people you wanted to control, then when they can't pay, you can easily coerce them by threatening to call in the debt? The consequences under US law at the moment seem sufficiently severe that I'm sure you could get a few hot young recent college grads to do your bidding, and you could even turn a profit on it.
I don't think I'm sufficiently evil to actually do this, but I'm sure there are others with less scruples. What gives?