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Re:Puerto Rico files for biggest ever U.S. local government ... by vkou on Wednesday May 03, 2017 @05:02PM (#14260056)
We already live in that society. What do you think the millions of people working in finance do, if not try to quantify risk?

Do you want to live in a society where you and your family can be sold into slavery if you fail to pay off your debts? Because that's the logical consequence of not allowing debts to be discharged from bankruptcy, regardless of your ability to pay.

Being a money-lender shouldn't be a license to print risk-free money.

Re:Puerto Rico files for biggest ever U.S. local government ... by dragandj on Wednesday May 03, 2017 @05:26PM (#14260286)
There are other models other than two extremes. For example, in (at least some) European countries there is not such thing as private person going bankrupt. However, of course that that person won't be sold to slavery. Simply, if you can not repay the loan, your property will be confiscated and sold to repay it. You can dodge that by not having any property on your name, of course, and most such people do that, but that also means having no flow on your bank account (everything over a small life-sustaining minimum would be taken every month).

That is at least in theory. Since a considerable part of the economy is in the gray zone, there are ways of dodging that. Large part of the law system is corrupt, so well connected people always find a way to be untouchable. The system is also inefficient so lots of those debts exist just on paper. Basically, you can't go bankrupt as a person, and you wont be sold to slavery, but you will effectively still own the debt and the only way to not repay it is to work in the black zone outside of the system, or wait so long that the lenders write it off themselves (after a few decades or so?).

Re:Puerto Rico files for biggest ever U.S. local government ... by MrFantastic on Wednesday May 03, 2017 @05:44PM (#14260442)
In many European nations if you start a business and fail you will never get another chance.

The USA financial system that allow for bankruptcy is part of the reason that we are an entrepreneurial nation.

Failure is part of innovation.

Re:Puerto Rico files for biggest ever U.S. local government ... by icebraining on Wednesday May 03, 2017 @06:24PM (#14260774)
For example, in (at least some) European countries there is not such thing as private person going bankrupt.

In many there is, though it's more restricted in some countries than others, which leads to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bankruptcy_tourism

Re:Puerto Rico files for biggest ever U.S. local government ... by cjalmeida on Wednesday May 03, 2017 @05:50PM (#14260490)
Ok. In this model, you keep one of your basic rights (freedom) but forever loses another (right to have any property). I'd call this a "semi-slavery" model.

At least in some "debtor's jail" systems you could get your rights back after spending some time incarcerated.

Re:Puerto Rico files for biggest ever U.S. local government ... by pishpash on Wednesday May 03, 2017 @05:44PM (#14260443)
That is a kind of slavery. Plus as a lender you still have to quantify that risk, so what does it buy you?