Cult of Credit Cards

I have written this before, and most likely I will write it again, credit card companies have a monopoly on our financial lives. Thankfully the more article and forum comments I read, I realize I am not alone in my thinking. Many are beginning to see the ridiculous exploitation of credit card companies. And the more people who thankfully voice their opinion the faster we will have credit card regulation.

This blog inspiration comes from the article I read In the Detroit News. “Keep Your Credit Score Safe.” The writer’s main premise is in times of a recession not using your credit card can hurt your credit score. Let me tell you who this hurts-not using your credit card hurts credit card companies, whom the Associated Press must be bunk mates. If you don’t use your credit card, credit card companies lose money, so they are trying to scare us into using their services.

In recession times, your first priority should be your life and feeding your family, not the pockets of rich and greedy credit card company CEO’s. When times are tough, cut your spending, pay the minimum payment and pay on time. There will be plenty of time to pay down debt and work on your score in better times. In bad financial times, one should think of themselves and their families not keeping credit card companies in business.

These articles stating warnings of credit scores and paying down debt are fear tactics to keep the credit corporations in power. It is their form of propaganda and publicity. So this morning I looked up brainwashing…and low and behold credit issuers fit the bill. (Pun not intended) The first sign of brainwashing is isolation and fear. You must have a credit card to survive in this world or you will have a lower credit score. This will hurt your chances of buying a house, getting a job and etc. Credit companies also promote the fear of identity theft. With us, you finances are safe-but you have to pay for their protection.

Phase two in brainwashing is thought control. The means monitoring people’s thoughts is manipulation. At one point threaten, if you don’t pay on time, you’ll be charged a default rate, your credit increase will lower and we may report your performance to the credit bureaus. At the same time, you will see advertisements for living richly, priceless moments and how much their care. If they cared so much for our lives and finances, they wouldn’t charge us ridiculous rates. And let me add repetition-free credit report jingle and there is another commercial that simple states over and over, free credit report. And every time you turn on the internet there is a flashing advertisement warning of credit scores. Brainwashing folks-can’t get any more obvious.

And then finally is conditioning. You are conditioned to act, believe and live by the rules the corporation regulates. You believe have a credit card helps you budget. You believe you are protected and if you don’t you are challenged and ridiculed; all those crazy people who pay with cash and refuse to have a credit card. One becomes so glued to credit cards and all their glories-there hooked. Stockholm syndrome when you identify with your captor. In this case many agree with credit card companies and criticize those outside the system.

Credit cards and spending with credits are not inherently bad. What is bad is they control they have over our lives and financial destinies. These corporations should not have such power and must be regulated. We complain and protest the control over the government, but we bend over and take it constantly from corporations. I don’t get it.