Briarpatch Magazine » May 2008: Money & Debt

May 2008: Money & debt

dave — Mon, 05 May 2008 16:22:43 +0000

With Canadians' debt levels at record highs and the U.S. economy in the midst of a massive housing/credit deflation, Briarpatch takes a sorely needed critical, radical look at the politics of money and debt in this issue. From exposing the spectre of diabolical materialism to offering "concrete" investment strategies and tools for getting out of debt, from profiling alternative currencies to outlining the options for conscientious objection to military taxation, Briarpatch puts its money where its mouth is. To subscribe or order a copy of this issue, call 1-866-431-5777 or visit our secure online shop.

Not in my name, not on my dime: Conscientious objection to military taxation

dave — Mon, 05 May 2008 16:20:59 +0000

**By Jan Slakov Briarpatch Magazine May 2008**

"Let them demonstrate, just as long as they continue to pay their taxes."

-Alexander Haig

If you feel strongly that it is wrong to pay for war and militarism, then you are a conscientious objector to military taxation. If you act on those beliefs by redirecting the military portion of your taxes towards a peace tax trust fund that invests in non-violent programs, then you are an active conscientious objector to military taxation. In times of conscription, many governments recognize the rights of conscientious objectors-people whose ethics or religious beliefs forbid them from killing people during a war-to refuse military service. During the Second World War, for instance, Canada had about 10,000 conscientious objectors to military service. Instead of participating in killing, they were given alternate duties in agriculture, industry or other work.

Letter from the editor: The politics of debt

dave — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 22:37:24 +0000

“Buy this car to drive to work drive to work to pay for this car.” Metric When the world is combusting all around us, it seems a little petty to devote an entire issue of Briarpatch to questions of debt and personal finance. But in many ways, the subject couldn’t be more pressing or more in need of [...]

Das Crapital: A spectre is haunting the suburbs of North America . . .

dave — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 22:36:19 +0000

**By Don Sawyer Briarpatch Magazine May 2008**

In fighting plans for a mammoth big box store that would devour the small city I call home, I have made a startling discovery: a dangerous cult has spread from the heart of darkest Arkansas, jumped the border and brainwashed millions of innocent Canadians into its doctrine of diabolical materialism.

Freedom 25: Financial independence in the first quarter-century

dave — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 22:35:22 +0000

By Calvin Neufeld Briarpatch Magazine May 2008 The plan: save money, buy land, build a house, grow food, heat with wood, quit jobs, and self-sustain — all without going into debt. Although I was raised in the suburbs of Montreal, my life today resembles that of my Mennonite ancestors. In the winter I bathe in a tub of snow [...]

Debt Cemetery: Will the carnage from the U.S. housing and credit crises spread northward?

dave — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 22:34:47 +0000

By Geordie Gwalgen Dent Briarpatch Magazine May 2008 Ah, springtime, 1930. U.S. stock markets had slightly recovered from the “Black Tuesday” crash of the year before. Credit was cheap and the Western world was spending freely. Though people had been spooked, optimism reigned again. Few people knew that the entire global economy was on the edge of a [...]

Four reasons to get out of debt, nine ways to do it

dave — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 22:32:56 +0000

**By Dave Oswald Mitchell Briarpatch Magazine May 2008**

"The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender."

Proverbs 22:7

Reasons to get out:

1. We are a nation of debt slaves

"Debt throughout most of history has been little more than a slight variation on slavery," wrote Michael Hudson in his prescient May 2006 article in Harper's ("The New Road to Serfdom: An illustrated guide to the coming real estate collapse"). Today, however, perceptions have changed to such a degree that a mortgage is now seen as an "investment," and levels of personal indebtedness for both Canadians and Americans have never been higher.

The Vanier Institute of the Family recently reported that Canadians' household debt rose seven times faster than income between 1990 and 2007. This debt now represents a record 131 per cent of average household income, meaning that for every $100 of net income earned in Canada last year, $131 was owed.

Parting Shots: A Concrete Investment Plan

dave — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 22:31:03 +0000

**By Kubate Baba Edward Briarpatch Magazine May 2008**

My thoughts on money and investing have been shaped by my upbringing. I was raised in a 20-person household in northern Ghana. Six of us shared a small hut, beautifully roofed with thatch. The rest of my relatives lived in adjacent huts. We sustained ourselves on earnings from a small rice and millet farm. Whatever little money or food came into the home was shared equally among us.