US Politics Mega-thread - Page 2565

On August 19 2020 05:45 CorsairHero wrote:

Bernie was second last speaking just before Michelle Obama with 9 minutes of time.

On August 19 2020 05:54 GreenHorizons wrote:


Did you believe him when he said we could push Biden to the left or do you believe Kasich that we can't?

Or are you just pointing out that the DNC will have whoever speak and say whatever they think people want to hear regardless of its incoherence?

On August 19 2020 06:14 JimmiC wrote:
I don't think student loan forgiveness is good policy. It is treating the symptom and not the cause. And it helps middle class people get comfortable sooner rather than bring more to the middle class.

On August 19 2020 06:00 Mohdoo wrote:

Comparing the 2008 platform to the 2020 platform is like 2 different parties. It is easy to say it isn't perfect yet but to say Biden hasn't been pushed left seems crazy. Student loan forgiveness is absolutely giant.

On August 19 2020 06:33 JimmiC wrote:

I agree but the debt is the symptom of allowing for profit private schools and letting them charge insanely high rates.

One generation gets a free pass but futures? Is it realistic to always pay it at these high rates?

On August 19 2020 06:18 ShoCkeyy wrote:


Dude, student loan debt is a virus in the US, syphoning all the hard worked money from anybody trying to enter the middle class.

I personally got lucky and only have to pay $15k, but you know how long I've been paying $15k off for?... The interest alone on repaying student loans is fucking stupid. I have 6%... that means I have to pay over $1000 dollars a month to even hit my principal. Now imagine people who have $50k+ with 5-6% repayment interest. Not a lot of people can afford paying that interest alone.

I personally can't afford to drop $1000 a month into student loans just yet, and I can't imagine many others can as well...

On August 19 2020 06:43 Danglars wrote:
Elizabeth Warren, appointed to speak in the "Native American Caucus Meeting." Oh, this is too rich. I love it.

On August 19 2020 06:47 JimmiC wrote:

I agree with that. I even think you could use this current money to start to fix the system and take over and pay off the existing loans with some very favorable terms. Whether that is 0 interest, or long delays until you have to payback, some forgiveness when people graduate, whatever.

I just think that paying off now basically encourages the current system to charge more and people to willingly take on this huge debt expecting it to get forgiven again.

On August 19 2020 06:20 GreenHorizons wrote:

So Kasich is a liar that Republicans (or centrists that fear Biden moving left) shouldn't believe and was touted as bait for idiots?

I mean obviously I think it takes a gratuitous amount of gullibility to take Democrats at their word when it comes to their plans, but the point is that they put mutually exclusive prognostications for a Biden presidency on display and Democrats seem completely oblivious to the cognitive dissonance that should cause for observers.

On August 19 2020 07:18 Mohdoo wrote:


Kasich is demonstrably full of shit when comparing the 2008 platform to the 2020 platform.

I don't mind it at all. I don't think Kasich will scare people away. Bernie have a great speech about why progressives should support Biden. People who are further left than listening to Bernie were never going to vote for Biden. That's fine. Obama and Clinton didn't get that vote either.

On August 19 2020 07:29 GreenHorizons wrote:


I think you're misunderstanding the critique. Obviously I have one for people that follow politicians over policy but the point was about who Kasich was there to court.

People focus on Democrats complacency with the naked cynicism of inviting someone like Kasich (who was basically the worst before Trump and hasn't changed his policy prescriptions since they thought that). I'm pointing out he's courting Republicans that Democrats have to believe are too stupid to notice "Kasich is demonstrably full of shit" while believing it is obvious enough to ridicule people to Biden's left for doubting.

On August 19 2020 06:14 JimmiC wrote:
I don't think student loan forgiveness is good policy. It is treating the symptom and not the cause. And it helps middle class people get comfortable sooner rather than bring more to the middle class.

On August 19 2020 07:41 Mohdoo wrote:


I think it comes down to what we SPECIFICALLY think Kasich is promising. I think Kasich is trying to reassure republicans the sky won't fall if Trump loses. What did Kasich say to make you think he's saying Biden will govern as a conservative?

They fear Joe may turn sharp left and leave them behind. I don’t believe that... you know, no one pushes Joe around.

On August 19 2020 07:51 Nevuk wrote:

Student loan debt was effectively a way for the government to massively raise taxes on those with the least political power (poor milennials) while avoiding pissing off those with the most (Boomers and the wealthy). It was simply a transfer of funding from state funds to the pockets of individuals (combined with ballooning administrative pay. Superintendents make 4-5x what a teacher makes on average, while University presidents can make 100-300x, for no reason, as far as I can tell). It wasn't what it was originally intended as, but it's what it turned into.

Now that Millenials are starting to grasp power (largest voting bloc, even if they have a somewhat lower participation), there was no way in hell it was going to remain the status quo. You can't levy a 1/2 of a mortgage worth of debt on the majority of an entire generation at the age of 18 and expect the economy to function. The inevitability didn't make me take out more loans, but it does make me reluctant to pay more than the minimum on them.

The amount of student loan debt is insane, and there was no real choice : a four year degree was almost required to work as a grocery bagger during the great recession.

Now, student loan forgiveness without reforming the basic structure of loans would be stupid, but I won't be surprised if it happens that way.

On August 19 2020 09:03 mierin wrote:


Very well said, though I think "millenials grasping power" is quite the hyperbole.

On August 19 2020 09:03 mierin wrote:


Very well said, though I think "millenials grasping power" is quite the hyperbole.