Half of 18-34 year olds would give up the right to vote, in exchange for no student loan debt

They probably don't feel like the right to vote matters. Like it's a pointless exercise that just makes people feel better.

Given that corporations own our government, I can't say I blame them.

originally posted by: Aazadan

I had an interesting discussion with my professor the other day about the ethics of voting. I walked away from it unsure of where I stand. Normally, I think that the default is that you shouldn't vote, with the exception being that if a candidate is good, you should vote for them. I think this leads to higher quality candidates in general, and not a lesser of two evils scenario.

The odd thing about voting though, is that the less votes there are, the more valuable each one becomes. If we take this to the logical extreme and we're reduced to just two people with the right to vote, then reducing it to one represents a huge change in power. But when even close votes have margins of millions of people, votes are worth very little.

Well, but at what point do you get the better candidate?

There were one or two POTUS elections I passed on long ago.....I don't see it's gotten better....and in fact, it's gotten much worse.
When I was younger I did vote "for" a candidate....as I have gotten older it's become the lesser of two evils.
In a way I am voting for a "better" chance at a good outcome.
I'm just more cynical about the whole Washington Insider thing.

Cynical or not, I would not give up the right to vote.
IMHO, that is a slippery slope. A danger to the Republic should it EVER be considered.

ETA
But then, I would NOT get myself in that much school debt.

a reply to: Aazadan

That says a lot about the financial burden many young people are facing today. I still say the student loan debt will be one of the major causes contributing to an economic crisis. The default on student loans is rising every year.

Stud ent loan defaults are rising faster than you think

a reply to: Aazadan

What if i already paid mine off... can i have a bugatti chiron instead?

All this proves is that young people are money orientated and will trade their democratic freedoms for cash. Very sad. Also quite worrying for the future if they are so able to sell their rights so cheaply.

I'm astonished to see that there are still people who believe that people run for president in order to do good for the country and help its people.

a reply to: paraphi

Or they're wise enough to realize that its all a sham.

Good for them, they made a wise decision.

This was a plan years ago,Obama,Bush were pushing these loans,the Democrats in office come from colleges which push socialism,a different form of an endentured servant,but in fact when the economy collapses,property owners and land owners will lose them to the government in default,only way to counter this was to have large amounts of gold,or money from a company backed in gold,all that money you saved will be paper,no need to bomb US,just make them fend for themselves,they will soon wipe each other out

a reply to: Aazadan

Giving up the right to vote is kind of like losing say in how society runs. I wouldn't want to be in that position! Also, what would the government gain from buying people's right to vote off of them? Would they be trying for a slave society in the long run, where almost everyone is in debt to the point of losing their say? That sounds like the plot to an intriguing fiction novel.

Astonishing never give up a right.

For those saying my vote doesn't count how many of you (americans) felt you had to vote for either Hillary or Donald?

There were options that could have used the vote to better their chances over the next 4 years but so many people fell for the this election is to important line.

Also stop looking at the national election you want to fix things in this country you have to follow the same tactic that the Republicans did, take the cities to control the states, take the states to control the fed.

The President is in large part a figure head now a days, until we get the pull to clean out congress we are hosed, instead of not voting (throwing away your vote) find local candidates you believe in and help make the change happen.

originally posted by: 10uoutlaw
a reply to: intrptr

REALLY ? Where did you come up with that one .

The truth is plain for all to see.

Denial isn't helping.

a reply to: Aazadan

Debt can't be voted away, only shifted to be paid back in another form.

Anyone this stupid shouldn't be voting.

originally posted by: MotherMayEye
a reply to: Aazadan

I'm not bewildered. I wouldn't think twice about giving up my vote to pay off my student loan debt.

I'm completely disenfranchised anyway, so my vote has pretty much no value to me.

In all honesty I'd consider it. I've voted in every election I could since I've been able to and it hasn't changed a thing about my life. Student loans basically keep me from functioning as an adult because no matter how much money I make or how hard I work they just increase my payments leaving me in the same place. I work 6 days a week 8-12 hours a day and still make the same amount I did when I made 6 dollars less an hour than I do now and only worked 5 days a week. Then theres the fact that for years the only payments i could afford were less than the interest being added on so for a while I paying as much as I could afford to pay while still continuing to pay for things like rent and food. So in this time I was paying then my loan actually increased. Then I would get calls because my payments were now too low because the interest increased my loans and they wanted more money each month now. Eventually I started making enough money to cover the interest part of my loan. So at this point I maybe pay off $100-200 of my actual loan with every $800 I pay. That's just the portion through the federal government. The provincial government is more unreasonable. Anything less than paying the whole balance at once is unnaceptable and it this point, despite paying them every month, they've started calling my work and threatening to dock my pay cheques directly. It sort of kills your motivation for life.

a reply to: dug88

People need to make smarter choices. I graduated debt free easy. I'll have more degrees soon .. debt free. Within 5 years I'll have gotten my 6th degree all with no loans or debt. Middle class family, not rich, and I don't make much money ... Oh and we have 2 houses one I pay the mortgage on myself and both cars bought in cash no loans.

I started at 12.40 an hour at my current job. I made 11 an hour in my part time college job.

originally posted by: OccamsRazor04
a reply to: Aazadan

Debt can't be voted away, only shifted to be paid back in another form.

Anyone this stupid shouldn't be voting.

Sure it can. Debt is forgiven all the time.

originally posted by: paraphi
All this proves is that young people are money orientated and will trade their democratic freedoms for cash. Very sad. Also quite worrying for the future if they are so able to sell their rights so cheaply.

If you read through this thread, you will see that it's not just young people. I'm 47 and still have student loan debt.

Besides a vote can be devalued -- and we have highly vulnerable election systems thanks, in large part, to the Help America Vote Act.

A vote isn't worth what it used to be.

a reply to: Aazadan

No it's not. It's just shifted. If the government is owed $100m and forgive the debt the government is now $100m in debt. They still need to get that money which means someone is still paying it.

originally posted by: OccamsRazor04
a reply to: dug88

People need to make smarter choices. I graduated debt free easy. I'll have more degrees soon .. debt free. Within 5 years I'll have gotten my 6th degree all with no loans or debt. Middle class family, not rich, and I don't make much money ... Oh and we have 2 houses one I pay the mortgage on myself and both cars bought in cash no loans.

I started at 12.40 an hour at my current job. I made 11 an hour in my part time college job.

Ok well I started from a broken family with a dead mother and a useless father. Everything I owned when my mom died was taken from me and I finished my last year of highschool living on my grandmas couch. I made the choices I thought would remove me from the situations that #ed up my family. I obviously didn't know any better at the time and probably could have made better choices but at 17 when you've watched your family struggle in poverty from a lack of education school seems pretty appealing. I didn't # around with my school. I researched it, made sure it led to viable careers and wasn't going to leave me in a ridiculous amount of debt. Then about halfway through my schooling the government changed and suddenly there was no more money for anything I was going to school for. So for the rest of the time I was at school various government departments would come to tell us about all these amazing jobs that would be available when we were done. Then they'd laugh and say well they would have been last year and proceed to tell us how we were all screwed.

a reply to: intrptr

it is not denial , I come from a military background and the right to vote means a lot to me . Hard work , scholarships and a degree that is useful can reduce student loans . I respect your opinion , enjoy your day



;

a reply to: MotherMayEye

How? My 4 year degree I recently got cost me $30k total all 4 years (not including books).

Why choose to pay so much more?