ECONOMIC CALAMITY

Four years back a day noon; I was walking along the road to my office after my lunch from a restaurant. I was hurry to cross the road while the green signal began to blink. Suddenly someone called me up from behind. 

“Excuse me sir!”

A gentle man moved across me. I was a bit impatient; I looked at the signal light, which was already turned red.

“Sir, can you spend some time with me, I would like to speak with you about something”. The stranger began to talk to me without any hesitation.

“Sir, I am from ABN Amro bank, I would like to introduce you the new credit card which is having so many benefits, and there are fabulous promotions going on.

“No…No…I don’t want any credit card.”

I interrupted, and again attempted to cross the road, the green signal was waiting for me.

“Please sir”, he hold my hand smoothly. “Today is the last day of promotion”. He began to explain about the special offers and benefits.

“See my friend, I told you no? I don’t want this kind of any headache…please let me go.” When I turned to the signal, it showed the red alert again.

“Sir, don’t say this is a headache. Just apply for the card today. In couple of days the card will be definitely approved. But don’t use the card. Use it wisely only whenever if any urgent needs come up.” He continued his study class.

I became almost half minded, but still I told him sharply. “I am busy, I have to move. I have to think over it. I will meet you some other days”.

“Sir please…I joined with this bank recently only, Still on probationary period. I have to meet the target. Please help me out…and I am sure it will be definitely worth for you as well”.

This time I felt funny and a sort of sympathy. "All right…I will try once". I agreed.

Once I did business in Adverting industry. That was an utter failure. When I realized that I am not a right person to do any kind of business, it was too late. The time when did I wind up my business, debts and liabilities were above my neck. My life turned in to deep turmoil.

As soon as I dropped my business, I joined in a reputed Advertising company and started doing job as a Graphic Designer. Ever since I joined with that company gradually life began to come back to the normal phase. Every month when I got salary I kept paying some amount to my previous debts. Those days I took a strong determination that I would never jump in to any debts or liabilities anymore.

But due to my circumstances, unknowingly I violated my determination. Although I received my Visa & Master card, I was very cautious to avoid using it for many days and weeks. When I got a strong pressure from my previous liability, the first time I used it and pulled out maximum limit.

As it is an irony, running the fourth year, today I hold more than ten credit cards and terribly struggling to pay off even interest. Still the total outstanding is the same amount as much I had taken four years back. Even though you have paid back ten times of your principle amount, if you failed to pay two times or more, they would never pay attention to hear your story what ever the painful situations you might have.

Paying credit card is like running in a scary dream, keep running and running, never reaches the destination, the mad dogs run behind you, seems like in slow motion, legs do not move, unable to cry, outcry doesn’t come out, throat becomes dry…safer shelter is still far and uncertain…

This is a short episode of a middle class man’s ‘modern’ life, a specific metaphor of a ‘Global Citizen’ one who lives in a most expensive metropolitan city. We can find millions of such ‘victims’ all over the world those who Carrey the huge luggage of every moment increasing debts on the their shoulder.

Recently I saw video clippings of former US President Bill Clinton’s election campaign speech. He expressively emphasized the panic phenomena of unrestrained increase of credit card problems, the majority of common people who suffer in US. I think it is a significant time to narrate this story as last couple of weeks we have been reading the meticulous news that America is facing its crucial and historical Economical crisis, like Lehman Brothers who has more than a century-long history and AIG as well, one by one…

American Capitalism is undergoing through a major surgery. President Bush and American senate have already given the oxygen to the ‘partner friend patient’. We read the latest news that $ 70, 000 Million rescue funds has been passed by the American Senate for the coast of major operation. But my dear American friends…beware…they have already made the plan to charge all the hospital bills from you only. When the ‘patient’ will come out from the ‘intensive care unit’ they are going to come back to suck your remaining blood again. Have you ever taken credit card in order to purchase the household items, for your small house, for your daily survival or for hospital bill? Are you still keep taking new credit cards in order to pay off the previous cards and being accumulated into huge debts and failed to pay. It is obvious that you will have to face crucial legal consequences. No Government will be going to help you out. But this so-called multinational greedy Bankers who cry out that ‘we are bankrupt’, are big sharks, they could easily brake out the net. But this heart diseased Multi National Banks may survive after the major surgery. The Remaining question is how long they will survive or live…?

This is an unavoidable crisis, which must be intermittently happened where the basic structure of society is ruled by Capitalism, the social system which functions based on the law of Competition.

In this time let me quote the famous statement of Karl Marx: “Capitalism would dig its own graveyard by itself”.

According to Marxian theory, in human history, if feudalism had been changed to Capitalism, then the Capitalism must be evolved up to Socialism and Communism: the society that will be enormously advanced and highly civilized, where there won’t be any economic disparities, and the people who never exploit each other for their basic existence and needs. I personally believe, it might be my dreamy intuition or faint observation, but I think, obviously, that won’t be the same Communism which Karl Marx had anticipated, rather than more profound, spiritual based new World order which could protect the human rights and preserve all human virtues. Can we hope that the human history will evolve up to that phase, of that so-called Communism or the same Heaven that the all Religious Scriptures had been described? Can we bring it on our Earth…?

At present I am not sufficiently equipped to vividly describe this subject, that needs very authentic study and research neither I do not like to make any prophecy. I just would like to primarily indicate that if the history had been evolved from Stone Age to Iron Age, then it must predictably go forward to the Golden age. Nevertheless history may take some more time for its transition, until the ripen season will come to change. However it is inevitable. It is the way of history and law of nature. It is like one-day morning how the blossom blooms. But Nature takes its own evolutionary time, for its process to sprout a seed to plant and a bud come into a flower.