Who says:
1. That the one with the $5500 macbook is in debt?
2. That the cases you are siting are the majority of the movement and therefore can be used to define it?
I wasn't referring to "the movement." I was responding to claims that a large number of middle-class people are in "paper debt" that would qualify them as measurably poor. As stated above, the very first thing they need to do is get rid of every expensive material possession that got them into debt -- to include trading/selling their $35-$50k SUVs, and replacing them with 1995 Sentras (or equivalent).
They should also sell their boats, motorcycles, jetski's, and EVERY other item they couldn't afford in the first place!
Finally, they need to move back to an apartment instead of their McMansions. If that means they're upside down for twenty years, so f'n be it. Does it suck for them? Yes. Do they deserve it for their mistakes and irresponsible behavior? Again, yes.
Too bad, so fuckin sad.
That is pretty much what Bankruptcy is. Why is school debt considered untouchable?
I sincerely don't know.
You would think they would go about it as anything else. Sale of any viable material possession not needed for the life or livelihood of the individual (Sell the TV, but do not sell the car. You need to GET to work...). Then a payment plan for any debt that can reasonably be paid off.
Most bankruptcy does not end with all debt forgiven and forgotten. If there is a means for recovery, it is sought after and implemented.
But why is it different with school loans?
like I said, I don't know. However, as the OWS supporters keep pointing out, this isn't just about school loans, so why are you focusing on just that?
So let me get this strait. You can take an overvalued home loan and use that to pay for college, declare bankruptcy and have it forgiven, but a direct education loan no?
is this your only issue?
The difference between BR and corporate bailouts is that we really did not hold the companies accountable. They are paying little, if any penalty for taking us all for a ride, and the people responsible are STILL receiving bonuses and payoffs with the reason being "Well, if we do not give them this $$, then we will lose the best workers out there that can get us out of this mess..."
Including the ones that got you INTO it in the first place?
Oh, no, for that you point at a bunch of mid-level peons and try to lay the blame on them.
Feh.
I agree. Then again, I've been opposed to the bailouts -- ALL of them -- since day one.
I sincerely hope they start going after and fining anyone who has profited directly from the bailouts. I could actually support a large effort to do so... but, how would it work? Where do we even start for such an investigation?
I'd also support the firing of each and every lawmaker who voted YES for ANY of the bailouts! Get rid of every last one of them and bar them from government service... forever. That sounds great to me!
But, I hate to say it, many of the infamous 1% have money that had nothing to do with the bailouts. Many of those 1% earned their money legitimately. Why should those who had nothing to do with the bailouts be punished alongside the ones who profited from the bailouts directly? Just because they're rich too? That's not good enough, sorry...