Financialization Problems in Society

Part 1:

share your opinions on the problem of financialization in our society. Focus on one or more of the following:

•Debts that cannot be repaid will not be repaid. Who should bear responsibility when this happens? How much burden should go on the creditor, and how much on the debtor? Does it vary by the nature of the debt? (ie., student loans, mortgages, hospital bills, etc.)

•Do corporations have a responsibility beyond “ maximizing shareholder value?” If so, how are they to be held responsible?

•What is the way out of the current debt crisis in America? What policies or changes would you recommend?

Part 2:

share your reflections on what it means to be middle class and on our discussions of precarity/insecurity and

rising living expenses in America. You may want to consider the below questions:

•What base living standard should we expect a middle class person to have?

•Can we still consider America a “middle class country?”

•What changes do you believe need to happen in order to fix the problem of the shrinking middle class/ the problem of insecurity?

What political or cultural solutions might you suggest?