Disappointing #StrikeDebt Affinity Group Banner Drop

On Saturday, October 13th, as part of a convergence at Columbus Circle for #GlobalNoise actions, an affinity group affiliated with Strike Debt dropped a banner reading: “DEBT IS THE NEW COLONIALISM”

Banner drops with banners that have rad messages are awesome! But a banner, at Columbus Circle, reading “DEBT IS THE NEW COLONIALISM” which purports to be a
“solidarity message,” is disappointing, to say the least. Disappointing, but not surprising, as the action and messaging seems to originate from at least some of the all too familiar cohort of political gentrifyers who time and time again, AND one year later, refuse to relinquish their “weird tunnel vision” and decenter white middle-classness. But instead INSIST on promoting “ethical solidarity between the ideological polar extremes of Whiteness.”

Why do people refuse to take pause? Who is being served and what is being gained by conflating consumer/student/mortgage debt with the so-called “old” colonialism? Why couldn’t folks challenge themselves as to how to get the point across that debt is bad! Student loans ARE bad. Health care bills ARE bad. Foreclosures ARE bad. But debt IS NOT the new colonialism! I’ll just say, let folks, as an example, go by the J. Marion Sims statue or the African Burial Grounds and drop a banner reading “DEBT IS THE NEW SLAVERY.” Or go by a prison and drop a banner reading “DEBT IS THE NEW PRISON.” FOH! (Affinity group or no affinity group!)

Debt is debt… it is an oppressive system, but it is not THE “new” anything. Not the “NEW COLONIALISM” or “NEW SLAVERY” or “NEW PRISONS.”