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Comment by dashundchen | Hacker News Reader

As someone who paid off their student loans in full, I'm happy for those who are getting loan forgiveness.

Trump's 2017 tax bill gave away trillions mostly to rich business owners. Another trillion was dumped on them during COVID via PPP.

So if we can forgive a fraction of the debt for the working class that came of age when a degree was sold as a requirement for entry into the middle class, then great, all for it.

I know people who were required to get an MS in education to teach. The only option for certain education specialties in the region was a private school. Teaching is hardly a lucrative career, the public service they provide is necessary, forgive the debt via PSLF.

The government makes policy all the time that benefits certain groups, that's reality

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this isn't about politics but basic ownership of personal financial decisions.

nobody forced you to go and take out a student loan. you did it. politics shouldn't even be a factor here.

we are arguing for basic responsibility that all adults in society must respect not at the whims of populist Presidents who only cares about votes.

if tomorrow Biden told young people to start taking drugs because we will socialize the cost, you would justify it too.

If someone takes out more than they can pay back, it’s their problem.

If millions of people do it, there is a systemic problem that needs addressing.

It can be both things at once.

Thank you! you have said it the best way that I have seen yet.

No one is talking about removing personal responsibility. However when a pattern has emerged we have to look at how we got here in the first place and realize that there is likely something fundamentally wrong.

If it is found that there is that fundamental issue, the government has stepped in many times to address systemic issues, bailouts, etc. (I fully acknowledge that they have not done this equally, but that's a separate topic)

Besides, if you really just want to boil this down to numbers. People actually having money to spend instead of it just being stuck disappearing towards loans that they will never pay back, will have a positive impact on the economy.

You mean the loans all taken out by young adults, many of whom are never actually taught anything financial prior to that loan stage?

This is a predatory system. You can pat yourself on the back for digging out of it, but you should want better for society. Nobody deserves to be chained to loans for life - not you, not your fellow citizen.

We shouldn’t keep a broken system just because your feelings are hurt.

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