Too Convenient – Loan Forgiveness

Just too convenient. Three weeks from election day, Democrats are running away from their Frankenstein policies. Defunding police created horrifying homicides. Wild spending – seven trillion – triggered wild inflation. Killing fossil fuels will kill Americans this winter. And what does Biden do? Goes for broke, a half-trillion more – for educational loan-holders, earning $125,000 or less, who never asked.

That is your money, not his. That is the famous road to hell paved with good intentions, at best. That is not at all like a PPP stipend, which kept companies alive if they kept people employed, took all the risk, suffered all the loss, stayed afloat, and made a commitment – rewarded by loan forgiveness. Never mind the federal lockdown guidance was objectively overzealous, overextended, and often unnecessary.   

Forget apples and oranges – that fundamental difference, that reality – one group never asked and has earning power, while the other was induced and had none. Biden – with whatever discernment he retains – lumps them and slams those asking accountability. That is what shameless leaders do – disgrace democracy.

Buying votes is not unknown but is always crass, and usually illegal. But politicians make loopholes, in the name of democracy. Biden has used them all his life. This is a “reverse roar back.” A “roar back” is a late breaking surprise meant to hurt or damage the other side, often inflicted by the losing candidate. 

The reverse is a late breaking gift, a sudden visit from the Unholy Cash Cow, the Great Green Pumpkin at Halloween, money that does not belong to politicians, thrown to voters for votes.

We see this when Democrats lather up an election-year appropriations bill, and it stinks. To be fair, fiscally irresponsible Republicans do it too, they join the “free money” money fest. Only money is never free. It always comes at a cost, even when used (blatantly and immorally) to buy votes, especially then.

Our Founders feared this exact turn of events, congressional power over money – over taxes and spending by a government powerful enough to persecute critics and reward those that graft keeps in power. No kidding – this is all over our Founding documents, The Federalist Papers, letters, speeches, and fully integrated into our Constitution.

But never mind. We are at the crossroads, the place where massive power over money, drunkenness on that power, leads leaders no longer to care, to think they are smarter than the voters, can bribe them with their own money – and get away with it.

And that is what this whole “student loan forgiveness” gambit is about. Responsible students took out loans, and invested in themselves, as did surety parents, grandparents, and siblings. They made a promise to themselves, their kin, banks, state guarantors, and the invisible God above – or conscience – to repay.

Now comes blundering Uncle Joe, with his swaggering batch of congressional and senatorial Flagstaffs in tow, saying – “Whoa, forget all the honor, conscience, and moral obligation stuff.” After all, appearances suggest they all forgot that stuff decades ago. “Let Uncle Joe pat your head, smell your hair, and forgive your loans.” Yeah, right.

Here is what they do not understand. Americans are not stupid, and are generally more interested in self-respect than an extra buck, not about to be bought. Nor is the 8^th Circuit, US Court of Appeals, which just blocked the handout. It is all too convenient, tons of money days before the election, on no authority.

Sometimes, the political process disappoints us, double-talk and hidden motives, feints within feints, too little candor, too little trust, too little hard work, and too little trust in hard-working Americans. I know about educational loans, took out and repaid more than $100,000. 

No regrets. I would do it all again. What I would not do is sell my soul, honor, or dignity for a few bucks – even if Uncle Joe pushed. But here he goes – trying to gild the lily, once again.  Just too convenient.