Odd, that just a week or so ago I was thinking I should’ve joined the Navy. Maybe my views were too narrow. I’ve spent my entire adult life associated with the military. I joined the Air Force when I was 18. My brother did a little time in the Navy, but the Air Force recruiter called first, so that’s where I ended up.
It was a good move, I suppose. I firmly believe that the military is an incredible way to get started in life. I did 27 years, but I’ve known plenty who’ve done far less and I don’t begrudge them that at all. They got their start, and the moved on the better for it I’m sure (whether they liked it or not). I know I came out fairly well, if I’m any judge of it. The military did a lot for me, and I can only imagine what paths I may have taken without it. But I think that maybe I would have been plenty happy as a carpenter.
I’ve not done enough carpentry to say I’m any good at it, but I love to finish things off. I love the math of it — the measurements, the cutting, the shaping, and the puzzle of putting it all together. And sometimes it comes out not bad. But it could be better…if I was actually a carpenter.
This is an interesting interview of Mike Rowe. He gives an interesting perspective on student loan forgiveness — long a sore spot with me. He also advocates for the trades, and he’s pretty sharp there too. Just something to think about. Maybe it’ll put you on he path to something like carpentry…or a trade that you could enjoy without the stress of playing the college game…
I agreed with his argument that blanket student loan forgiveness didn’t solve the problem, but his name-calling “snowflakes” diluted his ability to persuade. I also thought using Dr. Fauci’s early pronouncement about masks to discount later advice when we had more evidence was lazy and self-serving. And Gavin Newsom’s restaurant hypocrisy doesn’t compare with the Merrick Garland/Amy Coney Barrett “Supreme Court nomination too close to an election” hypocrisy perpetrated by every Republican in Congress. That was shameful.
i was looking more at his take on college costs, student loan debt, and trade jobs. i take words like “snowflake” with a grain of salt anymore. too much irony.
It spurred a vigorous discussion between me and Kelsey. We have two different perspectives on student loan debt forgiveness. I think it’s a very complex issue involving fairness and justice; she wants relief.
The problem won’t go away as long as the government encourages multi-billion dollar corporations to fleece their customers at the government’s expense. Debt forgiveness doesn’t solve it at all. It just signals to universities that they can continue charging far too much for far too little return other than to hire a millionaire football coach and build a really sweet student union. And maybe add a few more obscure departments that really add very little to actual education.
I don’t know how anyone can argue for taxing the rich while at the same time paying these guys off for such blatantly greedy behavior (Bernie) — behavior that puts the poor deep in debt and hurts minorities at a rate far higher than the rich. Because that’s what it is really. You forgive student debt, and you’re telling these multi-billion corporations that they can continue charging what they want. And for a product that is just not worth the money they’re pulling in.
In the end, it solves nothing, but makes us all worse off.
Here’s a solution — pass a bill that says student debt should be paid down through rebates out of the university’s endowments. Cap athletic coach’s salaries and put the difference into the education fund. Make universities about education and not some kind of resort for post-high-schoolers. There are plenty of things that can be done, but charging right ahead with debt-forgiveness should be at the bottom of that list.