Trump is a wannabe elite trying to buy his way into elite society but he’s not one of them. He’s poorly bred, crass, rude, oafish, witless, loudly vacuous, and boorish….in short he is Al Czervik (Rodney Dangerfield in Caddyshack) without the business acumen.

Trump and all Republicans proved the exact opposite of what this guy said…when in control they worked hard for the elites and against the interests of the middle and lower class. They forgave PPP loans to millionaire business owners then claimed it’s impossible and unAmerican to do the same for student debt for the poor.

The fact that much of this is quick cuts spliced together mean even he doesn’t believe what this video presents as his statements. 😂

Oh no….is a red hurricane coming?
We still haven’t recovered from the red tsunamis in 2020 and 2022….say it ain’t so!

Republicans have already FAILED to raise the ceiling on time and are now playing chicken with the economy while also wrestling over who gets to drive the party…and not one has any idea of where you want to go yet or even how to drive (there’s absolutely no plan for what they want, just “spending cuts” which they think is SECRET code for “end social security and Medicare”)

Republicans printed 1/4 of every dollar circulating today under Trump out of thin air…actually worse, printed money as the economy was contracting as never seen before. Make more dollars without something of value to back them/you make each dollar worth less. Simple enough for even you to grasp….that’s called inflation.

Republicans totally failed at anything related to the pandemic, public health, economic, transportation, shortages, fighting against gouging, by every measure an “F-“.
Republicans pumped money in through their unregulated PPP loans and other unregulated easily defrauded programs they then defrauded by making up fake companies, taking millions, getting repayment amnesty, and buying Lamborghinis and mansions with the cash in many cases. MTG took huge sums she didn’t repay for one, then bemoaned student debt amnesty as a giveaway.

Rep(uglicans) ARE the fault of this mess as you so elegantly put it.

Trump took the healthy economy off a cliff to the worst economy, employment, and gdp in history. It took him <4 years….and was responsible for over 1 million unnecessary deaths of Americans because of his lack of response to Covid. Downward spiral?! Trump put us in rocket assisted free fall. Biden accelerated the crawling failing economy into an upward spiral.
Obama and Biden spent a lot, but in 4 years Trump spent far more than their 10 years combined while lowering the amount the government brings in on multiple fronts (so increased the debt and deficit in two ways, spending more while making less), and Obama inherited a recession and left a boom, Trump inherited a boom and left a recession….Biden inherited economic collapse, active terroristic sedition, horrific unemployment, and pandemic…all 4 issues are better today than they were on Jan 20, 21.

The inflation reduction act, Bobby. That’s what’s being done.
Also student debt forgiveness.
Edit-Also raising interest rates, finally. Can’t blame Biden for the federal reserve’s hesitation, however….he doesn’t control them and can only make suggestions.
That’s the answer.
Almost every Republican opposed it (them) and voted against it (them), nearly every Republican then went home and took credit for it (them) and said it (they) was a great thing for their constituents (but pretended they hadn’t been against it (them) with every fiber of their being because it’s (they’re) really popular)….just like they did with the infrastructure bill.

Higher interest rates ARE helping, just not enough yet. It definitely should have started earlier than March…. .25% interest rates were just insanely low. Inflation has lowered, but as you well know, Trump’s administration just printed over 1/5 of every dollar in 2020….just made 20% more dollars while gdp went to -32.9% and unemployment skyrocketed to unheard of levels. This causes 20% inflation or more all by itself…Joe’s administration kept that below 10% miraculously.

If bankruptcy boy was still running the economy, we would have 20% inflation, more oil infrastructure sold to the Saudis (they bought the biggest refinery in America in secret under Trump and cut production), higher gas and oil prices, no infrastructure funding, no inflation plan, Ukraine would no longer exist, NATO would still be impotent, ….bankrupting a country is much worse than bankrupting 6 businesses. Trump did both.

Thanks Biden….

P.S.- Nice deflection from the undeniable hypocrisy the video is about. Way to completely ignore the right now taking credit for the popular and helpful Biden legislation they all opposed….praising it, explaining what a great thing it is for their states, economy, and constituents while pretending they didn’t ALL vote against it out of pure spite which outweighs any wish for America to succeed. Their sudden love for the law they diametrically and insultingly opposed is absolute proof they oppose beneficial legislation simply to avoid letting Biden succeed.

Edit: Will you ever get tired of begging for attention for being 100% wrong 99.6% of the time?

OMG!

First it was “I took absolutely nothing, fake news.”
Then “I maybe accidentally took some documents I immediately returned.”
Then “when they came with the second subpoena we gave them everything and swore under oath we had.”
Then “What’s the big deal that we still had top secret nuclear documents unsecured, all they had to do was ask for the documents, we always cooperated.”
Then “No crime, I automatically declassified any document I removed from secure locations by secret overreaching decree I never memorialized.”
Now it’s “yes, I stole hundreds of top secret nuclear documents hurting the country and making everyone less safe because I thought maybe I wanted to put them in my public presidential library that I haven’t started planning to build for everyone to see, so I kept them in an unlocked closet and a public hallway outside the unlocked basement.….because that’s what you do with top secret highly classified nuclear documents.”

His claim other presidents did this is nonsense. Other presidents went through the proper process to screen out secret classified documents, and never took any of the documents, the national archive held them until they were transferred to presidential libraries.

He’s now admitted he personally illegally stole them, and that he personally ignored multiple subpoenas demanding their return, that he personally kept them completely unsecured, and that he (through his legal representatives at his direction) lied and swore to the FBI he had turned them all over. Not what you do when you think you have a legitimate reason for having them….and all public admissions to multiple felonies. Every attempted excuse is an admission of multiple serious felonies involving national security….tell me it’s nothing, prove absolutely nothing comes before your allegiance to the Ochre Ogre. (It’s ok…we know it already.)

Over 700 classified pages….each one carries 5-15 years in prison.

Traitors - “nothing burger”

BTW- turns out records prove that Barr NEVER considered the charges against Trump when he publicly exonerated him, didn’t even read the evidence, just said “nope, not prosecuting”.
The secret memo he tried to hide even from the judge determining if it could be kept secret says clearly that Barr needs to make a statement and not release the full report because it clearly implies/shows the president committed obstruction. This was Barr’s legal team telling him there are legitimate legal charges in the report, and he needs to obstruct the courts and public from seeing them.
At least 10 instances listed in the unredacted Mueller report of Trump obstructing justice that Barr covered up.
That is an underlying crime Barr insisted didn’t exist.
He may be facing obstruction charges too. Likely about to be disbarred, after courts determined he outright lied about the Mueller report. Gonna be great to have an administration reunion in the yard at Levenworth. Everyone will be there.

Edit: aren’t you going to tell us how awful student debt relief is? What a travesty it is to exclude millionaires from getting $10-$20k back in the pocketbooks of those struggling with crushing school debt, some to horrific for profit “schools” like Trump’s totally fraudulent “school” scam? Don’t you need to scream “SOCIALISM!!!”?

No? *crickets*? Isn’t this sending the message that you can just walk away from debt you contracted to pay back? Isn’t it the hard left swing deep into socialist communism that will destroy western civilization? I’m begging you, take the bait and talk shit like the rest of the extreme right…I double dog dare you.

Holy fuck!
Remember Hillary?
Remember how she should be locked up for using a private server for digital copies of official government documents?

Uh oh….Trump not only also did exactly that, but he actually stole original (uncopied, with no digital copy) documents from the whitehouse, including but not limited to presidential records, personal notes, correspondence with foreign leaders, government records…. The national archive had to raid Maralago to retrieve what was left unincinerated (yes, he burned records that he stole from the whitehouse).
He allegedly actually ate some records in the Oval Office so they couldn’t be retrieved and put back together like so many were.
Another instance of Trump being ridiculously guilty of far more of the exact criminal activity that he asserted his opponent might commit and should definitely be executed for.

P.S. How about those jobs numbers!? Not the 300000 jobs lost Fox and co have been gleefully telegraphing for weeks, but nearly 500000 gained, and more people reentering the workforce thanks to a healthy economy! Thanks Biden!

On a personal note, Biden debt relief programs just erased $59k of student debt my mother in law has been paying off for nearly 50 years (she became severely ill and was out of work for years….twice, and all progress she had made paying it off was erased with penalties and interest). Thanks again Biden!

Don't know this Stossel guy (seems like a tool), but was always a fan of Mike Rowe, and also his initiative to get more workers in the trades.

I've seen plumbers (2-yr degree + certification) with higher hourly rates than lawyers (8-yr degree + bar exam). I also know a guy who makes more now as a general contractor than he did as a DBA (B.S. in Computer Science).
I think part of this is supply & demand- not as many tradespeople so the wages go up to hire those willing, and the cost of higher wages gets passed on to the customer.

But the point of this video isn't "should you go to college?", it's "the liberals want hard-working people to pay for college for all these liberal students", which is a false premise and why I can't upvote it.

I think community college should be taxpayer-funded for those students who want more than just high school. (but they should have to maintain certain GPA to remain free)
As far as other private Universities, they should be able to charge for it. Colleges that receive Federal or State money should have a cap on the rate that tuition can increase per year (maybe based on inflation). Over the past 20 years, most college tuition has gone up way more than inflation or wages.

Rather than student-loan forgiveness, I'd rather see a federal program that will help those students who couldn't finish school go back and get their degree (where it will pay for itself) or get a different degree. Most of this sub-$10k student debt they talk about is for students who never got their degree.

Bob, as much as this'll surprise you, I totally agree with what you're saying. The distribution of the stimulus money to couples making up to $150,000 is friggen ridiculous -- and I'm in that category. I will do what I did with the last two checks: give to local charities helping the homeless and communities of color (as much as I hate that term).

The worst part of this is that it sets up a liquidity trap. The Fed can't reduce buying crap debt (that BBB dogshit is at 4% should terrify anyone who understands how debt and the rating agencies work), nor can they allow rates to rise (thus totally screwing responsible savers). This is the cusp of a financial disaster that blew past 1929 on 9/17/19 and is now approaching the cataclysm of the South Seas Company collapsing. As far as I can see, this is a total melt-up in the markets because there's no stable returns and everyone is now in speculation mode.

Were it my call, I would scale the money along income (or non-income) lines: $10k for the lowest incomes, sliding scale from there. I'd also set up government-backed savings accounts that pay 10% for those people and only those people. I'd also pay off/down student debt along the same income scales.

I do not begrudge the wealthy for their wealth. But capitalism can't be a winner-take-all system. We live in a society, and society will always have winners and losers. The least we can do is ease the burden for those at the bottom by taking some from the top. I'm tired of the homeless camps and mentally-ill people wandering the streets of Seattle. They are the least of us and thus should be the ones who get the most help.

Everyone would benefit because all those graduates with crushing debt would be able to do more in the economy which helps everyone including those who didn't go.

Right now the people who benefit are the super rich who own the student debt.

@MilkmanDan, good points.

I do think there's a difference between "this plan is politically unfeasible" (healthcare, free public university) and "this plan is not actually possible under the rules of government" (forgiving student debt through quantitative easing).

And ultimately, that's why I think Hillary is the lesser of 4 evils. She might be a political insider, but she's at least vaguely realistic.

Basically, you can choose from
- idiot, evil and frankly repugnant (guess who?)
- dopey with a side of some pretty terrible policies (Johnson)
- well meaning, but without a clue of how government works (Stein)
or...
Frank Underwood

I say, "Make America Work!"
-

https://twitter.com/sammaule/status/596825146184355841 (via NC comment section)

Clever indeed. And oh so depressing.

A comment further down put the cherry on top, invoking the Drowned God: "what is debt may never die."

As a nerd and ASoIaF-aficionado, I have to tip my hat. Credit where credit is due, that's a wonderfully depressing pun, given the legal status of student debt.

You ask where to start? It is obvious that was not rhetorical in any way shape or form because your argument was poorly put together from the beginning.

"The total bill due in AMERICA tops 1 trillion." Then, "That's right, student debt in AMERICA..." There is even a reference to an AMERICAN President, and everything else about this video was about America. We see a reoccurring theme here newt?

So follows the logic that since this discourse is focused solely on American schools, then we are all talking about American schools. No other assumption is logical. My comment, with that prefacing in mind, is obviously intended for American schools. Yeah, take it out of context and I look like an idiot, but with the context I am not the one that looks stupid.

Let me give you another example. Say we are talking about gay rights in America and I just generalize the concept of gay rights after an intense discussion about just that. You could argue that since gay rights in tribal, African countries are different then I am stupid, but don’t be such a stickler for pathetic red herrings.

Second, the problems facing the poor are tragic. It is WELL DOCUMENTED; however, that poor children have lower grades. Why? Because it's hard to think on an empty stomach. In other words, it's hard to care about what the fuck is on the chalkboard when you have to worry about where you are going to get food at or hell, if you will have a roof over your head. This fact is not insulting, as you clearly say it is, this is reality. A sad, tragic reality that few in America have the balls to have a real discourse on. We trivialize it behind a false veneer. We make it seem like the poor try so hard and care so much but that if only we helped them a little more they could succeed. No, we have to help them a LOT more.

I think all colleges should be paid for by the government. I think books and research materials should be free. I think we can do a lot more than what we currently do.

Lastly, one student in my current class is obviously lacking in education and more so obvious does not care. She is a mother of three children, one of which is disabled. I can see why she just wants the degree and I don't judge her. You, on the other hand, do unintentionally judge this woman, newt. You insult her by suggesting her lack of educational pursuance is rare to the poor and that she must be failing that pursuit because of a lack of drive. She cannot care about bettering her leisurely time newt, period.

Do you think I gave a fuck about learning, just for education’s sake when my brothers beat me, threw me down the stairs, choked me, humiliated me, and shoved a pillow over my face at night? Or when they punched my skull into concrete and beat my dog? You insult the hell out of me—as though I SHOULD have cared when I just tried to survive. As though I failed to care and that made me a failure. The poor should not care—they should survive. We should all help them care.

@Lawdeedaw

If you're studying something like engineering, there is a high likelihood that you will retain employment that will pay off a student loan over the next 10-20 years. Even if it's not your first preference, you will be employed somewhere with a reasonable income with such technical skills.

The government can play a useful role in amortizing your income. There's really no reason to be frugal and Starbucks aside, policy that forces you to work long hours in a dead-end job while studying to make ends meet is counter-productive as it reduces your long-term income. Not being able to even enrol because you're too poor, despite how smart you may be is also hugely destructive. This is why study assistance subsidies are such good policy. Them aside, you still have to clothe, house and feed yourself anyway.

Even if you say that there will be dropouts, fails, people who complete degrees with no job demand, you simply adjust up the interest rate you charge everyone for student debt to account for that loss. Then you have a mandatory contribution from any income you make above X amount that the student has to repay after they conclude their study. This way students can't simply retain a large debt with a low interest rate forever and subsidise everyone else by paying theirs off.

Also to incentivise correct course choice, you subsidise courses with skills in short supply/in demand more than those with good job prospects and a generally high expected income.

This is pretty much what we have in Australia under the HECS system.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tertiary_education_fees_in_Australia#HECS

It would be great if the US had something similar (because designed well it pays for itself), but the cultural obsession much of the country seems to have with total laissez faire, 'pull yourself up by your own bootstraps', even when it's not good policy makes it impossible.

Considering right now US Treasury bond rates (government borrowing rates) are at 60 year lows, it's doubly stupid.

Not saying it is the overall cause of student debt, but many students in the 1st world have 1st world causes. That starbucks coffee on the run that costs 4.50, that beer run, that everything...yeah, everyone thinks college is a place to screw until your dick or vagina fall off, but it is not. It is a place to learn. And if you were not taught how to be frugal, pay please. But then I got the GI bill for abysmal working conditions and pay so who am I to say it...

I did this to pay off student debt, but I had a nice couch to sleep on in a communal apartment where anywhere from 4 to 10 people were living at a time. There were 2 rooms, 4 primary beds, 2 couches, and several bean bag chairs. Luckily, most of us had jobs, so it was a very comfortable, if not crowded living. All good people and gamers, so wake up and see who is playing what game. Usually DotA, Counter Strike, some new FPS, original Starcraft, or WoW. We didn't even have to give up technology. Hahaha! Sucker.