Could you please elaborate on the claim that loans are essentially required for modern life in the US? You might be able to make the argument for a mortgage but even that is not absolutely required. Possibly student loans could be seen as required but those are largely government subsidized/administered and typically given out to younger people who haven’t yet gone through a bankruptcy.
Damn, I like The Smiths, Radiohead, Joy Division, Nine Inch Nails, Pavement, and Weezer. Somehow I managed to cover the whole board.