Well, that kind of technique is even older. Debt has been enslaving human beings during centuries. It's a subtle but powerful way to ruin our lives. People in power (not just politicians, but also banksters and other crap) don't like our freedom, because the more free we are, the less power they have. If we were completely free, we wouldn't need them, therefore their power would vanish. That's why they will work hard to make us as poor as possible. And debt is the perfect weapon for that