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I believe in freedom, free choice, and actuarially-fair risk assessments. If an English lit major is more likely to fall behind on their loan payments, then tha

I believe in freedom, free choice, and actuarially-fair risk assessments. If an English lit major is more likely to fall behind on their loan payments, then that should be taken into account when determining the interest rates on those loans.

wolverine876 3y ago
> the interest rates on those loans Why are these important? > actuarially-fair risk assessments This seems to show that it's not about freedom, but greed. Utter selfishness is not freedom, though people are free to be utterly selfish (to a point). Any freedom that's meaningful is freedom for others; everyone wants 'freedom' for themselves. Hospitals, feeding the unfed, housing the unhoused, freedom for the oppressed - all probably have poor actuarial risk assessments relative to other investments, on purely financial terms used by Wall Street. Yet they offer tremendous return on investment in welfare of individuals, which is the purpose of an economy and society. Money itself is not value, and it's a poor metric of value to the world. English literature (and other humanities) study provides the most value to our society, IMHO, however they are paid. I don't want the arbiters of money to be the arbiters of education and free choice of people. Not only does it stagnate our society and economy, it's not a free society if we can only do what wealthy entities allow.
- yanderekko 3y ago
  I think taxpayers have an interest in whether their tax dollars are getting thrown into a hole, and that the government should avoid loans that will predictably lead to losses with no offsetting social benefits. If you want to counter by calling them selfish for doing so, you're free to see how that works out for your side at the ballet box, I guess. I would guess that most people do not see English literature majors as holding together the fabric of society in the same way as access to housing or food does.
  - lokar 3y ago
    Many people would agree that students getting a quality education in literature, art, history, etc lead to many important social benefits.
  - wolverine876 3y ago
    You keep asserting that it's a waste, but offer no argument or evidence for why that is so. I've demonstrated (here or in another subthread) much evidence and reason why they are valuable. All you have, I suspect, is repetition and an Internet echo chamber.

wolverine876 3y ago

> the interest rates on those loans Why are these important? > actuarially-fair risk assessments This seems to show that it's not about freedom, but greed. Utter selfishness is not freedom, though people are free to be utterly selfish (to a point). Any freedom that's meaningful is freedom for others; everyone wants 'freedom' for themselves. Hospitals, feeding the unfed, housing the unhoused, freedom for the oppressed - all probably have poor actuarial risk assessments relative to other investments, on purely financial terms used by Wall Street. Yet they offer tremendous return on investment in welfare of individuals, which is the purpose of an economy and society. Money itself is not value, and it's a poor metric of value to the world. English literature (and other humanities) study provides the most value to our society, IMHO, however they are paid. I don't want the arbiters of money to be the arbiters of education and free choice of people. Not only does it stagnate our society and economy, it's not a free society if we can only do what wealthy entities allow.

yanderekko 3y ago
I think taxpayers have an interest in whether their tax dollars are getting thrown into a hole, and that the government should avoid loans that will predictably lead to losses with no offsetting social benefits. If you want to counter by calling them selfish for doing so, you're free to see how that works out for your side at the ballet box, I guess. I would guess that most people do not see English literature majors as holding together the fabric of society in the same way as access to housing or food does.
- lokar 3y ago
  Many people would agree that students getting a quality education in literature, art, history, etc lead to many important social benefits.
- wolverine876 3y ago
  You keep asserting that it's a waste, but offer no argument or evidence for why that is so. I've demonstrated (here or in another subthread) much evidence and reason why they are valuable. All you have, I suspect, is repetition and an Internet echo chamber.