Those are good points, especially on nuclear deterrence re: Russia. I think Israel could be considered to be a bit different in that sense, since their nuclear program (that we know exists) is still technically a secret. But I think I’m probably wrong on how all that works, so good call.
This represents a pretty fundamental misunderstanding of the geopolitics of the Middle East.
Israel is the country currently committing genocide against the Palestinians, attacking and trying to gain new territory in Syria, breaking ceasefire agreements, carrying out targeted murders of innocent children, journalists, and frankly anyone they feel like killing, and in general just acting like a country of vicious amoral killers.
And in case you’re worried about my tone or personal experience, I am a Jewish descendant of Holocaust survivors, with family who are Israeli, and with whom I will never speak again. Israel is the bad actor here, and unfortunately it’s not just the government and the army, but most of the general population that supports the genocide.
Nukes are not the problem, nor are they the solution or even an effective deterrent. And while Israel’s neighbors are by no means good global citizens, it’s Israel and its murderous, racist, and genocidal rage that are the problem.
Not only is no help available, but the Dept of Ed has been pestering borrowers to re-certify their Income-Driven Repayment plan, since Biden’s SAVE plan is blocked by the courts leaving the shitty IDR as the only option for those who can’t afford their full payments (most people, I’d assume). But if you go to the page where you do the recertification, you’ll find that the forms have all been taken down.
It’s purposeful, to cause the maximum amount of pain to the most number of people who are the least likely to be able to handle it. I think a lot of them actually do want to burn it all down, and screw all the people who are harmed in the process. That’s what they want their legacy to be. They don’t want people who aren’t already wealthy to benefit from education.
I generally agree, but credit card debt in my experience is very different from student loan debt. I don’t make a ton of money, but I make enough to pay off my credit cards every month, which I use for all my purchases and most bills.
But I also have hundreds of thousands of dollars of student loan debt, which only ever goes up even when I make all my payments. That debt will never realistically go away even if I make really high payments above the minimum, unless I win the lottery. Oh and I actually use my degrees at work, so college and grad school were a huge benefit to me, that I’ll never be able to pay off.
Credit cards, when used properly, are easy to stay on top of if you use them within your means and always pay them off every month. Student loans, even when used properly, are essentially designed to keep you in debt. So I’m 100% in favor of boycotting student loan payments, but I don’t think it’s necessary to boycott credit card debt unless you’ve been scammed or seriously taken advantage of. But more power to you if you do!!
Fuck, I’m sorry that happened to you. It’s ridiculous that every victim of their fraud wasn’t at least made whole, but in addition to the people who should have gone to prison, you and all their victims honestly should have been given a modest fortune as proper restitution for these crimes.
Damn straight.
No doubt. If fines and settlements are all we can muster, then there needs to be real personal consequences for those responsible as well as the corporation taking responsibility. Until we fully decouple money and politics, I have a hard time imagining that kind of proportionate punishment ever being doled out.
Totally. It wasn’t close to being enough. The entire board should have been arrested for fraud, at the very least. At least it wasn’t some laughably low amount like we’re used to, I’m surprised it was even this high.
Reminder that Wells Fargo was caught opening millions of accounts without permission. This company should not be trusted with anything.
One of the rare cases where a company actually paid a huge $3 billion settlement.
100%
That’s why it’s so dangerous for Democratic leadership to keep ignoring and actively pushing against AOC’s popularity. The ideological distance between Democratic leadership and the voters that put them in power is vast. That’s a serious problem that they don’t seem to be reckoning with.
Sure, go ahead and demean one of the most popular and beloved politicians in office. That‘ll totally make people listen to you. AOC is the single best communicator the Democrats have on their bench. Other Democrats need to be learning from her and making more space for her style of leadership, not talking shit about her. That’s yet another thing they failed to learn from the 2024 election.
I think it’s pretty telling that to much of the progressive and leftist base, Slotkin comes across as a Republican from the 1990’s (with all her Reagan-worship crap) and is generally not a particularly popular politician outside of neoliberal DC power circles. While on the other hand, AOC is incredibly popular across the nation, and is widely liked and respected not only because she comes across as a real genuine human being, but because her ideas and political approach appeal to almost everyone, including many Republicans. I heard some interviews with Trump voters where they were asked how they felt about AOC, and a surprising number of them said they agreed with a lot, but not all of her opinions, but they consistently said they respected her because they believed she meant what she said and that she seemed to genuinely care about the right groups of people.
From the end of the article:
Ocasio-Cortez “best reflects the core values” of the Democratic Party, a CNN poll of voters recently found.
Charred fatty goose breast.
Blew my mind.
When a society continually shows that it doesn’t value education anymore, it’s only logical for educators to go somewhere that still does.