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Dignity Not Debt: An Abolitionist Approach to Economic Justice
An earth-shaking reimagining of household debt that opens up a new path to financial security for all Americans.
American households have a debt problem. The problem is not, as often claimed, that Americans recklessly take on too much debt. The problem is that US debt policies have no basis in reality. Weaving together the histories and trends of US debt policy with her own family story, Chrystin Ondersma debunks the myths that have long governed debt policy, like the belief that debt leads to prosperity or the claim that bad debt is the result of bad choices, both of which nest in the overarching myth of a free market unhindered by government interference and accessible to all.
In place of these unhelpful narratives, Ondersma offers a compelling, flexible, and reality-based taxonomy rooted in the internationally recognized principle of human dignity. Ondersma’s new categories of debt—grounded in abolitionist principles—revolutionize how policymakers are able to think about debt, which will in turn revolutionize the American debt landscape itself.
American households have a debt problem. The problem is not, as often claimed, that Americans recklessly take on too much debt. The problem is that US debt policies have no basis in reality. Weaving together the histories and trends of US debt policy with her own family story, Chrystin Ondersma debunks the myths that have long governed debt policy, like the belief that debt leads to prosperity or the claim that bad debt is the result of bad choices, both of which nest in the overarching myth of a free market unhindered by government interference and accessible to all.
In place of these unhelpful narratives, Ondersma offers a compelling, flexible, and reality-based taxonomy rooted in the internationally recognized principle of human dignity. Ondersma’s new categories of debt—grounded in abolitionist principles—revolutionize how policymakers are able to think about debt, which will in turn revolutionize the American debt landscape itself.
279 pages, Hardcover
Published April 9, 2024
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77 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 30, 2026
This book was very helpful in its distinctions between extractive and non-extractive debt, as well as opportunity debt vs survival debt.
That said, it often felt tiresome to read its arguments, however well built. The main issue for me was that the book approaches a profoundly social and political problem mostly from an abstract policy point of view. It’s hard to care or to feel moved toward action, when the author repeats platitudes of what people deserve or what the us government should do, without any practical steps. All of the visions for debt abolition in this book rely on a magic wand moment where the US raises income taxes and practices reparations, but how we get to that moment and the people who take us there are mysteriously absent.
To abolish debt, we need many more steps in the process, small wins that free everyday people from extraction and oppression. Doing so will lead many more of us to identify imperfect, collective solutions (and to learn through collective failures) before and beyond arriving at a single blue-sky solution.
That said, it often felt tiresome to read its arguments, however well built. The main issue for me was that the book approaches a profoundly social and political problem mostly from an abstract policy point of view. It’s hard to care or to feel moved toward action, when the author repeats platitudes of what people deserve or what the us government should do, without any practical steps. All of the visions for debt abolition in this book rely on a magic wand moment where the US raises income taxes and practices reparations, but how we get to that moment and the people who take us there are mysteriously absent.
To abolish debt, we need many more steps in the process, small wins that free everyday people from extraction and oppression. Doing so will lead many more of us to identify imperfect, collective solutions (and to learn through collective failures) before and beyond arriving at a single blue-sky solution.
April 12, 2024
A book that is extremely important and forward-thinking, Chrystin's insight and wisdom about debt can help people protect themselves from predatory practices. Best of all, Chrystin approaches these issues in a way that is not judgemental, letting us know that we should forgive ourselves for the debt we have accrued because the system expected us to fail. This book puts the power back in our hands.
Easy to digest and an enjoyable read, even and especially for people who do not enjoy reading about finance or debt.
Easy to digest and an enjoyable read, even and especially for people who do not enjoy reading about finance or debt.
November 7, 2024
other than being repetitive, this book critically informed me about how debt is used for survival. she collects profound statistics so well and makes a compelling argument for prioritizing human dignity over economic efficiency, something you’d think would be obvious
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews