[Esel Mann]

Under such circumstances as you suggest in the scenario you pose, I do not agree that there would be a power vacuum. It seems logical that that we would revert back to some form of a feudal society. That or a dictatorship. However dictatorship seems unlikely as no single person or group has that amount of power at the moment.

The folks in debt, would of course become serfs. If they don't become serfs, well lets just say they very likely will be dealt with and no longer be with us. History has shown us that government may coddle debtors, but the free man does not.

The folks with no debt, well, are beholden to no one. The ones who I'll call break-evens, its anyone's guess as to who they'll align with. They have nothing but owe no one anything. The ones with even a modest amount of possession, likely will have land, which they can then convert to live off of. They also will likely have the means to procure the necessary tools to defend themselves. Then there are the ones who also have excess, for which of course they can use to either procure the tools or hire the tools to project force.

That all being said, I'm not sure why one would pose such a scenario. Even for consideration. Yes we are a messed up bunch collectively, and yes a good 85% of the folk well are not capable of being responsible for themselves or their families. Our history has ALWAYS put the money on that other 15%.

Keep your eye on the shakers, the makers, the movers, and the the doers, in other words that other 15%. The other 85% is nothing but noise. I call them the living dead. They're alive but have the value to our society about as much as a dead person. The 15% are the ones who will show all the signs that the scenario you pose is emminent. At this time, those 15% are not showing those signs. In fact just the opposite, they are showing the signs of determination with which to sort this who mess out in which we are in.