James,
Regarding the article on debt collection, I would recommend these web sites which give some advice on how to deal with debt collectors:
CreditInfoCenter.com
DebtorBoards.com
There are consumer protection laws that prohibit offensive behavior on the part of debt collectors. These sites explain how to use them.
I recognize you may not agree with these site’s positions, but, just as the debt collector who wrote in says, good people sometimes get into bad situations. And, sometimes, if your state’s exemptions are too low, bankruptcy is not an option. So, yes, I consider fighting debt collectors part of survivalism. – N.B.M.
JWR Replies: Of course, avoiding all this from the start…
Mr. Rawles;
In response to N.B.M.’s response to the “How Consumer Debt Collection Works” articles, I must chime in and state that the sites he recommends all encourage the use of loopholes and quirks in the law to, essentially, steal from folks. You borrowed it, the right thing to do is pay it back. We cannot, as Christians and freedom loving people, complain about the national debt, massive bailouts, and the wholesale manipulation of the (no longer) free markets, whilst we all search to shirk our own obligations. That is hypocrisy. Stealing is stealing, whether it takes place on Wall Street or Your Street.
Regards, – Jason in Kansas