Friday, April 26, 2024
Miles from the Mainstream
D. R. ZUKERMAN, proprietor
A Federalist 57 Nod To …

DECEMBER 11, 2006 --

Muhammad Yunus and his Grameen Bank for his efforts at rescuing people from the clutches of Bangladesh money-lenders -- efforts that have got him and Grameen the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize.
This, of course, indicates to me, that a sequel to "It's a Wonderful Life," would
have George Bailey getting a high honor.

(The original ends, of course, with George's brother Harry, home to receive the Medal of Honor, for saving the lives of U.S. troops as a U.S. Navy pilot, toasting
his big brother.)

George had succeeded in keep the people of Bedford Falls from falling into the clutches of the rapacious fictional banker Henry F. Potter.

LPR continues to speculate that the people at the credit card companies cheer Potter when he appears on the TV screen during the annual Christmas season
broadcasts of this, . "wonderful," Frank Capra movie.

And how about this?...

...LPR used the remote to check PBS, November 28, and found "The Secret History of Credit Cards" in progress. Wow!

Finally a media look at the aggrandizing policies of credit card companies.

 Chase, for example, continues to charge me 29.99% interest. Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid says Democrats will stand up for the middle class.

Harry, how about doing something to end usurious credit card lending rates?

(Unless, of course, you can't take action because of campaign money from these
companies intent on the "ambitious sacrifice of the many to the aggrandizement of the few." (Citing
Federalist 57.)

But what's more...

The PBS Frontline program on the credit card crunch of consumers reported that Andrew Kahr is the mastermind behind the squeeze.

Mr. Kahr was a high school classmate of this writer and was considered brilliant in math and science. I would have expected a PBS program on Kahr's contribution to math and science for the benefit of
society--not a program showing how he used his talents to persuade credit card companies how to crush people.

(LPR assumes that the companies did not need much persuading.)