Debt is a Hero's Whip

Can you do something for me?

Sure, what do you need?

Rob a bank!

It's not that much, don't be ridiculous! 

You're joking, right?

Of course it's a joke...

***

There is a limit to what we can do, not only for a friend, but sometimes even for ourselves.

Well, at least lend me money!

See, this is also a limit for most of us.

No, no! I don't lend money to anyone on principle!

***

Many years ago a friend of mine borrowed a small amount of money from me. Then somehow we parted ways, the business was over, we both scattered to different places. He worked somewhere outside Russia for a while. I just stayed around here.

When we met again in Russia one day many years later, he had probably forgotten about the loan and I didn't think much of it. We mostly reminisced about the old days.

Although I reminded him a couple of times later on, he had either really forgotten about the debt or maybe he thought I was joking and didn't believe me.

Afterwards, this debt became a joke between us for a while, I would ask him to give me the debt and he would always say next time.

Years later, one day he said, "Give me your bank account number and I'll deposit this debt.

He has a beautiful daughter, I told him to buy her a gift for me.

He is a very dear friend of mine. Really, maybe he didn't remember.

I said that not because I had a ring worth a lot of money, but because I really wanted to give a gift to his beautiful daughter. 

Anyway, maybe the loan he took that day was a big enough amount of money for me in those days, but it is not an amount of money to talk about today.

***

Yes, and yet for some people, actually lending money is something that they are in principle reluctant to do.

But where do we borrow money if we really need it?

There are banks, we can go and take a personal loan!

In fact, I don't even like to borrow money from banks.

I have an additional account in my bank account with a small limit, and sometimes I take a loan from that account. If the money in the time deposit account is not overdue, maybe I can withdraw some money from the additional account if I don't want to break the maturity at that moment. 

Also, most of us already use credit cards for shopping.

Although, since my credit cards have expired, I have to get new ones from the bank when I come to Turkey. 

My cards here are not credit cards. They are the kind of cards you can use if you have money in your account.

So I haven't borrowed money from the bank for a long time, or in other words I don't use credit.

I can't even remember the last time I increased the limit of my additional account.

Even the limits of credit cards today are only enough to make three-penny purchases.

***

Isn't inflation a monster? 

A few years ago you were a customer with a high credit limit even in the eyes of the bank, whereas today, if you look at the credit limits, you don't feel like such an important customer.

Let alone us, after all, we are just plain customers in the eyes of the banks.

But what if we were a customer who owned a company? A customer with a lot of money!

If we were a legal entity with money constantly flowing in and out of our accounts?

See, that's when things change. A fat customer! My favorite.

And if he's in the import-export business, who better?

Mr. Hayri, welcome, how much credit do you need? 

That much.

Of course sir, we'll arrange it right away. Don't you worry, sir. Yes, sir. Shall I order you a cup of tea? Or will you have coffee?

Yes, maybe that's how things really worked until yesterday. 

Today, even if you are Mr. Hayri, an oily customer, if you want a loan, it is no longer so easy to get a loan from a bank for business!

In a sense, there is capital control now.

And what is the reason for this?

Because the state thinks that it is not possible to keep the economy under control otherwise.

How do you know that the loan will be used for business? What if the customer buys foreign currency with that loan?

***

But Abbas Efendi can get as many loans as he wants from state banks!

Abbas Efendi can take as many loans as he wants, he has his business tied up from above, the limitations imposed on other legal entities do not apply to him. 

With a phone call to the bank manager, Abbas Efendi doesn't even have to call the bank, and as much credit as he wants is immediately deposited into his account.

This is the system, you too can be a partisan, you too can get a loan!

But this is unfair!

Yes, you are right, I think it is unfair too. 

But you voted for the government, why are you complaining now?

***

Fine by me! 

I don't even use a credit card. 

Sometimes, if I forget to pay the subscription fee for my Turkish line, my additional account is automatically charged when the payment is made, that's all. 

I realize the payment within a day or two and immediately close my additional account debt.

***

Now almost everyone is saying that we need to help Mr. Simsek. Opposition and pro-government, almost everyone is saying the same thing.

I think we should help him too. 

After all, he was brought there to save Turkey.

Let's see how he will do it! The exchange rate has already skyrocketed, he says rational methods, but let's see how long the leader can withstand these words.

***

Can you do something for me?

Actually, don't do it for me, do it for yourself.

Try to live without borrowing from banks or anything. I know, almost everyone lives on credit cards. Still, try to use credit cards as little as possible.

But they say debt is the whip of the valiant. 

It is true, debt can perhaps have a motivating effect to work with determination.

But the whip was actually a tool used in the Middle Ages, perhaps from the time of slavery, a tool reminiscent of savagery. 

They also say that you have to put your foot in your mouth. 

I guess the only way to live in these expensive times is to live within your means.

Love and respect to everyone from Moscow