4 ms·

The student loan system is fucked up, so what should happen is an acknowledgement that it's fucked up, forgiving the fucked up loans, and also changing the syst

The student loan system is fucked up, so what should happen is an acknowledgement that it's fucked up, forgiving the fucked up loans, and also changing the system to be less fucked up so it won't have to happen again.

AnimalMuppet 8mo ago
A reasonable option. But was that on the table? Or was "just student loan forgiveness with no change to the system" what was being proposed? And if that was the proposal, would that be better or worse than the current status quo?
- cogman10 8mo ago
  Healthcare is in exactly the same boat. A major part of why it's so expensive is because of government subsidies to private healthcare insurance. No or little public option is exactly what allows insurance companies to go hog wild on their premiums. The ACA subsidies are simply a bandaid on a broken system which allows insurance to further break the system as they adapt to what people are willing to pay for a necessity.
  - lokar 8mo ago
    Healthcare is really complicated. No one factor makes up a majority of the excess (compared to other rich nations) cost. The ACA is a bandaid, and may be making things worse over time, at least in some areas. But Americans don't see to have the appetite to really change anything. Probably because most voters are insulated from this by good (enough) employees plans.
  - epistasis 8mo ago
    A big part of that is also the transfers between private insurance and Medicare, with health care providers accepting far lower rates for Medicare and then subsidizing operations with the rates charged to private insurers. Hospital administration is pretty hellish. As is administering payments! Any functioning health care system is going to have a "band-aid" exactly ACA subsidies: make sure that those with the lowest incomes can still afford health care. Something in between Medicaid and the full cost. But as we rein in the costs and get healthcare to be a smaller fraction of GDP, the size of the band-aid can shrink.
- bondarchuk 8mo ago
  Everything is on the table if people vote for it.
- lokar 8mo ago
  There has, for 30+ years, been a real problem with politicians refusing to speak truth, or anything close to it. They tell voters what they want to hear. This is often "truth adjacent", and they thus offer partial solutions that tend to not work out. The US has real problem that require real changes, but the political system is not responding. IMO, people sense this, grow frustrated, and become willing to take a chance on someone who seems to speak (more) truth, and claims to be willing to pursue real changes. We are starting to see more moderate mainstream politicians willing to speak more truthfully, and propose policy changes that may not appeal to everyone. But I'm not sure it's happening fast enough.

AnimalMuppet 8mo ago

A reasonable option. But was that on the table? Or was "just student loan forgiveness with no change to the system" what was being proposed? And if that was the proposal, would that be better or worse than the current status quo?

cogman10 8mo ago
Healthcare is in exactly the same boat. A major part of why it's so expensive is because of government subsidies to private healthcare insurance. No or little public option is exactly what allows insurance companies to go hog wild on their premiums. The ACA subsidies are simply a bandaid on a broken system which allows insurance to further break the system as they adapt to what people are willing to pay for a necessity.
- lokar 8mo ago
  Healthcare is really complicated. No one factor makes up a majority of the excess (compared to other rich nations) cost. The ACA is a bandaid, and may be making things worse over time, at least in some areas. But Americans don't see to have the appetite to really change anything. Probably because most voters are insulated from this by good (enough) employees plans.
- epistasis 8mo ago
  A big part of that is also the transfers between private insurance and Medicare, with health care providers accepting far lower rates for Medicare and then subsidizing operations with the rates charged to private insurers. Hospital administration is pretty hellish. As is administering payments! Any functioning health care system is going to have a "band-aid" exactly ACA subsidies: make sure that those with the lowest incomes can still afford health care. Something in between Medicaid and the full cost. But as we rein in the costs and get healthcare to be a smaller fraction of GDP, the size of the band-aid can shrink.
bondarchuk 8mo ago
Everything is on the table if people vote for it.
lokar 8mo ago
There has, for 30+ years, been a real problem with politicians refusing to speak truth, or anything close to it. They tell voters what they want to hear. This is often "truth adjacent", and they thus offer partial solutions that tend to not work out. The US has real problem that require real changes, but the political system is not responding. IMO, people sense this, grow frustrated, and become willing to take a chance on someone who seems to speak (more) truth, and claims to be willing to pursue real changes. We are starting to see more moderate mainstream politicians willing to speak more truthfully, and propose policy changes that may not appeal to everyone. But I'm not sure it's happening fast enough.