Read Atlas Shrugged as a teenager. But you know I kinda did grow up in the most capitalism-loving country on Earth that loves to censor and keep anything truly leftist from the people at all costs. I'm gonna go ahead and say I've been way more exposed to capitalist thought than Atlas has to leftist thought living in small-town Texas. Call it a hunch.
It is folly to interpret any Texan's dismissal of leftist views as a lack of understanding of them. We simply dismiss them because they are silly. Not silly in a good way like Jerry Seinfeld. But silly in the way an 8 year old rationalizes their father buying them a new skateboard.
Silly like this current events example:
http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/26/politics/obama-student-loans/"These changes will make a difference for millions of Americans," Obama told a college crowd. "We should be doing everything we can to put a college education within the reach of every American."
While college costs are rising, employment prospects for new college graduates are dimming. In 2010, the unemployment rate for college graduates age 24 and younger rose to 9.4%, the highest since the Labor Department began keeping records in 1985.
Way to support the president's argument CNN! But still, I'm hugely in favor of education.
College education costs have continued to spike in recent years. The price of attending the average public university rose 5.4% for in-state students to $21,447 this fall, according to a report released Wednesday by the College Board. The cost for one year at a typical private college rose 4.3% to $42,224.
OK, the main problem is the cost of education is rising. Granted.
Could it be a supply and demand imbalance? No, how could it be possible for college student to have too much money to waste on tuition that is needlessly high. That's Inconceivable!
The way the Income-Based Repayment Plan works now is that graduates who enroll get charged 15% of their monthly discretionary income to pay off loans, with debt forgiven after 25 years.
Doh! The government is giving student money to pay needlessly high tuition rates. THEN, we are not even asking them to pay it back. Oh, that makes perfect sense now. Certainly, just like with free mortgage money, free education money will drive up prices.
So let's fix the problem!
Congress passed a law set to go into effect in 2014 that would drop the monthly payment for loans originated that year to 10% of discretionary income and would forgive all debt after 20 years.
The administration would improve on the law by fast-forwarding the new terms to take effect in 2012 on loans originated that year, White House domestic policy adviser Melody Barnes noted Tuesday.
WTF! We are going to fix the problem of increasing education cost, by having students pay back less of their loans!!!
Why don't we just charge science and engineering majors more because they are going to be rich. But give discounts to english and history majors because they are going to be poor.
Wait! Universities are actually doing that! You've got to be fucking kidding me. Deliberately penalizing people from learning to be productive, while encouraging people to study what will keep them in poverty.
Well as long as there is a plan! Go left go!
