A very good piece of advice to anyone, D.G. (getting out of debt, I mean...) One of the most dangerous things you can do right now is to be in debt, because the whole situation out there is very fragile, and there may indeed be a financial collapse rather analagous to what happened in Russia not very long ago, when enraged mobs were smashing open bank machines, because their savings had vanished into thin air.

The phony money game is approaching the point where the bubble may burst at any time, and it was built on outrageously irresponsible use of credit (deficit spending) by the system and the general public (whom the system encourages to spend foolishly and bankrupt themselves) .

It is such good advice at any time to advise people NOT to be in debt that it surprises me that anyone could fault you for it, though they can debate whether or not this is the best time to declare bankruptcy if they want to. I think, though, that your most vociferous opponents have just invested a lot of ego into dumping on you as a matter of course, rather than giving much thought to anything you say.

You must be one of those "evil" people who is just automatically always wrong, I guess... (joke)

I have taken the utmost care not to be in debt to anyone for a long time now, partly by just keeping my life fairly simple...partly by not buying what I cannot afford on the day I buy it, which means...I have accepted not owning a house up to this point, and I have accepted being single also (which seems to suit me quite well).

It all depends what you expect out of life, doesn't it?

Life is beautiful. Money is handy, but you don't need more of it than what you actually need, and the same goes for possessions. If people in general decided to follow that credo, the financial system would collapse, because it has been built on excess and waste.

- LH