New York 2140

by Kim Stanley Robinson

“You could pop the bubble on purpose, having arranged a different response to the crash that would follow.” I pointed the raised finger over my shoulder, at uptown. “If liquidity relies on a steady payment stream from ordinary people, which it does, then you could crash the system any time you wanted, by people stopping their payments. Mortgages, rents, utilities, student debt, health insurance. Stop paying, everyone at once. Call it Odious Debt Default Day, or a financial general strike, or get the pope to declare it the Jubilee, he can do that anytime he wants.” “But wouldn’t people get in trouble?” Amelia inquired. “There would be too many of them. You can’t put everyone in jail. So in that basic sense, people still have power. They have leverage because of all the leverage. I mean, you’re the head of the Householders’ Union, right?” “Yes.” “Well, think about it. What do unions do?” Now Charlotte was smiling at me again, eyes alight, really an intelligent and warm smile. “They strike.” “Exactly.” “I like this!” Amelia exclaimed. “I like this plan.”