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IPFS News Link • Economy - Economics USA

Are We Brewing a New Feudalism?

• https://www.paulcraigroberts.orgPaul Craig Roberts

Write-offs for the One Percent, and more indebtedness for everyone else.

Turn your mind to the economy.  The US has a work force of 164,000,000.  The unemployment forecast from the work closedowns is 30%.  That would mean 49,000,000 people who are potential rioters. (We are half way there with today's report of a 16% unemployment rate with 22 million unemployed). Many of these people were already living paycheck to paycheck, could not raise $400, and their debts leave them no discretionary income.  As they could barely service their debts when employed, how do they service them when unemployed and when their small businesses are closed and incurring costs but have no revenues?  Loans further indebt them. The cash payouts to the unemployed might cover food and housing but will not service their debts.  

Fast food franchises and stores in malls are saying they are not paying their rents for three months.  Mall owners won't be able to pay their creditors.  The bailout works for no one except those who caused the problem. As they are being bailed out, they will have the money to buy up or foreclose on the bankrupted businesses. More property will be concentrated in fewer hands.  

The bail-out scheme concocted by the New York banks and Trump's Treasury Secretary, who earned the name "the foreclosure king" during his Wall Street career, leaves creditors whole and debtors deeper in debt.