We Are Living in an Invisible Debtor’s Prison

Underthrow · Apr 23, 2026 · 4m

Support and subscribe at Underthrow.org.

H.L. Mencken said it best: “Every election is a sort of advance auction sale of stolen goods.” The old satirist wasn’t just being clever. He was being precise.

Here’s the thing: We elect representatives. But those representatives have a giant credit card. They have maxed it out and sent us the bill. We pay through taxation and inflation, but get almost no say in how the money gets spent. “Our democracy” is just theater—the illusion that we’re in control.

Sure, a handful of congressmen talk tough about fiscal responsibility. But their actions say…