Comments on: Forgiving Student Loans Will Help Democrats http://www.chrisweigant.com/2022/08/23/forgiving-student-loans-will-help-democrats/ Reality-based political commentary Sat, 11 Apr 2026 10:00:41 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: dsws http://www.chrisweigant.com/2022/08/23/forgiving-student-loans-will-help-democrats/#comment-197732 dsws Wed, 24 Aug 2022 16:46:29 +0000 http://www.chrisweigant.com/?p=22476#comment-197732 Hmpf. It says "people families" because there's a strikethrough tag on "people", and it worked in preview mode. Hmpf. It says "people families" because there's a strikethrough tag on "people", and it worked in preview mode.

]]> By: dsws http://www.chrisweigant.com/2022/08/23/forgiving-student-loans-will-help-democrats/#comment-197731 dsws Wed, 24 Aug 2022 16:45:11 +0000 http://www.chrisweigant.com/?p=22476#comment-197731 I'm not big on fairness. If we can make things better for everyone, but only by making it a little better for some people and a lot better for other equally-deserving people, we should do it. I'm often not all that impressed by the putative effects of incentives, either, as expressed in my habitual caricature of capitalism: <i>If we pay people enough for being rich, and fine people enough for being poor, no one will choose to be born poor ever again.</i> But I am inclined to prioritize student debt forgiveness lower than I otherwise would, on the grounds that it selectively helps people who could afford to go to college in the first place. Rather than "this will help (bignumber) people families", I suspect that it would be more effective to amplify the stories of people who borrow $50k for college, pay back $500k over a couple decades, and wind up owing $5M at the end of it (or whatever the amounts happen to be). I'm not big on fairness. If we can make things better for everyone, but only by making it a little better for some people and a lot better for other equally-deserving people, we should do it.

I'm often not all that impressed by the putative effects of incentives, either, as expressed in my habitual caricature of capitalism: If we pay people enough for being rich, and fine people enough for being poor, no one will choose to be born poor ever again.

But I am inclined to prioritize student debt forgiveness lower than I otherwise would, on the grounds that it selectively helps people who could afford to go to college in the first place. Rather than "this will help (bignumber) people families", I suspect that it would be more effective to amplify the stories of people who borrow $50k for college, pay back $500k over a couple decades, and wind up owing $5M at the end of it (or whatever the amounts happen to be).

]]> By: dsws http://www.chrisweigant.com/2022/08/23/forgiving-student-loans-will-help-democrats/#comment-197730 dsws Wed, 24 Aug 2022 16:33:12 +0000 http://www.chrisweigant.com/?p=22476#comment-197730 <a href="http://www.chrisweigant.com/2022/08/19/friday-talking-points-banana-republicans/#comment-197662" rel="nofollow">[16]</a> of a previous thread <blockquote> [blockquote][/blockquote] But, you have to use the other type brackets. Hi Dan! </blockquote> Hi, and thanks. [16] of a previous thread

[blockquote][/blockquote]

But, you have to use the other type brackets.

Hi Dan!

Hi, and thanks.

]]> By: MtnCaddy http://www.chrisweigant.com/2022/08/23/forgiving-student-loans-will-help-democrats/#comment-197729 MtnCaddy Wed, 24 Aug 2022 14:44:57 +0000 http://www.chrisweigant.com/?p=22476#comment-197729 I would have gone higher than $10,000 and I would have made it a<b> cash payment to those who borrowed and repaid in full. </b>This would be fairer and would boost our economy just like the Stimulus checks did. I would have gone higher than $10,000 and I would have made it a cash payment to those who borrowed and repaid in full. This would be fairer and would boost our economy just like the Stimulus checks did.

]]> By: Kick http://www.chrisweigant.com/2022/08/23/forgiving-student-loans-will-help-democrats/#comment-197728 Kick Wed, 24 Aug 2022 13:48:16 +0000 http://www.chrisweigant.com/?p=22476#comment-197728 CW <i>From the Democrats' perspective, it boils down to a simple question to ask the voters: "Are you for a one-time $10,000 federal subsidy for college students who still owe student loans, or are you against that idea? Or, to boil it down even further: "Are you for making paying for college easier or not?" </i> Or, to cut straight to the chase: Are you for cancelling college debt or for: * banning books? * whitewashing history? * unfunded government-mandated forced birth? CW

From the Democrats' perspective, it boils down to a simple question to ask the voters: "Are you for a one-time $10,000 federal subsidy for college students who still owe student loans, or are you against that idea? Or, to boil it down even further: "Are you for making paying for college easier or not?"

Or, to cut straight to the chase:

Are you for cancelling college debt or for:
* banning books?
* whitewashing history?
* unfunded government-mandated forced birth?

]]> By: Kick http://www.chrisweigant.com/2022/08/23/forgiving-student-loans-will-help-democrats/#comment-197727 Kick Wed, 24 Aug 2022 04:38:27 +0000 http://www.chrisweigant.com/?p=22476#comment-197727 That "Red Wave" we've been promised for months and months has tonight produced a Blue Middle Finger in a district that leans Republican by 4.7%. The NY Post (of course) reports: "Republican wins 'bellwether' NY-19 special election for congress." Think I am kidding? Read the words imbedded in the link: https://nypost.com/2022/08/24/republican-wins-bellwether-ny-19-special-election-for-congress/ Maybe they'll fix their mistake before Alexander Hamilton starts turning in his grave. :) That "Red Wave" we've been promised for months and months has tonight produced a Blue Middle Finger in a district that leans Republican by 4.7%.

The NY Post (of course) reports: "Republican wins 'bellwether' NY-19 special election for congress." Think I am kidding? Read the words imbedded in the link:

https://nypost.com/2022/08/24/republican-wins-bellwether-ny-19-special-election-for-congress/

Maybe they'll fix their mistake before Alexander Hamilton starts turning in his grave. :)

]]> By: Mezzomamma http://www.chrisweigant.com/2022/08/23/forgiving-student-loans-will-help-democrats/#comment-197726 Mezzomamma Wed, 24 Aug 2022 04:33:10 +0000 http://www.chrisweigant.com/?p=22476#comment-197726 Poet--I certainly agree that there should not be compound interest on student loans. I'm inclined to think that debt forgiveness should be linked to adult income in some way, and perhaps automatically forgiven after a set period of years for lower income levels. But it's so crazily far beyond the levels when I was in the first cohort to get student loans, as are other things like rent and house prices, that I have no idea what numbers would be fair and workable. Poet--I certainly agree that there should not be compound interest on student loans. I'm inclined to think that debt forgiveness should be linked to adult income in some way, and perhaps automatically forgiven after a set period of years for lower income levels. But it's so crazily far beyond the levels when I was in the first cohort to get student loans, as are other things like rent and house prices, that I have no idea what numbers would be fair and workable.

]]> By: nypoet22 http://www.chrisweigant.com/2022/08/23/forgiving-student-loans-will-help-democrats/#comment-197724 nypoet22 Wed, 24 Aug 2022 00:39:17 +0000 http://www.chrisweigant.com/?p=22476#comment-197724 @cw, I think student debt could be a winning issue, but not all student debt is equal. Free money for mediocre students who overspent doesn't always ring true. What does make sense is to outlaw compound interest on student loans. Everyone should have to pay back what they borrowed; nobody should have to pay back five times the initial cost of their education. @cw,

I think student debt could be a winning issue, but not all student debt is equal. Free money for mediocre students who overspent doesn't always ring true. What does make sense is to outlaw compound interest on student loans. Everyone should have to pay back what they borrowed; nobody should have to pay back five times the initial cost of their education.

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