Debt as Modern Slavery: Reviving the Year of Jubilee

Charlie Kirk:  

Let me ask you something that no politician in either party seems willing to face head-on:

How can we possibly call ourselves a moral nation when we punish the poor for being poor… while bailing out the rich for being reckless?

We live in a society where young people are drowning in debt just to survive — not to buy luxury, but to eat, to study, to stay alive. And yet those who created the crisis keep getting richer, older, and more distant from the wreckage they’ve left behind.

We’re talking today about something ancient — something radical — something biblical: the Year of Jubilee. A divine idea that every 50 years, debts are wiped clean and society resets to sanity.

But in our time, we’ve inverted it. We forgive Wall Street. We reward irresponsibility at the top and condemn it at the bottom.

So let’s talk honestly. Not about fantasy utopias, but about the spiritual and moral decay of a system that’s enslaving the future. Let’s ask the tough questions, challenge the status quo, and maybe — just maybe — reclaim some of that ancient wisdom… before it’s too late.

Because the truth is, we either reset ourselves… or we collapse. The question is: who gets to decide?

 do something extraordinary.”

(Note: This is an imaginary conversation, a creative exploration of an idea, and not a real speech or event.)

Moral Contradiction — How Can We Call Ourselves Moral While Punishing the Poor?

“How can we call ourselves a moral society when we punish people for being poor, while bailing out billionaires?”
Moderator: Cornel West
Participants: Michael Knowles, Vivek Ramaswamy, Marianne Williamson, Chris Hedges, Dave Ramsey

Scene:

The fire crackles softly beneath an oil painting of slaves breaking their chains beside a Wall Street skyline. Outside the windows, wind howls like distant protest chants.

First Question:

Cornel West:

My beloved brothers and sisters, let us begin. We face a moment where $17 trillion in household debt presses against our moral spine, and yet the richest men are sailing through tax loopholes on private jets. So, how is it that the very poor are crushed while the powerful are propped up? How do we reconcile that with our claim to be a moral nation?

Marianne Williamson

There is no reconciliation. There is a rupture in the soul of America. We've spiritualized greed and criminalized need. We don't just tolerate poverty—we've made it profitable for someone else. When payday lenders and rent-to-own corporations profit off desperation, the moral decay is systemic, not accidental. We are rewarding cruelty and calling it capitalism.

Michael Knowles

Marianne, I agree—though from a different lens. The contradiction is not merely political, but metaphysical. We cannot serve both Mammon and God, and yet our institutions have sanctified Mammon. Bailouts for billionaires while families are imprisoned by debt is not just hypocrisy—it is idolatry. True justice would see debt forgiven not as charity, but as an obligation of mercy.

Vivek Ramaswamy

Yes—and here's where it gets interesting. The system doesn't even work on its own terms. If you claim to believe in free markets, but privatize gains and socialize losses, you’re running a rigged casino, not capitalism. The moral contradiction is the camouflage for a deeper rot: our economy rewards size and failure at the top, and discipline and struggle at the bottom. That’s unsustainable—and immoral.

Chris Hedges

What we are witnessing is not contradiction—it is the logical outcome of empire. Rome punished the poor to sustain its patricians, and we do the same. The moral language is simply decoration for cruelty. Poor people are punished because they are not useful to the ruling class—unless they are in prison, in debt, or in service. That is not a bug. It’s the business model.

Dave Ramsey

I spend every day helping people crawl out of this trap. I’ve seen marriages saved and lives healed when debt is removed, but I also see how the system is set up to keep them in chains. I teach personal responsibility—but let’s not pretend predatory systems don't exist. We bailed out people who caused the 2008 collapse while young families lost homes. We call that “moral hazard” in finance. I call it evil.

Cornel West

Each of you speaks with fire—and rightly so. But let us deepen it now. If we agree that this is moral failure, not just policy error, then what must be repented of, and what must be reimagined? Is it time for a new Jubilee? Or something even more radical?

Second Question:

Cornel West:
If we are honest with ourselves, we must ask—not just how we got here—but how we keep getting away with it. Why do voters accept this inversion of justice, and what does that say about the stories we tell ourselves as a nation?

Dave Ramsey

Because we’ve convinced ourselves that the poor deserve it. That if you're in debt, it's always your fault. That shame story has been weaponized to protect the predators. People don’t question the system because they believe they'll one day beat it. That’s not capitalism—that’s a casino of false hope.

Chris Hedges

Yes, Dave. But I would go further: it's propaganda. The corporate media, the education system, even popular culture—have been captured to tell a single narrative: that success is moral and poverty is failure. The poor are blamed to hide the crimes of the rich. That’s how empire perpetuates itself.

Marianne Williamson

We suffer from a mass spiritual amnesia. We've forgotten the values of compassion, grace, and shared responsibility. The myth of rugged individualism has replaced the truth of interdependence. Until we remember that our brothers and sisters’ suffering is our own, we will continue to vote against love.

Vivek Ramaswamy

We also need to be honest that the system is opaque by design. Most people don’t understand how the Fed works, or how lobbying warps policy. And when they do catch on, they're offered distraction—identity politics, culture wars, clickbait outrage. Divide and misdirect. It’s a masterclass in psychological warfare.

Michael Knowles

The deception works because we’ve lost our moral formation. The collapse of family, faith, and tradition has made the American mind vulnerable. Without a fixed point—like God or natural law—people will believe anything that flatters their desires or numbs their fear. A people without a moral North Star is easily led into darkness.

Third Question:

Cornel West:
Now let us dream, brothers and sisters. If this contradiction is a kind of moral sickness, what would healing look like? Is a modern Year of Jubilee possible? What would it demand—from individuals, from institutions, from our souls?

Michael Knowles

Healing begins with repentance. A Year of Jubilee is not just economic—it’s spiritual. It requires humility from the powerful, and a return to moral law rooted in Scripture. Without that, redistribution becomes revenge, not renewal. We need forgiveness, not revolution.

Marianne Williamson

Yes, Michael, and amen. But repentance must be accompanied by radical love in action. That means debt forgiveness, universal healthcare, and massive reinvestment in poor communities. A real Jubilee would shock the system with mercy. It would be the politics of love made real.

Vivek Ramaswamy

A modern Jubilee could work—if we pair it with structural change. Break the monopolies, ban corporate lobbying, and make real financial education universal. The reset can’t just be relief; it must be rebirth. Otherwise, we’ll be back here in another fifty years.

Chris Hedges

We cannot heal until we dismantle the structures of cruelty. That means ending corporate rule, demilitarizing the police, breaking the prison-industrial complex, and abolishing usurious debt practices. Jubilee is not a metaphor. It is revolution by mercy. Anything less is decoration.

Dave Ramsey

I’ve seen lives transformed by a single act of forgiveness. Now imagine that on a national scale. But you can’t legislate personal change. We need cultural revival too. Teach kids about money. Preach integrity. Build local economies again. Jubilee isn’t just biblical—it’s common sense.

Closing by Cornel West:

Ah, my friends... you have lifted up the curtain on the great contradiction of our time. You’ve named the idol—Mammon. You’ve spoken of truth, repentance, and the boldness of love. A Jubilee is not naive. It is prophetic. And prophecy, when paired with courage, might just save us yet.

Economic Reset vs. Economic Collapse — Would a Modern Jubilee Save or Ruin Us?

“Would a modern Year of Jubilee save the economy or destroy it?”
Moderator: Cornel West
Participants: Michael Knowles, Vivek Ramaswamy, Marianne Williamson, Chris Hedges, Dave Ramsey

Scene:

An abandoned Federal Reserve boardroom. Velvet chairs covered in dust. In the center, a glowing ledger with every citizen’s debt floats inches above a marble table. Old clocks tick unevenly on the walls.

First Question:

Cornel West:
We must begin with the paradox. To free the people from debt bondage, we risk unleashing economic chaos. So tell me: if we were to enact a modern Year of Jubilee, would it be healing—or would it collapse the very economy it's meant to save?

Vivek Ramaswamy

It depends on how it's done. If we cancel debt without addressing the root causes—like government spending, financial illiteracy, and the Fed’s addiction to cheap money—then yes, we’re just blowing up the balloon for one last time. But if Jubilee is paired with reform, it could be a reset toward real productivity.

Marianne Williamson

The collapse we fear is already happening—spiritually, morally, and soon materially. A Jubilee wouldn’t break the system. It would reveal that it’s already broken. Debt relief can be a first breath of fresh air after decades in a toxic room. But only if followed by systemic change grounded in compassion and equity.

Dave Ramsey

Debt forgiveness sounds merciful, but if we wipe everything without changing behavior, we’ll be back here in a decade. You can’t clean the mess while leaving the faucet on. The reset must include personal accountability, cultural values, and tough love—or it becomes enabling, not empowering.

Chris Hedges

Let’s be clear: the current economy is not functional—it’s extractive. It doesn’t produce; it harvests. A Jubilee would crash their economy—the casino of hedge funds and predatory lenders—but could save the real economy. Farmers. Workers. Families. The question is not “will there be collapse?”—but whose collapse are we talking about?

Michael Knowles

A Jubilee without moral authority becomes chaos. Ancient Israel’s Jubilee worked because it was ordained by God, within a covenant society. Today, we lack that cohesion. You don’t throw a party of mercy when no one believes in justice. Done properly, it could revive order. Done flippantly, it would speed decline.

Second Question:

Cornel West:
If Jubilee risks toppling markets and power structures, why does that frighten us more than generational despair? Who benefits from the fear of collapse—and how have they made it feel more dangerous than injustice itself?

Chris Hedges

Because collapse threatens the ruling class. And they control the narrative. When Wall Street panics, it’s a “crisis.” When poor families default, it’s “personal failure.” Fear is their firewall. They say, “Don’t crash the system.” But the system is a boot on our necks. Why not crash it?

Dave Ramsey

Fear works because people are drowning and told the lifeboat will sink the ship. Look, collapse is scary. But what about the slow-motion collapse we’re living through? No savings. No homes. No hope. That’s collapse, too. We need to face the fear and fix the fundamentals—not protect the predators.

Michael Knowles

People fear collapse more than injustice because they’ve been trained to worship comfort. Radical change feels dangerous when tradition has been replaced by entitlement. The ruling class knows this. They sell safety to a nation of anxious souls. We need to teach courage again—spiritual and civic.

Marianne Williamson

Yes, and fear is addictive. The media, corporations, even churches sometimes peddle fear to keep people docile. But fear is not wisdom. Fear is the absence of love. The Year of Jubilee would terrify the powers that be—but it would liberate the soul of the nation. That’s the real fear: awakening.

Vivek Ramaswamy

To be blunt, fear of collapse is monetized. It’s built into policy. Into headlines. Into risk markets. The whole financial system profits from instability—as long as it doesn’t affect the wealthy. So, fear becomes leverage. It’s how bad actors stay in power and keep milking the broken machine.

Third Question:

Cornel West:
If we did it—if we actually tried a modern Jubilee—what would it look like? What mechanisms, what sacrifices, what moral shifts would it demand from us? Paint me that vision, and make it real.

Marianne Williamson

It would begin with truth-telling. About how we got here. Then debt audits—student, medical, credit. Community-based debt forgiveness programs. Tax-funded relief tied to civic participation, not shame. And beyond the financial? National forgiveness. Emotional reckoning. Spiritual repair. A sacred reset.

Michael Knowles

It would require legal guardrails and moral reform. No forgiveness without repentance. Financial institutions should be reined in, yes—but the people must also change. Without that, we trade one tyranny for another. Jubilee must be rooted in virtue, or it is merely envy in disguise.

Vivek Ramaswamy

I’d advocate for a tiered cancellation system: start with medical debt, then student loans under certain thresholds, followed by small business burdens. Fund it not just through taxes but by reclaiming ill-gotten corporate subsidies. Transparency and incentive alignment are key—or we breed resentment.

Dave Ramsey

Keep it local. Let churches, nonprofits, and families lead. Give people dignity in the process. And pair forgiveness with education: budgeting, investing, entrepreneurship. If Jubilee becomes a teachable moment, it can rebuild families—not just numbers.

Chris Hedges

It would require political revolution. Nationalization of the banks. Seizure of predatory assets. A cap on interest rates. Public banking. And yes—truth commissions, like South Africa, to expose the crimes of this economic war. Jubilee is justice in motion. Without justice, it's just noise.

Closing by Cornel West:

Ah... what a tapestry you’ve woven. I hear the longing for justice. The realism of risk. The ache of betrayal and the echo of Scripture. The Year of Jubilee is not only possible—it is necessary. The question is not whether we can afford it, but whether we can afford not to try.

Topic 3: Spiritual Implications — Is Society Spiritually Enslaved to the System Itself?

“If debt is slavery, is our society spiritually enslaved to the system itself?”
Moderator: Cornel West
Participants: Michael Knowles, Vivek Ramaswamy, Marianne Williamson, Chris Hedges, Dave Ramsey

Scene:

A darkened cathedral reimagined as a bank. The altar is a credit card terminal. Candles flicker beside framed stock tickers. Stained glass windows show scenes of payday lenders, student loan offices, and icons of Mammon and Freedom standing side by side.

First Question:

Cornel West:
My dear brothers and sisters, if debt is not only economic but spiritual, then tell me: what gods are we really serving? Has money become the master of the soul—and if so, what has that done to our collective spirit?

Chris Hedges

We’ve built a golden calf out of the market. Mammon now sits where the prophets once stood. We've traded the Sermon on the Mount for the NASDAQ. The soul of our nation is sick not just from inequality, but from idolatry. Debt is not merely a burden; it's a form of spiritual occupation.

Marianne Williamson

When a society prizes productivity over presence and acquisition over empathy, it turns the soul into collateral. We have internalized the system’s values until they sound like our own voice. We must remember: the divine spark in us cannot be measured in credit scores. We are not consumers—we are children of God.

Vivek Ramaswamy

We’ve blurred the lines between means and ends. The economy should serve humanity, not the other way around. And when material success becomes a moral imperative, we start baptizing greed. That’s not capitalism—it’s a cult. We need a return to first principles—faith, family, and freedom.

Michael Knowles

When the system separates us from virtue, it doesn’t just trap us financially—it leads us into spiritual error. Debt used to carry shame because it reflected a loss of discipline. Now we praise borrowing as empowerment. The real tragedy isn’t the debt—it’s the moral inversion beneath it.

Dave Ramsey

Debt promises freedom and delivers chains. It whispers “you deserve this,” and then owns your paycheck for decades. It’s a lie dressed as convenience. And the more we live by lies, the more our spirits shrink. The antidote? Truth. Responsibility. And saying “no” when the culture says “yes.”

Second Question:

Cornel West:
If the system enslaves not just wallets but worldviews, then how do we even begin to break free? Where do we find the strength to resist a machine that has wrapped itself around our very imagination?

Marianne Williamson

We begin with love. A society dominated by scarcity thinking will never imagine abundance. The revolution starts in consciousness. Forgiveness, generosity, simplicity—these are spiritual weapons. When enough of us awaken to a deeper truth, the system begins to lose its spell.

Dave Ramsey

We reclaim our minds one family at a time. Shut off the ads. Cut the cards. Teach your kids how to live on less. This is war for the soul, but the battlefield is your living room. The system wants you tired, broke, and confused. Refuse it by becoming clear, rested, and intentional.

Vivek Ramaswamy

Culture is upstream of economics. We need a renaissance of meaning—of faith and national identity—that gives people a purpose beyond consumption. When you know who you are, you stop needing validation through stuff. That’s how you weaken the system’s grip: with anchored lives.

Michael Knowles

Resisting the machine means returning to tradition. We must relearn reverence—for the sacred, for family, for the limits God places on us. Modernity promised liberation and delivered confusion. The path back is not through rebellion—but obedience to something higher.

Chris Hedges

You resist through truth-telling. Prophetic fire. Art. Liturgy. Civil disobedience. The system counts on your silence. Speak. It wants your despair. Hope anyway. You cannot beat it with comfort—you beat it by suffering on purpose, in solidarity with those crushed beneath it.

Third Question:

Cornel West:
If debt is spiritual slavery, then Jubilee is spiritual liberation. But liberation always comes at a price. What must we be willing to lose—individually and as a nation—to truly be free?

Michael Knowles

We must give up illusions—of autonomy without limits, of comfort without sacrifice. Freedom always requires order. The Founders knew this. Christ knew this. If we want liberation, we must be ready to suffer with dignity, not whine in luxury.

Chris Hedges

We must lose our addiction to the empire of self. The iPhone. The brand. The curated identity. Real freedom feels like dying before you’re born again. Jubilee would cost us our idols—but it might return our souls. That’s a trade worth making.

Dave Ramsey

People want freedom but won’t give up the credit card. That’s the story. To be free, you may need to downsize. You may look weird. You may lose friends. But you’ll gain your life back. Liberty is expensive—but slavery is costlier.

Marianne Williamson

We must sacrifice the ego’s comfort for the soul’s evolution. That means healing shame, forgiving ourselves, stepping off the hamster wheel. Nationally, we must shed the armor of exceptionalism and admit we’re not okay. Only then can grace flood in.

Vivek Ramaswamy

We must surrender the false god of efficiency. Human flourishing isn’t about maximum output—it’s about purpose. Jubilee requires courage, discipline, and spiritual clarity. The sacrifice isn’t material—it’s ideological. But what we gain is so much greater.

Closing by Cornel West:

What I hear is not just critique—it is a call to metanoia, to the turning of the heart. Jubilee is not just a policy. It is a prayer. A song. A cry for deliverance. And only the spiritually courageous will hear it.

Topic 4: Generational Inequity — Why Were the Boomers Forgiven But Not Gen Z?

“Why were the Boomers forgiven their debts (via inflation and bailouts), but Millennials and Gen Z get compounding penalties?”
Moderator: Cornel West
Participants: Michael Knowles, Vivek Ramaswamy, Marianne Williamson, Chris Hedges, Dave Ramsey

Scene:

A split museum hall. On one side, sepia-toned photographs of post-war homes, booming suburbs, and paid-off college degrees. On the other, dim LED-lit tablets show student debt dashboards, eviction notices, and gig economy pay stubs. The center aisle is lined with ticking clocks.

First Question:

Cornel West:
We begin, dear friends, with this contradiction: How did one generation receive debt forgiveness through inflation and subsidized growth—while their children inherit a financial prison of interest rates, stagnant wages, and collapsing trust? What happened between then and now?

Vivek Ramaswamy

What happened was institutional capture. The Boomers weren’t inherently malicious—but they did build and benefit from a system that subsidized their rise while externalizing the costs. They coasted on post-war abundance and deregulated globalization. And when the bill came due, they passed it down.

Marianne Williamson

It was a spiritual failure. The Boomer generation inherited a moment of deep possibility—civil rights, spiritual awakening, even economic equality—and they traded it for comfort. They forgot that wisdom is meant to be handed forward, not hoarded like a family secret.

Michael Knowles

Inflation in the ‘70s and ‘80s functioned as a kind of soft reset—wiping out debts and making assets rise. That’s not available to Gen Z. They face compounding debt with no reset in sight. The real shift was cultural: Boomers believed in upward mobility. Their children were taught to believe in themselves—and little else.

Chris Hedges

We must name it: generational plunder. The Boomers didn't just forget—they sold out. They turned the dream into a brand and sold it to the highest bidder. They privatized the commons, gutted unions, and abandoned the poor. Now their children rent back scraps of the life they were born into.

Dave Ramsey

Boomers had the chance to build wealth with discipline. But somewhere along the line, it became about entitlement, not effort. Credit became a lifestyle, not a tool. That mindset trickled down, but the opportunities didn’t. Now young people are told: “Work harder,” while the rules have changed completely.

Second Question:

Cornel West:
So what does that do to trust between generations? If the older generation walked through doors that are now locked to the young—what moral obligation, if any, remains between the generations?

Chris Hedges

It breeds resentment. And rightfully so. Trust is earned. When the powerful deny the crisis while sipping wine in their retirement communities, they lose moral credibility. Jubilee must be intergenerational—or there will be rupture. The future will judge us by what we gave back, not what we accumulated.

Dave Ramsey

The older generation does owe something—but not in guilt. In guidance. They need to stop gaslighting young people with bootstraps nonsense and start mentoring them with truth. You can’t fix the system overnight, but you can disciple a generation to fight back wisely.

Vivek Ramaswamy

Boomers must reclaim their dignity—not by defending the system, but by reforming it for their children. The trust breakdown is real, and it’s not just emotional—it’s practical. Can Gen Z trust Social Security? Trust real estate? Trust higher ed? If not, the social contract is broken—and that’s combustible.

Marianne Williamson

We need what I call “generational repentance.” Not self-flagellation, but acknowledgment. The wounds of the past don’t heal through denial. Boomers must say: we see what we missed. Only then can they be agents of repair instead of targets of blame.

Michael Knowles

Moral obligation begins with telling the truth. If you bought a house at 3x your salary, don’t tell your grandson to skip coffee. Admit the difference. And then, yes—honor your role as elders. Your job now is not to accumulate, but to steward what you have for the next generation.

Third Question:

Cornel West:
Let us end here: If we accept that generational inequity is real and spiritually corrosive—then what is the path to healing it? Not just policy-wise, but heart-wise?

Marianne Williamson

Healing begins when the heart is open. Boomers must listen with humility. Gen Z must speak without hatred. Both must step beyond cynicism and enter a shared moral conversation: What do we owe one another as human beings across time? The answer is not in a spreadsheet—it’s in the soul.

Michael Knowles

We must recover reverence. The young must honor their elders—but elders must earn that honor. Let wisdom replace defensiveness. Let truth replace nostalgia. When both sides reorient toward God, not self, we’ll find a path back to mutual obligation.

Chris Hedges

There must be resistance and grace. The system must be challenged, yes. But also: sit at the same table. Break bread. Tell the truth of your lives to one another. The wound runs deep—but the memory of justice is older still. It can guide us back.

Dave Ramsey

Let’s teach the truth: Money is not a god. Work is not a punishment. And legacy is not about inheritance—it’s about example. A grandparent who models discipline and generosity can break generational curses. That’s healing in action.

Vivek Ramaswamy

We need an intergenerational mission. A big idea that transcends age. Maybe it’s a real Jubilee. Maybe it’s a national service program. Maybe it’s constitutional revival. But it has to be shared. Otherwise we just keep blaming each other while the country crumbles.

Final Thoughts by Cornel West:

There’s a kind of amnesia that creeps into comfort. The only cure is remembrance—with repentance. We must remember the bridges that were built for us... and ask: Will we build them again, or will we burn them with our excuses?

Topic 5: Resistance from the Ruling Class — Who Would Fight a Jubilee the Hardest, and Why?

“Who would fight a Year of Jubilee the hardest — and what does that reveal about power today?”
Moderator: Cornel West
Participants: Michael Knowles, Vivek Ramaswamy, Marianne Williamson, Chris Hedges, Dave Ramsey

Scene:

A towering cathedral of finance. Marble pillars etched with logos of multinational banks, streaming tickers in Latin. Below, the participants sit in a circle at the base of a golden bull statue. Each holds a candle, but the shadows are long.

First Question:

Cornel West:
Let’s speak truth. The idea of a Jubilee—canceling debts, resetting the scales—is holy, ancient... and completely threatening to the modern order. So, I ask: Who would resist it the most—and what does their resistance tell us about where power really lives today?

Michael Knowles

The ruling class isn’t just bankers and billionaires—it’s the ideology of perpetual growth. Anyone whose wealth depends on debt—Wall Street, universities, even governments—will resist. Their god is compound interest, not compassion. They believe forgiveness destabilizes their thrones.

Marianne Williamson

Debt is spiritual leverage. The resistance to Jubilee isn’t just financial—it’s metaphysical. Those in power fear losing control more than losing money. Jubilee reminds the powerful that all things return to God—not Goldman Sachs. And they don’t like that one bit.

Chris Hedges

The ruling class has turned debt into a weapon. It is no longer just a contract—it is a chain. They will resist Jubilee because it threatens the apparatus of domination: payday loans, student debt, medical bankruptcies. Jubilee is moral dynamite to a system built on slow economic suffocation.

Vivek Ramaswamy

The deeper resistance comes not from obvious elites, but from those who’ve internalized the system. Middle managers, pension fund boards, real estate speculators—they all fear what Jubilee would mean for their asset values. The resistance will come from below the top, disguised as pragmatism.

Dave Ramsey

Let’s be clear: banks and governments love people in debt—it makes them obedient. A Jubilee would freak them out because it creates free people. And free people don’t need credit cards, predatory loans, or endless government programs. That’s what scares them.

Second Question:

Cornel West:
If we know the ruling class will resist—then how will they frame that resistance? What arguments, moral or otherwise, will they use to prevent Jubilee from ever happening?

Chris Hedges

They’ll cloak their resistance in responsibility. They’ll say: “We must protect the economy,” “We can’t reward irresponsibility.” It’s the language of false virtue. But really, they’re defending a casino. They moralize to mask theft.

Dave Ramsey

They’ll say it’s unfair. That it rewards bad choices. But here’s the irony: they’ve bailed themselves out a dozen times! Banks, hedge funds, governments—they all got a Jubilee in 2008. But when it’s the poor asking? Suddenly they’re moral purists.

Vivek Ramaswamy

They’ll invoke the specter of collapse. “Markets will panic. Credit will freeze. Civilization will crumble.” It’s fear-based manipulation. But truthfully, every major system needs pruning. Jubilee isn’t chaos—it’s the clearing of rot.

Marianne Williamson

They will hide behind “moral hazard.” That forgiving debt teaches the wrong lesson. But what lesson does endless servitude teach? They’ll quote economics textbooks, but inside they’re just scared their game might be over.

Michael Knowles

They’ll say it’s socialism. That it’s theft from the productive to feed the lazy. But Jubilee isn’t redistribution—it’s restoration. It’s not taking what’s yours. It’s stopping what never should have been taken. That frightens them most.

Third Question:

Cornel West:
So let’s turn inward. What must be healed in us, in the people, to withstand that resistance? How do we revive the courage—and imagination—needed to make Jubilee real again?

Marianne Williamson

We must stop worshipping scarcity. We’ve been spiritually colonized to believe there's never enough. Jubilee asks us to trust in abundance again. In God’s economy, there's always enough when love is the currency.

Vivek Ramaswamy

We need a narrative shift. Right now, people blame themselves for their debt. That shame is paralyzing. We must reframe the story: you are not broken—you are being leveraged. When that truth lands, courage returns.

Michael Knowles

We need moral clarity. We’ve confused forgiveness with weakness. But true Jubilee takes strength. It takes hierarchy—something greater than banks, greater than markets, saying: This ends now. That’s a sacred act.

Chris Hedges

We must recover rage. Not blind anger—but sacred indignation. Jubilee is not just an economic act. It is prophetic rebellion. It is saying: the meek shall no longer be fleeced. And we must feel that again to act on it.

Dave Ramsey

We need discipline, not just dreams. A Jubilee won’t fix everything overnight. We’ll still need budgets, we’ll still need work. But the gift is this: it gives people a new starting line. Let’s not waste that moment with bitterness. Let’s run with it.

Final Thoughts by Cornel West:

A system built on debt resists Jubilee because it fears freedom. But the people? The people yearn to breathe again. May we summon the moral fire to part the sea of interest rates, and walk forward—debt-free, unafraid, and unowned.

Final Thoughts by Charlie Kirk

You’ve just heard voices from across disciplines — spiritual, economic, generational — all converging on one truth:

This system isn’t working.

Debt has become modern slavery, not because people are lazy, but because the system is rigged to reward extraction, not contribution. Because the people who should’ve known better… didn’t care.

But here’s the good news.

Jubilee isn’t just a policy. It’s a mindset. It’s a return to balance. To sanity. To compassion.

This conversation isn’t about creating victims — it’s about creating vision. About choosing justice over vengeance, wisdom over greed, and spiritual clarity over economic chaos.

We owe it to the next generation — and to God — to build something better.

So… what will we do with what we know now? Will we cling to comfort, or will we carry the cost of reform?

I hope we choose wisely. For the sake of our souls. For the sake of our kids. For the sake of America.

Thank you for listening — and more importantly, thank you for caring.

Short Bios:

Michael Knowles

A Catholic commentator and Daily Wire host, Michael Knowles connects economic and spiritual crises, arguing that debt culture erodes virtue and sovereignty, both individual and national.

Vivek Ramaswamy

Entrepreneur, investor, and political voice, Vivek Ramaswamy critiques crony capitalism and the technocratic elite. He sees debt policy as a tool of centralized control masquerading as progress.

Chris Rufo

Author and conservative activist, Chris Rufo investigates ideological capture in institutions. He views debt as an intentional mechanism for dependency, wielded by the ruling class against working families.

Sohrab Ahmari

Former NY Post op-ed editor and post-liberal thinker, Sohrab Ahmari advocates for economic justice through tradition and religious ethics. He sees the Year of Jubilee as a sacred disruption of exploitation.

Delano Squires

Writer and Heritage Foundation fellow, Delano Squires centers faith, fatherhood, and moral clarity. He calls out generational betrayal masked as prosperity, urging society to return to God’s design for justice.

Charlie Kirk 

Founder of Turning Point USA, Charlie Kirk is a political commentator and advocate for conservative values. He champions economic accountability, intergenerational justice, and national renewal, often warning of how debt culture erodes the moral fabric of American life.