Life and Debt

After watching Life and Debt, it made me think about how I view things as a “non-native.” In the film, it was surprising to see such splendor and beauty right next to poverty. The American tourists got off the plane and were taken away by the beautiful hotel, marvelous views, and efficient and polite staff. They did not even realize that there was poverty only a drive away. It got me thinking about all the places I have traveled and the things that I’ve seen. When you go on vacation, you have an image of what you expect. When you arrive at your destination, you are often greeted by enthusiastic staff members who want you to have the time of your life. They recommend the best restaurants, the nicest beaches, and the best tourist locations. They offer you shuttle services or brochures with directions. Without you even realizing it, they are steering you to the venues that garner the most attention and that are well cared for. You only see what they want you to see. If you were to see homeless people wandering the streets, you might feel bad about staying in your fancy hotel and decide against coming back next year. Or maybe you decide that you’ll go someplace else, which causes the hotel to lose money. Attracting tourists is essentially marketing a destination to the public. Potential tourists want to be distracted from the worries and struggles of daily life. If they see poverty and other hardship while on vacation, it may make them not want to come back. Unlike natives, tourists can leave if they do not like what they see; natives do not always have that choice.

            Being “owned by debt” is something that many Americans would probably understand. In the United States, everyone has bills to pay… unless they are filthy rich. People have to pay mortgages, homeowners insurance, car insurance, student loans, medical bills, tuition… the list goes on and on. You have to budget your money carefully in order to make sure all the bills are paid. Then you have to buy food and clothes. Plus, there are other things that pop up throughout the year, like car repairs. You have to think twice about what to spend your money on. There is constant debt that needs to be paid and people worry when their hours are cut, or if they might be let go because the company isn’t doing so well. People are owned by debt because it dictates their every move. I haven’t even graduated college yet and I’m already worrying about how I’m going to pay off my student loans while still having enough money for rent, car insurance, and other expenses. It only gets worse as you get older and add in healthcare and mortgages. If those debts are not paid, someone from the bank or broker takes back what you defaulted on. Instead of that happening, people budget their money, forgo expensive vacations, decide not to go out as often, and pick up extra hours at work. If there were not debt, people could enjoy the things they have without sacrificing hours with friends and family.