Goran Maric on Fri, 25 Feb 2011 17:22:45 +0100 (CET)


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Re: <nettime> How a Library Saved My Life. - what can be done in regard to an unsustainable system of student loans


Hello, Margaret,

well in regard to a very good question, "what is being or can be done in
regard to an unsustainable system of student loans," I believe that the
answer to that question shouldn't be searched individually in itself.
Rather, It should be a part of a broader restructuring of the society.
 
1.  It should rather be the part of the question of how to move society in
accepting the idea of free public universities, as well as free and high
quality child care schooling from the toddlers all the way to K12 to
substituted by the government in full in whatever form it could be done. 

2.  The only part I see that some type of loans might be issued would be in
regard to life expenses. And also those loans shouldn't be of such a
predatory nature, as we see them to be today. 

3.  If anyone was military service they should be allowed to a full
scholarship in any institution of their choice.  Of course we should work
and help them get prepared to be able to attend classes if they lack a good
basic education.

4.  The health care should be universal single payer system, something like
Medicare for all,l that would cover also dentistry as well as mental
health.

5.  Housing should be organized in a similar manner as to what is done in
Scandinavian countries. The ones who are in economical hardship, should be
covered under a very strong social protection system.  6.  Those who cannot
afford $200K for a house, shouldn't have chance to buy it through a kind of
predatory loans we have experienced taking place here in the US in last
decade.

7.  People should be taught to live in withing their economical means.

8.  Also the US, read our, government shouldn't be allowed to give $300 or
so million of dollars to Ukraine and other countries for creating "free
medias." Rather some amount of that money should be issued to all these
independent and alternative medias here, in the US, which are chronically
struggle on an everyday basis. We have to develop a real strong independent
media accessible to all population at home before even considering doing
similar to other countries.
 
Once these suggestion would take place, the expense for these programs
would not allow the US, our, people's government, financial, due to the
lack of thereof to get engage in military activities they have been engaged
with in pretty much for the last 100 years or so. As the result of such
actions, the world would be much better place; imperial capitalism wouldn't
be unleashed in such an amount as we see it today.
 
8a-9.  Of course, we must disassemble NATO and the rest military posts
throughout the world. I believe once we would successfully execute the
suggestions from the above, as I mentioned earlier, we wouldn't be able to
spend money on the military and other undercover atrocious activities
hidden behind the misleading terms like Humanitarian Wars by NATO.
 
All of this mentioned are not the rules egraved in the stones, they are
rather a broad brainstorming, but neither we should move that much away
from them.
 
Does this seems as utopian solutions, yes, and no, depending on our
willingness not to look for the excuses in others but rather fully get
engaged in challenging our dogmas, here, at home. We should dedicate all
our mental, physical and any other possible attention to getting these
problems solved, and as we are solving these issues, we should
wholeheartedly support other struggles throughout world, but mustn't ever
ignore our home for the sake of other homes.  I believe that concurrently
while we are working on these challenges, here, at home, the rest of the
progressive world would be less oppressed by our, the US, government, and
would be more able to positively engage with their own problems.  

Best,
 
gORAN


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