I was just thinking...

[Malak]

If loans had been made illegal near the beginning of America's development, where would we be now? Potentially less advanced but more stable?

 

[zerocool84]

Wow

 

[JJChicken]

That's probably a correct assessment. We'd have a lot less technology, but the economy wouldn't be as volatile as it is now. Obviously, if all other countries had no restrictions on loaning, then America would by totally screwed, so I assume when you say loaning is illegal you mean its illegal for EVERYONE around the world.

 

[slayer202]

I wonder what would have happened if hitler never had a mustache

 

[HamburgerBoy]

Undefeatable. LegendKiller knows this.

 

[Crono]

We'd be like Finland.

 

[ScottFern]

We'd probably be bi-winning.

 

[Malak]

That's probably a correct assessment. We'd have a lot less technology, but the economy wouldn't be as volatile as it is now. Obviously, if all other countries had no restrictions on loaning, then America would by totally screwed, so I assume when you say loaning is illegal you mean its illegal for EVERYONE around the world.

Well assuming loans were illegal just in America and the concept didn't catch on around the world... I think the overall level of technology wouldn't necessarily be lower. Society would probably be very different though and many businesses would be run on foreign soil.

 

[1sikbITCH]

If Congress had outlawed the loaning of money, people would just be loaning it under the table.

It didn't work for Prohibition either.

 

[paulney]

What if it was outlawed for everyone but Jews?

 

[HamburgerBoy]

What if it was outlawed for everyone but Jews?

No difference?

 

[OverVolt]

We would probably be talking German if loans were illegal.

 

[Lifted]

England would have come back across the pond a few decades later, and we'd all be speaking bloody English now and flying the Union Jack.

 

[yhelothar]

Could investors still invest?

 

[disappoint]

I was just thinking, what if instead of extremes, we did something more *gasp* sensible?

 

[waggy]

..idiotic.

to many what ifs to even think about.

 

[Malak]

I was just thinking, what if instead of extremes, we did something more *gasp* sensible?

The point is now it would be extreme but 200 years ago not so much. It would have been sensible and we could potentially have the most stable country on the planet right now if it had occurred.