I agree with almost everything you say. I hate credit and credit cards, but I am almost forced to used them by my bank. I could go back to cash I guess, but in this world some companies don't even take that. My credit union charges me to use a debit card, but I can use a credit card unlimited with continued higher limits which we don't ask for. Debt slavery by no other terms.

On unions though, I have recently moved to Canada with my canadian wife. Never belonged to unions before. I work as a professional and I have to say, many people here think it is the utopia of work. It is so not in my experience. I have to start at the bottom again, because experience means nothing in these unions. It's all about seniority - who started at the company first. I have people half my age, with half my experience and knowledge who started 15 years ago earning three times as much as me. It doesn't matter how hard I work, I will never get ahead. The union is led by 'senior' employees who just look out for themselves. It is an old boys club, so if anyone else runs, they gang up on them and make their lives difficult.

I am now earning less than I was 30 years ago. The company can treat us like sh$t because they know we can't move anywhere else, because we will have to start at the bottom again.

Experience, knowledge and meritocracy mean nothing here.

In my experience, unions are the worst thing that ever happened to me and my family and for the first time in my life I can see myself working at walmart after retirement just to survive.