More On Debate...

...didn't watch all, of course, but what Dems fail to account for in demonizing large companies is that many Dems actually work for these companies, want to work for these companies, buy these companies products, and are mostly happy with these companies. That's why they are companies!

The way the problem ought to be articulated is that sometimes the incentives of these companies are misaligned with the public interest. Not only is this more true than reducing all problems to the issue of greed - but also frames the problem towards a workable solution.

Same with this student loan ridiculousness. The students loan crisis is the result of a well intended government policy that created perverse incentives. To pay off loans is a cheap, short sighted solution that will only incentivize more of the very problem we are trying to solve.

A way to approach the student loan problem:

a) Recognize IT IS A PROBLEM.

b) Recognize part of the "fault" lies with people taking on too much debt in an irresponsible manner. Parents and college students are adults and bear responsibility for their own actions.

c) Recognize the colleges bear responsibility for their escalating costs and have chosen to raise costs because people are willing to finance through government sponsored debt.

d) Recognize the government is complicit in the debt crisis by subsidizing loans.

e) Recognize part of the problem is our employment system / ie employers who use college degrees as a screen to weed out candidates.

I think the solution will require attacking the problem on multiple fronts in a "blitzkrieg" method.

1) Incentive companies to abandon college degrees as a screen for jobs that don't actually require a college degree and incentivize "apprenticeship" programs.

2) Put colleges partially on the hook for any and all student loan defaults of their students.

3) Create incentives akin to matching 401k contributions to paying back loans (better than simply writing folks a check).

4) Cap loan amounts students can take. You hear about these extreme cases where students are 100K or more in debt. It's crazy. If it costs that much, go to a different college.

That's just a start.