The Boomers Ruined Everything

[Hards Alumni]

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/06/boomers-are-blame-aging-america/592336/

Hoping this isn't to political... though I expect it to be quite controversial

[Archies Bat]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATTMB4gH3sU

[Lennys Tap]

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/06/boomers-are-blame-aging-america/592336/

Hoping this isn't to political... though I expect it to be quite controversial

This boomer agrees with much of the article - thanks for posting.

[jesmu84]

Think boomers will go for this?

https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2019/06/sanders-omar-jayapal-cancel-student-debt-make-college-free/592462/

[MU82]

Yes, it is quite political.

Yes, it is fairly interesting.

Yes, I agree with some of it.

No, I don't agree with all of it.

Don't want to get hit on noggin with the Banhammer, so I'll leave it at that.

[Cheeks]

Think boomers will go for this?

https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2019/06/sanders-omar-jayapal-cancel-student-debt-make-college-free/592462/

I had to pay more than $25k off and this was 20+ years ago, took more than a decade to do so....surely I will get my money back in this “deal”, right?  I’m curious why some get it forgiven, while others went poor and worked their ass off to pay it back and it’s tough cookies.

[MU82]

I had to pay more than $25k off and this was 20+ years ago, took more than a decade to do so....surely I will get my money back in this “deal”, right?  I’m curious why some get it forgiven, while others went poor and worked their ass off to pay it back and it’s tough cookies.

Politics.

IBTL.

[jesmu84]

I had to pay more than $25k off and this was 20+ years ago, took more than a decade to do so....surely I will get my money back in this “deal”, right?  I’m curious why some get it forgiven, while others went poor and worked their ass off to pay it back and it’s tough cookies.

More broad question...

If there were a law/legislation being proposed that you don't directly benefit from, but would have a positive effect overall on the country, would you support it?

[Lennys Tap]

I had to pay more than $25k off and this was 20+ years ago, took more than a decade to do so....surely I will get my money back in this “deal”, right?  I’m curious why some get it forgiven, while others went poor and worked their ass off to pay it back and it’s tough cookies.

When I think of how unfair the world has been (and continues to be) to you I want to weep. I pray you can hang in there, but realize that even Job had limits on how much he could bear.

[Jockey]

When I think of how unfair the world has been (and continues to be) to you I want to weep. I pray you can hang in there, but realize that even Job had limits on how much he could bear.

Well done. Really illustrates the difference between me and chico. My first thought was that more kids will get to go to college to better their lives; chico's first thought was "it's not fair to me.

But then, I've had a great life. Not a single complaint (other than reading some of the posts on Scoop).

[Plaque Lives Matter!]

More broad question...

If there were a law/legislation being proposed that you don't directly benefit from, but would have a positive effect overall on the country, would you support it?

"I got mine"

[Hards Alumni]

"I got mine"

The secret feelings of most boomers.

[mu03eng]

Well done. Really illustrates the difference between me and chico. My first thought was that more kids will get to go to college to better their lives; chico's first thought was "it's not fair to me.

But then, I've had a great life. Not a single complaint (other than reading some of the posts on Scoop).

But should more kids go to college? And by college I mean a 4 year college that requires liberal arts as well as your core degree coursework.

Free college and debt forgiveness is largely a bailout to the middle class, not saying that's bad but not sure if it's a core problem. I question if the larger problem isn't a misalignment between fields of study and economic opportunities.

[JWags85]

But should more kids go to college? And by college I mean a 4 year college that requires liberal arts as well as your core degree coursework.

Free college and debt forgiveness is largely a bailout to the middle class, not saying that's bad but not sure if it's a core problem. I question if the larger problem isn't a misalignment between fields of study and economic opportunities.

I graduated in 2008.  I was a Behavioral Psychology major with a Finance minor trying to get into Finance.  From a very good school with a great name and alumni base in Chicago (where I was aiming).  Beyond the terribleness of the job market at the time, at the single interview in the industry I got, plus talking to other people in the coming years at networking events, I got the message that my resume was likely trashed without much of a thought cause why touch "soft majors" when they could focus on STEM kids or Finance/Econ for their staffing needs.  In the past 10 years, its only gotten more competitive.  And STILL, the mentality isn't anywhere close to where it needs to be.  50 years of "just go to college, jobs will come" takes an awfully long time to program out.  My best friend growing up had a father who ran IT at a major blood bank...he was an aviation major who decided he didn't want to fly anymore at 24.  My steady caddy client was a Director at Baird who was a philosophy major.  A heavy hitter at Kohls we babysat for was a history major who went into merchandising after graduation.  None of them from top 50 schools.  They all got their first good jobs cause they were college grads with decent resumes.  That template doesn't work anymore, it is what it is.
 
I have grad school loans, they suck, so its not like I'm completely detached from the struggle of student loan debt related to income.  However, I realize the bigger problem and also have trouble pitying some of the sob stories of people with mounds of debt but they have a liberal arts degree from a decent, but not great school.  I realize its 18 year old kids, they shouldn't be expected to have their life planned out.  But surely you need to realize that picking a major cause its fun or one course "spoke to you" isn't a viable plan when you're footing $50K+ yourself.  Career planning/counseling is more important than ever.  You don't need a set plan and a rigid path, but you do need to make some pertinent choices so you have a more compelling "choose your own adventure" scenario.

My personal favorite is the fairly common prototype focus of these debt articles who have a major that they readily acknowledge would likely need grad school to get them onto the career path they desired.  But then they decided towards the end of college they didn't want further school, didn't change majors or anything, and just decided to figure it out post graduation.  Then they are inevitable angry at the education system, the job market, and student loans.

Education is completely off the rails, but my god there needs to be some accountability too.  I sure as hell would have changed what I did at 18/19, but I feel like a lot of people wouldn't.

[vogue65]

The fix is in, always has been.
Most of the boomers I know are supporting their grandchildren or trying to stay alive.
The best way to get rich is to earn it the old fashioned way, inherit it.
It takes first generation college kids years to figure out the system, it is much easier if you start with a leg up.
So when the fix is in for the privileged it's fair, the way of the world, the market functioning as advertised.
But when the underprivileged try and catch a brake its unfair, evil, unprincipled.  Balderdash.

[StillAWarrior]

Free college and debt forgiveness is largely a bailout to the middle class...

It would be an extraordinary bailout of the middle class - at least as currently envisioned. I really don’t feel college graduates are the people in this country most in need of a bailout. But it is a big voting block.

[vogue65]

It would be an extraordinary bailout of the middle class - at least as currently envisioned. I really don’t feel college graduates are the people in this country most in need of a bailout. But it is a big voting block.

Pitty, let's just bailout the big banks, defense contractors, Wall Street, AIG, and Palm Beach golfers.

[StillAWarrior]

Pitty, let's just bailout the big banks, defense contractors, Wall Street, AIG, and Palm Beach golfers.

I don’t recall suggesting that. None of the above is an acceptable solution. Look, I’d be more than happy to have someone pay my kids’ college loans. Just doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense to me.

[jesmu84]

Pitty, let's just bailout the big banks, defense contractors, Wall Street, AIG, and Palm Beach golfers.

Everyone goes along with bank bailouts, automaker bailouts, corporate tax cuts, etc.

But when someone suggests a leg up for middle america, people lose their minds.

Socialism for the rich and rugged free enterprise capitalism for the poor.

[TSmith34, Inc.]

Well done. Really illustrates the difference between me and chico. My first thought was that more kids will get to go to college to better their lives; chico's first thought was "it's not fair to me.

Yup, exactly.

[Plaque Lives Matter!]

The current accounting plug at DOD is four times as large as the cost of that debt forgiveness. If we want to talk about accountability.

[StillAWarrior]

Everyone goes along with bank bailouts, automaker bailouts, corporate tax cuts, etc.

But when someone suggests a leg up for middle america, people lose their minds.

Most of the college loan bailout proposals I’ve seen would pay people making up to $100k a year. If you think recent grads making $90k (or anywhere near that) need a bailout, I guess we just disagree.

[StillAWarrior]

So when the fix is in for the privileged it's fair, the way of the world, the market functioning as advertised.
But when the underprivileged try and catch a brake its unfair, evil, unprincipled.  Balderdash.

The issue is that college graduates, for the most part, are privileged.

[jesmu84]

Most of the college loan bailout proposals I’ve seen would pay people making up to $100k a year. If you think recent grads making $90k (or anywhere near that) need a bailout, I guess we just disagree.

How many recent undergrads (define "recent") are making 90k?

[StillAWarrior]

How many recent undergrads (define "recent") are making 90k?

Probably very few. But why include them?  Same with $70k. Or $50k. I would potentially support a college tuition repayment program. But the ones I’m seeing proposed are massive middle class - upper middle class, really - bailouts.