He looked each way before exiting his residence. Another day was beginning in the life of the pusher. He knew he was a pusher. He knew pushing was the only path to success for him. He needed a steady supply of ‘clients,’ and he needed for the clients to be ‘hooked.’ He needed for them to always need more of his ‘supply,’ until it was too late. Until there was no way out for them, so that they would forever be in his clutches.
Pushing is an underrated profession. It involves an exquisitely keen sense of advantage. Sometimes it means accepting temporary disadvantage for relatively greater advantage a little further down the road. The most important thing - always - was to get your users hooked and to keep them hooked. It was a lesson he learned in his first days. It’s even better if you can get others in their circle hooked. Sometimes, if they get into a deep enough hole, it would suck others in, as well, he thought, a veritable black hole of endless, inescapable obligation: that works better than any other trick.
He had many unwitting allies. Anything which put pressure on his clients resources made them more susceptible to his seduction, more vulnerable to his program. Fortunately, the economy was bad, and growing worse. Of course, he played a significant role in that. Not his problem. If his clients did not have the discipline and moral fiber to avoid his grasp, that was their problem. They deserved it.
Resuming his course, the pusher passed a police cruiser, piloted by a lieutenant in uniform. The lieutenant smiled and waved, the pusher waved back, unconcerned. The officer posed no threat to him. He arrived at the private garage where his car was secured, a Lexus SC, fully loaded, 193 miles on the odometer. He climbed in, and drove to the office.
He usually listened to his iPod through the vehicle’s sound system, a $60,000 custom system he had designed himself. Today he listened to a local FM station, which reported a story about a local drug lord who had been sentenced to 25 years in prison for being caught with drugs near a school ground. Stupid drug lord, that’s just stupid, he thought.
He knew, of course, that his true partners were rather inconsistent with their handling of drug lords, but it was because of their obsession with law enforcement. The drug lords probably caused much less damage to the society than the pusher did, but laws on the books did not favor their brand of capitalism, where the laws did favor his.
The pusher feared only one group, in all the world. Democrats. They were the only ones who could pose a threat to his enterprise. And then only if they woke up and recognized him for what he really was. Fortunately, his partners, Republicans and conservatives, would see to it that they would remain too distracted to think very deeply about his pushing activities. So it had been for many years, so it would be for many more.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
What ‘product’ did our pusher distribute? Credit cards. And credit.
They have entry level offers with very reasonable rates, then, once a significant balance is established on the account for a few months, they raise the credit limit, for the purpose of enticing the cardholder into taking on still more debt. Their partners (and make no mistake, Democrats have supported some of these bills, too) have passed legislation guaranteeing universal default, which means ANY late payment for just about anything triggers penalty and extremely punitive interest rate hikes for cards which have no relation to the company which received the late payment.
There are quite a few similar triggers which can result in severe interest rate changes. MSN lists several of the reasons in this article. Note, it is possible for the rate to go up merely for INQUIRING about possibly incurring a new debt obligation, like buying an automobile, for example. I don’t mean it goes up in response to purchasing an automobile. It may go up merely for exploring that as a possible acquisition scenario, if a prospective dealer runs a credit check on you. Paying off credit card debt early can cause the interest rates to go up!
Penalty interest rates can go as high as 35%! (As cited in the article, linked above.)
Credit ‘pushers’ in this country cause enormous misery and financial anguish. Unlike their drug-dealing counterparts, they not only are not punished, they are given astonishing legislative cover. Conservatives smile on them. (Again, some Democrats do, too, but not to the same degree.) This has to stop.
The Americans for Fairness in Lending website lists some of the more common ‘tricks’ used by credit pushers.
Their website is a great place for research and information about these ridiculous conservative practices.
Ask your candidates to start calling members of that industry what they are - pushers, in the very same sense drug dealers are. Ask them to support legislation regulating the credit card industry, including legislation to counter universal default, predatory lending practices such as unprompted credit limit increases and usurious interest rates. Call and write your existing representation to insist that they work on your behalf to stop the credit pushers. If you have other suggestions for dealing with these sharks in our midst, please include them in the comments!
On to tonight's comments!
From AlanF:
Please check out this comment by philoguy!
From nightsweat:
This comment from gladkov on the distinction between patriotism and nationalism.
From Neon Vincent:
In the context of the flag-pin "controversy", I thought this comment made a very important distinction that Cons seem not to be able to understand.
This Bob Guyer comment describes the importance of a change in human identity.
My humble selections:
On dKos too much? Hedwig explains how you can tell!
ETinKC expresses frustration with the negative energy on the blog. We can relate!
How do some Teamsters view the current candidates? TeamsterPower elaborates.
The distinction between Republican and Democrative libertarians? G2geek tries to explain.
I believe in standing up for one's beliefs and in owning one's position, but, 'the full xena?!' rasbobo says yes! Oh my!
gchaucer2 brings the Canterbury Tales to dKos! (Could someone interpret for me, please?)
Top Mojo tonight is courtesy of sardonyx! (WB!)
Top Mojo - excluding search-identifiable tip jars and first diary comments (top 30 of each plus ties):
1 I WILL stop this car. by RenaRF - 249
2 as I understand it by CaptUnderpants - 149
3 THANK YOU. by Plutonium Page - 135
4 Political prosecution followed by lgcap - 113
5 This is the perfect time... by DaveV - 107
6 I made over 1,000 calls to Ohio this past weekend by zoopnfunk - 96
7 you're kidding right? by American in Kathmandu - 92
8 Nicely done. by pasadena beggar - 90
9 Hudson, you're one of the folks I owe one to... by Superskepticalman - 82
10 Refreshing, by BoiseBlue - 80
11 To switch parties and run by beltane - 77
12 Hillary's getting used like a tool by Penn by FishOutofWater - 77
13 Yes. Put the hammer to McCain by Barry Welsh - 76
14 It's one of the few times today... by Plutonium Page - 75
15 let's all work hard by Hope08 - 72
16 maybe by Turkana - 72
17 I recommended by kpardue - 69
18 I saw this Saturday by The Raven - 68
19 This is so astute - and here's my summary, by rhfactor - 67
20 As someone who supported the Clintons in the 90s by beanbagz - 66
21 Rational Diaries even more welcome. n/t by SteamPunkX - 66
22 The contrast couldn't be greater... by droogie6655321 - 65
23 yup ... by DrMicro - 65
24 The first thing I would do is by Crashing Vor - 64
25 the mockery does not work by NewAmerican - 63
26 I have this odd mix of pity and revulsion by DaveV - 63
27 Dayum by librarianman - 58
28 Oh Jed, you just don't get it by Dallasdoc - 58
29 yay! let's rock! by notes from the music box steps - 58
30 We have serious FCC leverage with Oak Hill by Mogolori - 57
31 it's funny how much vetting looks like... by joe shikspack - 57
Top Mojo - everything included:
1 We don't need by wmtriallawyer - 518
2 oh wait, what's that.... by clammyc - 417
3 Tips by JedReport - 393
4 tips by hekebolos - 326
5 tips by thereisnospoon - 315
6 Tips for blogging from the airport by mismolly - 282
7 here's a clue: by Turkana - 276
8 I had one dilemma in this primary by Nuisance Industry - 259
9 Rove had his paw prints all over the Siegelman by Mogolori - 255
10 I WILL stop this car. by RenaRF - 249
11 Viva Obama by kid oakland - 228
12 tip jar by slinkerwink - 223
13 Tips for ending the war in Iraq! by NCDem Amy - 211
14 You're the man, Lee by Scoonie - 171
15 as I understand it by CaptUnderpants - 149
16 Hillary Just Stop It...tips/recs.... by icebergslim - 142
17 Hold fast that which is good by teacherken - 141
18 Tips for it being (almost) over. by Junglered1 - 140
19 THANK YOU. by Plutonium Page - 135
20 Tip Jar by Mike Nellis - 127
21 Late tip jar (n/t) by Superskepticalman - 126
22 Hillary Clinton's Support of NAFTA by Great Uncle Bulgaria - 122
23 Political prosecution followed by lgcap - 113
24 This is by indiemcemopants - 107
25 This is the perfect time... by DaveV - 107
26 No one should tip or Rec this without more by PJ Jefferson - 97
27 I made over 1,000 calls to Ohio this past weekend by zoopnfunk - 96
28 you're kidding right? by American in Kathmandu - 92
29 Tips for reaching our goals! by DJShay - 91
30 Nicely done. by pasadena beggar - 90
Thanks for reading, everyone! :)
We have so many insightful and powerful diaries written here at Daily Kos. Our diaries inform, inflame, impassion, and even entertain. We Kossacks have strong voices and an even stronger will to be the change we wish to see in this country.
