| Reformer: "We should reach out to him, and 'work' with this guy on the birther issue! Yeah. Great idea!" |
Thursday, May 31, 2012
And some want to 'work' with Sallie Mae?!?
Some reformers apparently want to "work" with Sallie Mae. Disgusting. Disgusting. Disgusting. That's like the 99% asking to "work" with Wall Street to solve the austerity crisis, or pro-Obamaites reaching out to Trump and the birthers to clear that b$*%# up. Just watch the language deteriorate with the reformers, just watch it. I've already seen it changing. It's weakening. Weakening tremendously. Oh, boy, here we go again . . .
Mark Your Calendars: NYC's First Debtors Assembly, June 10th, 2012
If you are the NYC area, I encourage you to attend the first Debtors Assembly on June 10th.
In order to denounce our debt bondage, we must come together collectively in order to succeed. Read the Occupy Student Debt Campaign statement closely, too.
Have fun overcoming your shame of being a debtor.
Indentured Educated Citizens Unite!
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OccupyStudentDebtCampaign
Twitter: @StdntDebtPledge
Website: Occupy Student Debt Campaign
In order to denounce our debt bondage, we must come together collectively in order to succeed. Read the Occupy Student Debt Campaign statement closely, too.
Have fun overcoming your shame of being a debtor.
Indentured Educated Citizens Unite!
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OccupyStudentDebtCampaign
Twitter: @StdntDebtPledge
Website: Occupy Student Debt Campaign
Crucial Read: A Statement from the Occupy Student Debt Campaign
Occupy Student Debt Campaign recently released a lengthy statement about their mission. They differentiate themselves from other groups - who are, in my view, reformist - quite well in this manifesto. I applaud their efforts, and encourage you to get involved with supporting and promoting their collective activism. The group truly understands a horizontal approach to attacking this monstrous problem. More than anything, the principles explained below demonstrate a keen awareness of how neoliberalism has destroyed higher education (and education overall) as a public good. This is at the heart of the problem, so no type of reform, which if anything were to pass would be utterly watered down, will suffice. Reform through legislation, though admirable, will not adequately address the crisis we are now facing.
Here's their statement:
Everybody is now talking about the student debt crisis, but nothing is being done about it.
Thanks in large part to the great public amplifier of the Occupy movement, this year’s presidential contenders have been forced to embrace student loan reform as a talking point in their respective campaigns. But the debt relief being pushed by the Obama administration is a token gesture, aimed at getting some traction on the youth vote -- especially the more disillusioned or alienated student constituencies. Recent bills introduced in Congress -- Student Loan Forgiveness Act (H.R. 4170) and the Private Student Bankruptcy Fairness Act (H.R. 2028) -- have zero chance of passing in anything like their current form. Practically speaking, no reform program of any substance is on the legislative horizon, least of all one that would regulate the predatory lending practices of Wall Street banks.
The truth is that student debt relief is too important to be left to elected officials. They are chronically dependent on the financial backing of the lending industry, and are structurally incapable of addressing this crisis, let alone resolving it. As a result, reform initiatives such as Student Loan Justice and Forgive Student Debt (to Stimulate the Economy) that have been aimed at petitioning lawmakers have very little to show for all their hard effort.
The recent federal modifications in payment schedules are micro-cosmetic compared to the sea-change that is required to free debtors of their intolerable burdens and rescue higher education from its increasing use as a profit engine for financiers, asset speculators, and real estate developers. The pathway to this outcome does not lie in futile pleas for economic reform, but through a political movement, driven by self-empowerment and direct action on the part of debtors.
The Occupy Student Debt Campaign was launched at Zuccotti Park in November 2011 with the goal of building a student debt abolition movement. Our campaign is based on principles for which we believe there is widespread support
1) Free public education, through federal coverage of tuition fees.
2) Zero-interest student loans, so that no one can profit from them
3) Fiscal transparency at all universities, public as well as private
4) The elimination of current student debt, through a single act of relief.
These are interlocking principles, and should not stand on their own. Imagine a world in which lawmakers were to respond positively to the current calls for debt “forgiveness” (an unfortunate term that implies the debtor has sinned). Such a measure would offer much-needed relief, but it would still disadvantage future debtors if it were not complemented by remedies that brought to an end the practice of compelling students to privately fund higher education by going into debt bondage. So, too, a singular focus on reducing interest rates (even to zero) is more likely to encourage colleges to increase their fees than to open up equitable access to education.
In light of Wall Street’s stranglehold on Congress, the Occupy Student Debt Campaign holds that alternative strategies are necessary to promote and publicize our principles. That is why it endorses the practice of debt refusal as a legitimate response to the predicament of individuals and communities targeted by predatory lenders, or by state officials seeking to pass on the costs of the financial crisis in the guise of austerity measures. Greece, Chile, England, Italy, Spain, and Quebec have all seen popular revolts against government efforts to preserve, and extend, the power of financial elites to discipline selected populations. With each new outbreak of people’s voices, the imposition of debt is publicly exposed, not simply as a means of redistributing wealth upwards, but also as an instrument of social control.
Under current U.S. laws, defaulting on a student debt carries serious penalties. These laws are unjust, but they are a sharp deterrent to individuals who might otherwise consider refusing their debts. In response, our campaign advocates collective action. Even in its absence, the default rates are accelerating, with alarming consequences. Our Pledge of Refusal is framed as a debt strike threat (debtors pledge to withhold payments once a million others have signed). We welcome, and will support, other forms of debt refusal/strike that are consistent with the aim of building a broad political movement.
The culture of honoring all debts, even those unjustly incurred, is not universally respected, least of all on Wall Street. Loans are new forms of money and credit. They are created from nothing for the ultimate benefit of the lender; they are little more than numbers on a computer screen. Bankers know this, and so they treat their own debts accordingly, as matters to be renegotiated, restructured, or written off. Only the little people are supposed to pay in full. As this double standard becomes more and more apparent, debt refusal will emerge as the most rational response to an immoral predicament.
The struggle over wages was a defining feature of the industrial era. We believe that the struggle over debt will play a similar role in our own times. Not because wage-conflict is over (it never will be), but because debts, for most people, are the wages of the future.
Join Us!
The Occupy Student Debt Campaign
Web: www.occupystudentdebtcampaign.org
Twitter: @StdntDebtPledge
Facebook: OccupyStudentDebtCampaign
(N.B. Our campaign tactics differ from those who own the Occupy Student Debt domain name, and who have no relationship to Occupy Wall Street)
Here's their statement:
Everybody is now talking about the student debt crisis, but nothing is being done about it.
Thanks in large part to the great public amplifier of the Occupy movement, this year’s presidential contenders have been forced to embrace student loan reform as a talking point in their respective campaigns. But the debt relief being pushed by the Obama administration is a token gesture, aimed at getting some traction on the youth vote -- especially the more disillusioned or alienated student constituencies. Recent bills introduced in Congress -- Student Loan Forgiveness Act (H.R. 4170) and the Private Student Bankruptcy Fairness Act (H.R. 2028) -- have zero chance of passing in anything like their current form. Practically speaking, no reform program of any substance is on the legislative horizon, least of all one that would regulate the predatory lending practices of Wall Street banks.
The truth is that student debt relief is too important to be left to elected officials. They are chronically dependent on the financial backing of the lending industry, and are structurally incapable of addressing this crisis, let alone resolving it. As a result, reform initiatives such as Student Loan Justice and Forgive Student Debt (to Stimulate the Economy) that have been aimed at petitioning lawmakers have very little to show for all their hard effort.
The recent federal modifications in payment schedules are micro-cosmetic compared to the sea-change that is required to free debtors of their intolerable burdens and rescue higher education from its increasing use as a profit engine for financiers, asset speculators, and real estate developers. The pathway to this outcome does not lie in futile pleas for economic reform, but through a political movement, driven by self-empowerment and direct action on the part of debtors.
The Occupy Student Debt Campaign was launched at Zuccotti Park in November 2011 with the goal of building a student debt abolition movement. Our campaign is based on principles for which we believe there is widespread support
1) Free public education, through federal coverage of tuition fees.
2) Zero-interest student loans, so that no one can profit from them
3) Fiscal transparency at all universities, public as well as private
4) The elimination of current student debt, through a single act of relief.
These are interlocking principles, and should not stand on their own. Imagine a world in which lawmakers were to respond positively to the current calls for debt “forgiveness” (an unfortunate term that implies the debtor has sinned). Such a measure would offer much-needed relief, but it would still disadvantage future debtors if it were not complemented by remedies that brought to an end the practice of compelling students to privately fund higher education by going into debt bondage. So, too, a singular focus on reducing interest rates (even to zero) is more likely to encourage colleges to increase their fees than to open up equitable access to education.
In light of Wall Street’s stranglehold on Congress, the Occupy Student Debt Campaign holds that alternative strategies are necessary to promote and publicize our principles. That is why it endorses the practice of debt refusal as a legitimate response to the predicament of individuals and communities targeted by predatory lenders, or by state officials seeking to pass on the costs of the financial crisis in the guise of austerity measures. Greece, Chile, England, Italy, Spain, and Quebec have all seen popular revolts against government efforts to preserve, and extend, the power of financial elites to discipline selected populations. With each new outbreak of people’s voices, the imposition of debt is publicly exposed, not simply as a means of redistributing wealth upwards, but also as an instrument of social control.
Under current U.S. laws, defaulting on a student debt carries serious penalties. These laws are unjust, but they are a sharp deterrent to individuals who might otherwise consider refusing their debts. In response, our campaign advocates collective action. Even in its absence, the default rates are accelerating, with alarming consequences. Our Pledge of Refusal is framed as a debt strike threat (debtors pledge to withhold payments once a million others have signed). We welcome, and will support, other forms of debt refusal/strike that are consistent with the aim of building a broad political movement.
The culture of honoring all debts, even those unjustly incurred, is not universally respected, least of all on Wall Street. Loans are new forms of money and credit. They are created from nothing for the ultimate benefit of the lender; they are little more than numbers on a computer screen. Bankers know this, and so they treat their own debts accordingly, as matters to be renegotiated, restructured, or written off. Only the little people are supposed to pay in full. As this double standard becomes more and more apparent, debt refusal will emerge as the most rational response to an immoral predicament.
The struggle over wages was a defining feature of the industrial era. We believe that the struggle over debt will play a similar role in our own times. Not because wage-conflict is over (it never will be), but because debts, for most people, are the wages of the future.
Join Us!
The Occupy Student Debt Campaign
Web: www.occupystudentdebtcampaign.org
Twitter: @StdntDebtPledge
Facebook: OccupyStudentDebtCampaign
(N.B. Our campaign tactics differ from those who own the Occupy Student Debt domain name, and who have no relationship to Occupy Wall Street)
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Quick Note: Lots of Eyeballs Looking At . . .
Suicide and student loans
as well as
Fleeing the country to avoid debt
as well as
Fleeing the country to avoid debt
| This eyeball is looking at your eyeballs |
Thursday, May 24, 2012
500,000 Students in Montreal Take to the Streets
Here is one reason why I love students - this is just inspiring. Props to the badass protesters in Montreal. You make all of us proud! 500,000 students marched on the 100th day of a strike. Talk about continued momentum. They showed up after the police declared that it was illegal to protest. That's brave!
And today, student groups and activists showed up at Sallie Mae's HQ to protest at the shareholders meeting. Watch the video - it's well worth it, because the loan shark's building is surrounded by riot cops. Ain't that grand.
There are also a handful of students in the UC system who are on a hunger strike. That is damned gutsy as well.
Those are just a few examples of how students and student debtors are rising up. The protests of young people and students is now a worldwide phenomenon.
This ain't going away! We're onto the schemes and understand how neoliberalism has turned millions of us into permanent debtors. The time has come for this to end. The time is now.
And today, student groups and activists showed up at Sallie Mae's HQ to protest at the shareholders meeting. Watch the video - it's well worth it, because the loan shark's building is surrounded by riot cops. Ain't that grand.
There are also a handful of students in the UC system who are on a hunger strike. That is damned gutsy as well.
Those are just a few examples of how students and student debtors are rising up. The protests of young people and students is now a worldwide phenomenon.
This ain't going away! We're onto the schemes and understand how neoliberalism has turned millions of us into permanent debtors. The time has come for this to end. The time is now.
Mitt Romney Wants To Bring Socialism Back For The Banks And The Student Lenders
Mitt Romney gave a speech on education yesterday. Most of it was about K-12, but in a related policy paper, he made it clear that he wants to bring a form of socialism back for the lenders. If he is elected, Romney would ensure that the middlemen - who the Obama administration ousted - would again be heavily subsidized by the government. That means Sallie Mae, Nelnet, and the other loan sharks would be propped again by taxpayers.
This is terrible policy. These lenders still have tremendous power over debtors who had been part of the FFEL program. This can't happen again. This is one of many reasons why Mitt Romney cannot win the election.
A man who urges people to "shop around" for colleges doesn't have a clue about the student loan debt crisis. His policy advisors are dreadful too. One of them - Bill Hansen - worked in the Department of Education while George W. Bush was President. The Department has enough of these types still there, but bringing back more of them would be devastating to borrowers and their families.
Clearly, Romney is an adamant believer in the Vidalian concept of "free enterprise for the poor and socialism for the rich."
This is terrible policy. These lenders still have tremendous power over debtors who had been part of the FFEL program. This can't happen again. This is one of many reasons why Mitt Romney cannot win the election.
A man who urges people to "shop around" for colleges doesn't have a clue about the student loan debt crisis. His policy advisors are dreadful too. One of them - Bill Hansen - worked in the Department of Education while George W. Bush was President. The Department has enough of these types still there, but bringing back more of them would be devastating to borrowers and their families.
Clearly, Romney is an adamant believer in the Vidalian concept of "free enterprise for the poor and socialism for the rich."
| "More indentured educated Americans? That's what I want!" |
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Living Abroad As A Student Debtor
I have written several pieces in the past about what it is like for people with student loan debt to live and work abroad. (Some of the folks I interviewed had no debt, because living abroad allowed them to pay off their debt or they chose to go to graduate school outside of the U.S.)
I can assure you that living outside of this country is more than just rewarding - it provides you with a new sense of freedom. I myself lived in S. Korea for a year, and it was phenomenal. I felt like a human being again with freedom. It was a far cry from life as a debtor in this country, where at every turn you are being robbed by fees, high interest rates, over-priced living quarters, etc. I will share how much my living expenses were, something that still makes me gasp when I compare it to the cost of living here.
In the next coming weeks, I'll be writing about what life can be like abroad, and I'll draw from my own experiences and that of others.
Many people have expressed an interest in hearing about this possibility, so I thought I'd share.
If you would like to chime in with your own stories of what it's like to live abroad as a student debtor, feel free to either comment on these pieces or shoot your story to me via email - ccrynjohannsen [AT] gmail [DOT] com.
I can assure you that living outside of this country is more than just rewarding - it provides you with a new sense of freedom. I myself lived in S. Korea for a year, and it was phenomenal. I felt like a human being again with freedom. It was a far cry from life as a debtor in this country, where at every turn you are being robbed by fees, high interest rates, over-priced living quarters, etc. I will share how much my living expenses were, something that still makes me gasp when I compare it to the cost of living here.
In the next coming weeks, I'll be writing about what life can be like abroad, and I'll draw from my own experiences and that of others.
Many people have expressed an interest in hearing about this possibility, so I thought I'd share.
If you would like to chime in with your own stories of what it's like to live abroad as a student debtor, feel free to either comment on these pieces or shoot your story to me via email - ccrynjohannsen [AT] gmail [DOT] com.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Did you stop going to college and have student loan debt?
If you took a leave of absence from college, did not graduate, and have student loans, I'd like to hear from you.
Email me - ccrynjohannsen [AT] gmail [dot] com.
Email me - ccrynjohannsen [AT] gmail [dot] com.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Bloomberg: Taxpayers Fund $454,000 for Collector Chasing Student Loans
Monday, May 14, 2012
Fleeing the country to avoid student loans?
There seem to be a lot of people considering this option. Rest assured, if you leave the country, you will find plenty of companions abroad. In fact, there are many indentured educated Americans who have decided this option was the best for them. I call them student loan debt refugees.
I have lived abroad myself, so if folks are interested, I can share what it was like to save money, have a job abroad, etc. (Just let me know).
There are so many young Americans who are graduating right now, and they are realizing quickly how bad things are when it comes to surviving in this punishing place.
The work on behalf of millions of debtors continues as more join our ranks.
I have lived abroad myself, so if folks are interested, I can share what it was like to save money, have a job abroad, etc. (Just let me know).
There are so many young Americans who are graduating right now, and they are realizing quickly how bad things are when it comes to surviving in this punishing place.
The work on behalf of millions of debtors continues as more join our ranks.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
No Need To Hide The Truth: We Don't CARE If People Default
They don't beat around the bush when they're talking to a particular audience. Today Bloomberg published an article, "Discount ABS May Benefit From Student Defaults, Citigroup Says," stating, "Discounted asset-backed securities tied to government-guaranteed student loans could benefit from defaults, according to Citigroup Inc. (C)."
When they talk about government-guaranteed student loans, they are referring to the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFEL). FFEL is no longer in existence, thanks to the Obama administration, but there is still billions and billions of dollars worth of outstanding loans through the program.
Does this mean we'll see an acceleration of defaults, because this will help investors?
Great system we have here, you know? They are openly talking about the benefits of people defaulting.
When they talk about government-guaranteed student loans, they are referring to the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFEL). FFEL is no longer in existence, thanks to the Obama administration, but there is still billions and billions of dollars worth of outstanding loans through the program.
Does this mean we'll see an acceleration of defaults, because this will help investors?
Great system we have here, you know? They are openly talking about the benefits of people defaulting.
Election Day Voter Registration
All Education Matters, and other affiliated partners, supports Common Cause California!
Support them too by signing this petition that calls for Election Day Voter Registration. This is one way to denounce voter suppression.
Support them too by signing this petition that calls for Election Day Voter Registration. This is one way to denounce voter suppression.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
HLN Interview Today
Tune in to HLN today at 3:15 est / 12:15 pst to hear me discuss the Student Loan interest rate hike act 2012.
Monday, May 7, 2012
Suicidal Debtor Writes Again, "Through my tears, I decided to come back to the blog to see if there was anything new, and I found my story posted."
If you are suicidal, please call: The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255
I am really glad that this poster came back and found that their remarks had been turned into a short piece about the student lending crisis. Here is why we must work on outreach, so that people know that they are not alone, and that we must band together to fight back.
Here's what they just wrote:
The negative and nasty comments can be emotionally draining. So refocusing one's energy on the work that people are doing to raise awareness about the crisis and also provide solutions is a smart move. We need to be reminded that there are a lot of compassionate people out there who care about our mental health. We're in this together, and we'll get out of it together.
Listen to me discuss the student lending crisis and suicidal notes I receive with Rose Aguilar (@roseaguilar) on May 7th.
I am really glad that this poster came back and found that their remarks had been turned into a short piece about the student lending crisis. Here is why we must work on outreach, so that people know that they are not alone, and that we must band together to fight back.
Here's what they just wrote:
Today was an especially low day for me; I spent it pacing and panicking. My dark thoughts came back into my mind again and they're really starting to scare me. One of my loans is coming out of deferment this month and I'm terrified. Through my tears, I decided to come back to the blog to see if there was anything new, and I found my story posted. Thank you, Cryn. I feel touched and in a strange way, loved by a fellow human being. Thank you to those of you who responded. I've seen so many negative comments online (in opposition to student loan relief) from people who just don't understand, so I was surprised to see some support. I still feel rotten, but it feels as if someone has lit a candle in my dark room - so that's good at least.
I think we need the support group. If there's a way to open it up to good people who won't say abusive things to those who are already down, I think we should go for it. It might give us all some peace. Maybe we can find a way to band together somehow and fight back like you said in the post, Cryn.
If there's something I can do to help with that, please let me know. I don't exactly have a job anyway and it might help me divert my energy toward something positive.
And to the person living south of the border: it'd be great to learn more details regarding how to go about doing that (if you're willing to share). Exile seems to be my only living option.
The negative and nasty comments can be emotionally draining. So refocusing one's energy on the work that people are doing to raise awareness about the crisis and also provide solutions is a smart move. We need to be reminded that there are a lot of compassionate people out there who care about our mental health. We're in this together, and we'll get out of it together.
Listen to me discuss the student lending crisis and suicidal notes I receive with Rose Aguilar (@roseaguilar) on May 7th.
Interview with Rose Aguilar on Your Call
I was interviewed today by radio host Rose Aguilar (@roseaguilar). If you missed the conversation, you can listen to it here. Pamela Brown (@pambrown15), who helped launch the Occupy Student Loan Debt "Refusal Pledge" Campaign, joined me to discuss the student lending crisis.
The lines were jammed, and we heard from people who have fled the country and used to feel suicidal. A young man called in and told us he has no hope about the future. It is an alarming thing to hear from a person who is so young. It should be considered a national tragedy.
The lines were jammed, and we heard from people who have fled the country and used to feel suicidal. A young man called in and told us he has no hope about the future. It is an alarming thing to hear from a person who is so young. It should be considered a national tragedy.
Friday, May 4, 2012
Thomas M. Cooley Has Subpoenaed Me
So, it looks like Thomas M. Cooley is subpoenaing me too. Law Professor Paul Campos also wrote today that the law school has subpoenaed him.
Stay tuned for more details.
Stay tuned for more details.
Lawrence Meyers at InvestorPlace.com says, "profit from" the misery created by the student lending crisis
So, Lawrence Meyers over at InvestorPlace.com wants everyone to know that we shouldn't be angry about the student lending crisis. In his piece, "How to Profit From the Student Loan Bubble," he spews out a bunch of advice to help all of you greedy investors make some bucks from this wonderful form of debt bondage!
Meyers makes it clear. Don't be angry. Nope. Instead, you should profit from the fiasco. Oh, and he places the blame on "fiscally irresponsible" states. Yeah, uh, that's a really nuanced understanding of the crisis, dude. Way to go with that neoliberal-mumbo-jumbo. The states and the local governments are to blame. It has nothin' to do with how higher education has been privatized and led to the creation of a fake, greedy, usurious industry. Nope. You got it right, Meyers.
On a side note, I'd like to ask Meyers, so what if 36 million people - that's how many people have outstanding federal loans - took your sagely advice, and invested in the companies you suggest. How would that turn out? I'm curious.
We know that these folks, however, can't invest in the balloon, because they are barely making ends meet. But this great guy wants you to invest in the bubble that is destroying millions of lives in your own country, and eroding higher education. That's how you're a real patriot! You invest in stuff that hurts other people! Great work, Meyers. Classy advice.
He closes with this great remark: "Keep your eye on the situation — more profits can be made from this kind of uncertainty." Ah, yes, spoken like a true capitalist. Just turn a profit, and don't ever, ever consider issues surrounding morality or ethics. That's just silliness!
So, yeah, the crazy conclusion is this: it's great to be greedy. Who gives a sh*t if it's at the expense of others? I mean, if you can make a profit, then you are good to go. Then you can by that big-a$$ RV that guzzles gas and drive it all over the U.S. While you're out on the road, you'll probably see more homeless people like I did when driving across country again. There are more of them. Also, you'll see more abandoned homes and abandoned animals. But, hey, you made a profit and you deserve that trip across America Miseryland.
Also, don't think about generations to come who will join the ranks of the indentured educated class. Nope. Just make that profit. Look out for yourself, and to hell with the rest of us!
| This dairy cow wrote an article for InvestorPlace too. He doesn't entirely agree with Meyers. |
Meyers makes it clear. Don't be angry. Nope. Instead, you should profit from the fiasco. Oh, and he places the blame on "fiscally irresponsible" states. Yeah, uh, that's a really nuanced understanding of the crisis, dude. Way to go with that neoliberal-mumbo-jumbo. The states and the local governments are to blame. It has nothin' to do with how higher education has been privatized and led to the creation of a fake, greedy, usurious industry. Nope. You got it right, Meyers.
| "Man, like, I'm not sure that what you're sayin' is, like, totally true . . ." |
On a side note, I'd like to ask Meyers, so what if 36 million people - that's how many people have outstanding federal loans - took your sagely advice, and invested in the companies you suggest. How would that turn out? I'm curious.
We know that these folks, however, can't invest in the balloon, because they are barely making ends meet. But this great guy wants you to invest in the bubble that is destroying millions of lives in your own country, and eroding higher education. That's how you're a real patriot! You invest in stuff that hurts other people! Great work, Meyers. Classy advice.
 |
| Hmmm . . . maybe she's onto something . . . (Photo Credit: AP/Peter Dejong) |
He closes with this great remark: "Keep your eye on the situation — more profits can be made from this kind of uncertainty." Ah, yes, spoken like a true capitalist. Just turn a profit, and don't ever, ever consider issues surrounding morality or ethics. That's just silliness!
| "I just made a huge profit on student loan debtors' debt! Thanks, Larry!" |
Also, don't think about generations to come who will join the ranks of the indentured educated class. Nope. Just make that profit. Look out for yourself, and to hell with the rest of us!
Another Suicidal Student Loan Debtor: "I feel like I've lost all hope. I have been suicidal for a while now."
If you are suicidal, please call: The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255
This is neither easy to read nor easy to write about, but it is important to acknowledge the voices of those who are in such low places that they would rather be dead than alive. They see their lives as ruined. They have little energy. They have no hope. We need to remind them that there are groups fighting for them, and if they have the strength they too can join with others in this battle.
I'm receiving more desperate notes again, and I want them to be heard loud and clear. They should not be hidden in the comments - they deserve to have full light and total exposure, because people need to be aware of how punishment in the form of debt bondage destroys a person's soul and will to live.
Check out the Occupy Student Loan Debt Campaign
This woman's voice moved me deeply. In a response to questions I asked in an earlier post, here's what she had to say:
(Author's note: I have reformatted and omitted some of her remarks - she answered numerical questions)
We're here to collect a lot of things that rightfully belong to us.
This is neither easy to read nor easy to write about, but it is important to acknowledge the voices of those who are in such low places that they would rather be dead than alive. They see their lives as ruined. They have little energy. They have no hope. We need to remind them that there are groups fighting for them, and if they have the strength they too can join with others in this battle.
I'm receiving more desperate notes again, and I want them to be heard loud and clear. They should not be hidden in the comments - they deserve to have full light and total exposure, because people need to be aware of how punishment in the form of debt bondage destroys a person's soul and will to live.
Check out the Occupy Student Loan Debt Campaign
This woman's voice moved me deeply. In a response to questions I asked in an earlier post, here's what she had to say:
(Author's note: I have reformatted and omitted some of her remarks - she answered numerical questions)
[I owe] almost $200,000.00 and my husband owes almost $200,000.00. Together, [it's] almost $400,000.00. If we were in full repayment, this would cost us almost $4,000 a month in minimum payments. This exceeds our take-home pay. And no, we are not doctors.
I have a B.A. in Sociology and an M.A. in Educational Psychology. My husband has a B.S. and an M.S. Both schools that I attended were state universities, in-state. One of which was Arizona State, whose in-state tuition rivals that of for-profit schools and is rising. I am not employed. I'm looking for work. We live off of my husband's salary. So no, I am not employed and no, we are not able to pay on our student loans with one salary.
We rent an apartment on the other side of the country from our family. We're trying to move back home so that we can at least try to make our minimum payments, but despite aggressive attempts to find jobs in their area for the last 10 months, we've been unable to and are still stuck paying about $1,700 a month for our one-bedroom apartment on the east coast. And this is a 'good deal.'The question about what the world has come to is a good one. It's completely out of whack, isn't it? We have been left to our own devices, and yet we're still buried in debt, so self-reliance is damned hard, if not impossible, to truly achieve. Think about this - you might be a self-sufficient person. When there are economic downturns of this nature, you learn quickly how to make due with less, save things, strengthen support networks, and so forth. This makes you feel stronger and proud of your self-reliance. But when you stop to think about all the debt hanging over your head, and if one thing goes wrong, you're suddenly on a fast track to defaulter's hell, you realize that that self-sufficiency has been stolen from you too. Well, just as I said yesterday, we don't like the fact that our futures have been stolen from us, and we don't like that we can't feel entirely self-sufficient. We're here to get that back too. Oh, and did I mention that we want our damned dignity back as well?
I've developed insomnia, anxiety and depression. I cannot get out of bed in the morning without physical pain because I'm so depressed. I am on medication that only slightly helps take the edge off, but that has been difficult to afford. Even when it's sunny outside, I have such a dark cloud over me that it feels like it's dark. I don't enjoy anything anymore. Even good news is painful to me because I'm sad that I can't enjoy it. I feel like I've lost all hope. I have been suicidal for a while now. The only thing that keeps me living is that I don't want my poor husband to have to face his debt without my emotional support.
I feel like a failure. I just turned 30 today and I don't see having children as an option at any point in my life. My husband is 40 - he's never had children or a house, either. I'm afraid to answer the door, check the mail or look at my E-mail because I'm panicked that there will be bad news. I feel like I'm developing agoraphobia. I fear for my future - if I default and the banks can go after my retirement, bank accounts and social security, what will happen to me when I'm an elderly person? Will I have to live on the streets?
I am often angry. I'm angry I was scammed, angry that I've lost control of my life and angry that I'm a modern-day slave. There are a whole lot of people who do bad things - they steal, kill and spend irresponsibly. They all get second chances, but I do not because I went to college. I am angry because evil people have been allowed to lobby Congress and evil leaders of this country allowed themselves to be tempted and failed to protect students. Everything I went to school for is now out of my reach because I went to school.
Oh, and before you judge me, I got stuck with my ex-husband's loans, so my debt includes student debt for two people... not to mention the usurous [sic] interest that can quickly double, triple, or quadruple a loan in no time. My husband also went to flight school which is why his are so high. He graduated only to find out that major airlines in today's world hire pilots at $25,000 a year.
What has this world come to? Why even try anymore?
We're here to collect a lot of things that rightfully belong to us.
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| Cesare Ripa's Allegory of Dignity |
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Student Loan Debtor: "[T]he reality is that I think of killing myself all the time"
If you are suicidal, please call: The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255
Recently, yet another student loan debtor shared their thoughts about being suicidal, demoralized, and trapped because of their student loans on this post. When I receive these notes, my blood boils as I think about the cold distance that some policymakers in higher ed circles have from this obvious suffering.
The situation has become desperate for many people with student loans. Remember: you are not alone. It is important to remember that fact. And there are ways in which you can organize to fight back. For instance, get involved with Occupy. They are doing great things on this specific issue, especially the Occupy Student Loan Debt Campaign. Since the crisis is based upon enormous systemic problems, we will need to work collectively to come up with long-term and short-term solutions. If policymakers refuse, we will just come up with other options to bring much needed relief to debtors. One way or another, the crisis will come to an end, and that's why agency, collective agency, is crucial.
Here is what's happening to people now, however - this garbage, how we're shackled by these loans, has turned parts of our minds into wasted spaces. Our imagination has been stolen from us. We live in fear now. We are more fearful of the future. We think about our debt all the time. They have stolen time from us - all of our time. Our time now, our time in the future. But when you do this - when you commit the sin of usury - there is a time when it comes to an end. People don't like it when their futures are stolen from them. Those of us who are no longer stuck in this hell of sorts have decided something, too. We're done being enslaved by student loan debt. We're done being pawns in this usurious scheme. We're here to reclaim what rightfully belongs to us: our futures.
But right now, many of us are still struggling with these negative thoughts. These are not our own thoughts - they do not belong to us. They are the thoughts that you have foisted upon the indentured educated class. You have turned many of us into demoralized beings. You have turned many of us into suicidal people. Even so, many of us still have strength. Why? Because we have learned that we are not alone. We have become a collective of debtors, so our singular indebted identity is being lost. Our ranks are growing each day. That is what you are now facing - a collective that has broken free from being atomized by debt.
But we - the indentured educated class - need to get everyone out of the psychological shackles.
Like this person. They are getting there, but they need to be closer than they are. Here's what they wrote:
I hope this person doesn't leave out of choice or any time soon. I want them to know, I want all of you to know, that you're not alone. We must organize. People are already doing it - get involved, get support, and get organized. We don't need a change of fortune or a miracle. We need to be firmly here, based in reality, and working together to break these damned shackles and ensure that higher education becomes free again.
Indentured educated citizens, unite!
Recently, yet another student loan debtor shared their thoughts about being suicidal, demoralized, and trapped because of their student loans on this post. When I receive these notes, my blood boils as I think about the cold distance that some policymakers in higher ed circles have from this obvious suffering.
The situation has become desperate for many people with student loans. Remember: you are not alone. It is important to remember that fact. And there are ways in which you can organize to fight back. For instance, get involved with Occupy. They are doing great things on this specific issue, especially the Occupy Student Loan Debt Campaign. Since the crisis is based upon enormous systemic problems, we will need to work collectively to come up with long-term and short-term solutions. If policymakers refuse, we will just come up with other options to bring much needed relief to debtors. One way or another, the crisis will come to an end, and that's why agency, collective agency, is crucial.
Here is what's happening to people now, however - this garbage, how we're shackled by these loans, has turned parts of our minds into wasted spaces. Our imagination has been stolen from us. We live in fear now. We are more fearful of the future. We think about our debt all the time. They have stolen time from us - all of our time. Our time now, our time in the future. But when you do this - when you commit the sin of usury - there is a time when it comes to an end. People don't like it when their futures are stolen from them. Those of us who are no longer stuck in this hell of sorts have decided something, too. We're done being enslaved by student loan debt. We're done being pawns in this usurious scheme. We're here to reclaim what rightfully belongs to us: our futures.
But right now, many of us are still struggling with these negative thoughts. These are not our own thoughts - they do not belong to us. They are the thoughts that you have foisted upon the indentured educated class. You have turned many of us into demoralized beings. You have turned many of us into suicidal people. Even so, many of us still have strength. Why? Because we have learned that we are not alone. We have become a collective of debtors, so our singular indebted identity is being lost. Our ranks are growing each day. That is what you are now facing - a collective that has broken free from being atomized by debt.
But we - the indentured educated class - need to get everyone out of the psychological shackles.
Like this person. They are getting there, but they need to be closer than they are. Here's what they wrote:
The general public doesn't understand how crushing and demoralizing student loan debt is. Somehow it's your fault of wanting a better life and doing it in the heavily prescribed manner. I exist and am fortunate to have family that cares, but the debt and unreasonable financial burdens it creates means I don't have a life. I do not have many experiences that make me feel like I have my own life. There is no way out and it forces me into cyclical patterns of depression where the realization of how unmanageable my student loan debt is leads me to think of how corrupt our educational system/government/financial leaders are in order to perpetuate such a cannibalistic system and I feel even less hope for my future and get further depressed. I fight to maintain hope and do a lot of reading to try and stay inspired to succeed but the reality is that I think of killing myself all the time and I don't feel ashamed about it because I think it is a normal response when humans feel that there is absolutely no solution available to them. In fact, the concept of suicide to relieve physical pain is so accepted that it is pervasive in our media (i.e. films) and is even practiced as medicine by some doctors. You can sign an order to not resuscitate and that is socially acceptable. Somehow for the anguish and pain that comes with facing a destitute and hopeless lifestyle when all you wanted to do was improve your life, suicide is not accepted. I could go on .... I wish everyone who is experiencing this crippling pain a quick change of fortune, a miracle, some hope and extend my sympathy. I did my research on my insurance policy, I can leave this place when it gets to be too much for me (probably soon).
I hope this person doesn't leave out of choice or any time soon. I want them to know, I want all of you to know, that you're not alone. We must organize. People are already doing it - get involved, get support, and get organized. We don't need a change of fortune or a miracle. We need to be firmly here, based in reality, and working together to break these damned shackles and ensure that higher education becomes free again.
Indentured educated citizens, unite!
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