[mightybyte]

> If anything, ignorance of finance is how you give your money to the bankers.

I don't think it's quite that simple. It's probably some combination of a number of factors such as:

  * Inability to control one's spending
  * A consumer-driven culture where status is equated with material possessions
  * Availability of easy credit
  * Society not recognizing compulsive spending as an addiction