Why Can't I Have Someone to Pay My Bills?
A few centuries ago in Europe, the powerful were told by various churches that money was evil, it being the root of all evil and all that. So the noble families pretty much stopped dealing with it. Being a merchant was disgusting and tawdry, and possibly one step away from Satanism.
[Side note: The Jews had no such beliefs (you were allowed to make "a reasonable amount" from your transactions, but usury and the like were still out) and so became wealthy and, when money became as important as land or titles, that provided yet another reason for gentiles to despise/target them. Back to the story.]
The nobility never dealt with money if they could possibly help it - they had others to do that sort of thing for them. There were few standing armies, as those were bloody expensive: when there was a risk of losing their warriors, the lords simply sent them off to their neighbour's place to take whatever they could. Cash was vulgar, and someone else's problem. Few knightly or titled families had any members that could read, never mind ones who knew what accounts were due when!
I do believe we have an equivalent:
"Hillary said that students are being victimized by “predatory” student loans that charge 28% interest rates. I’m really quite serious: Is that true?"
And:
"I heard Hillary quote that same absurd interest rate for student loans at a rally earlier this year, and I had the same reaction. I don’t even know how it’s possible to get student loans with rates that high."
And:
"Tonight, Hillary Clinton said, “That’s why I’m in favor of much more college aid, not these outrageous predatory student loan rates that are charging people I’ve met across Pennsylvania, 20, 25, 28 percent interest rates.” Jonah and Mark H. (and I) wondered how that could possibly be true."
So why is it that so many political conservatives are so bad at money again? Awareness of good money management is so often the anchor of their political campaigns, after all. Money is clearly important to them, so they must know how to use it, right?
Oh... right.
[Side note: The Jews had no such beliefs (you were allowed to make "a reasonable amount" from your transactions, but usury and the like were still out) and so became wealthy and, when money became as important as land or titles, that provided yet another reason for gentiles to despise/target them. Back to the story.]
The nobility never dealt with money if they could possibly help it - they had others to do that sort of thing for them. There were few standing armies, as those were bloody expensive: when there was a risk of losing their warriors, the lords simply sent them off to their neighbour's place to take whatever they could. Cash was vulgar, and someone else's problem. Few knightly or titled families had any members that could read, never mind ones who knew what accounts were due when!
I do believe we have an equivalent:
"Hillary said that students are being victimized by “predatory” student loans that charge 28% interest rates. I’m really quite serious: Is that true?"
And:
"I heard Hillary quote that same absurd interest rate for student loans at a rally earlier this year, and I had the same reaction. I don’t even know how it’s possible to get student loans with rates that high."
And:
"Tonight, Hillary Clinton said, “That’s why I’m in favor of much more college aid, not these outrageous predatory student loan rates that are charging people I’ve met across Pennsylvania, 20, 25, 28 percent interest rates.” Jonah and Mark H. (and I) wondered how that could possibly be true."
So why is it that so many political conservatives are so bad at money again? Awareness of good money management is so often the anchor of their political campaigns, after all. Money is clearly important to them, so they must know how to use it, right?
Oh... right.
Labels: Politics
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