Inescapable History, Inescapable Fates

Bad Debt Part 1

https://criticaltheory.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Harney-Moten_cho04-Debt-and-Study_The-Undercommons.pdf

This is the article quoted in this and subsequent chapters. Read the quoted paragraphs out loud, it is written like poetry even though it is economic theory, and reading it out loud will help a lot. Just trust me.

Alex went to the library and read an article by Stefano Harney and Fred Moten about debt in the air-conditioned atrium. Student debt. Societal debt. Debt that is violent and exploitative. Debt that is historic and hard-fought. Debt that is loving and eternal.

They say we have too much debt. We need better credit, more credit, less spending. They offer us credit repair, credit counseling, micro- credit, personal financial planning. They promise to match credit and debt again, debt and credit. But our debts stay bad. We keep buying another song, another round. It is not credit we seek nor even debt but bad debt which is to say real debt, the debt that cannot be repaid, the debt at a distance, the debt without creditor, the black debt, the queer debt, the criminal debt. Excessive debt, incalculable debt, debt for no reason, debt broken from credit, debt as its own principle.

Hunter locked the door as soon as he entered. Henry rolled his eyes, he could at least pretend they weren't just there to fuck. Hunter was the son of Dan Greenberg, and not a great shot or tactician, but that wasn't what Henry was using him for. Pez hated him. "He literally supports eugenics,'' Pez would hiss if he was there. But Pez was not there, and Hunter was. All 6.5 inches of him.

They had barely finished, collapsing on the bed, boneless, when someone started banging on the door incessantly. Hunter started laughing, a grin flashing across his face and Henry kissed him, remembering for a moment why Hunter was his go-to hookup.

"I better let Alex in before he knocks down the door." Hunter gave him a lazy smile and buttoned his pants. Henry pulled on a shirt and opened the door. "Alex." He greeted with a nod. Alex glared at him and he frowned, immediately pulled out of his post-sex high.

"What the fuck."

"We were dressing," Henry said defensively, then narrowed his eyes, realizing Alex had no right to be angry. Alex wasn't looking at him, he was staring past him, into the room where Hunter was only partially visible, still curled in Henry's sheets.

"Did you screw someone while I was in the library?" Alex still sounded more annoyed than he had any right to be. In fact, he looked disgusted. Like something was convulsing within him. Straight boys, why were they always like this? Ok with queerness until faced with the actual act.

"That's why I had you sign NDAs, so I could-"

Alex cut him off, "Is this why you were so anal about the temperature earlier?"

"I-" Henry stepped back, "You think the entire world revolves around you,"

"Fine. Whatever." Alex, pushed past Henry, who was standing in the doorway, shocked. Where had this come from? Why was Alex so unpredictable? "Fuck whoe-" Alex finally recognized the other person in the room. His voice turned accusatory. "Hunter?! Doesn't he support eugenics? Henry!" Alex turned to him, upset,

"I don't know why you think-"

"-He is literally a neo-Nazi," Alex shouted, cutting Henry off, again. Henry thought about closing the door, other students were starting to take notice. But he kept it open, hoping he could usher Hunter off and avoid a confrontation. Unfortunately, Hunter then said,

"In one class I said maybe people who can't support themselves should die off, that's not eugenics-"

"People who can't support themselves?" Alex turned to Hunter, eyes blazing, "How about the entire ownership class?"

Hunter immediately realized he did not, actually, want to have this argument, "I regret my-"

"No," Alex was in attack mode and Henry tried to tug Hunter towards the door. They had an audience. "Who made those shoes you're wearing? Who made your food? You can't support yourself, you are the leach on the system,"

"Excuse me?" Hunter said, pulling out of Henry's grip and stepping towards Alex.

"You're right, people who don't support themselves should die,"

"I wasn't being serious, you fucking terrorist," They were a breath apart and Henry hated how he was half-panicked, half-jealous at their proximity.

"You were joking about peoples' lives being worthless, now I'm joking about how worthless your life is."

Hunter grabbed Alex's shoulder, growling, "Careful, my dad is-"

"I don't care. Don't touch me." Alex tried to shake him off.

"Then shut up."

Alex punched him.