I was thinking of creating an entire blog post out of that one question. So thanks for confirming my hunch.

Ryan

I find your blog about getting rid of debt very insightful.

Earlier today, I was thinking about the root causes of debt, and I have to say that you sort of touched on it by asking, “How did they do it 100 years ago?”

Aside from the issue of fiat currency, another thing that gets people into debt is the consumer culture’s propensity to make people think they need something that they actually don’t.

Ryan

Well said.

And, would you believe it… I have a copy of The Creature from Jekyll Island on my desk upstairs. I just got it a couple weeks ago, and plan to read it soon.

Most Americans argue for keeping the income tax because “how would we pay for ______?” (Fill in the blank with your favorite government sponsored service.)

The thing is, we didn’t have an income tax until the early 20th Century. Which means America got along just fine for more than a hundred years without one.

But who studies history these days?

Anytime my wife or anybody else tells me I “need” something… I ask myself: “How did they do it 100 years ago?”

The answer to this question usually proves we need very little compared to what we think we need.

Anyway, I digress… :-)

Ryan