US Government: Too Broke for Student Debt, Rich for War
The US government, ever the diligent bill collector, is set to resume wage garnishments for student loan defaults, ensuring American citizens feel the full weight of their financial obligations. This comes after The Hill reported the restart of this 'administrative wage garnishment' (a very soothing phrase for taking your money directly from your paycheck). Yet, this same government effortlessly
finds billions for military aid. For instance, according to OpenSecrets, in 2022, AIPAC spent $3.5 million on lobbying and its affiliated PACs injected more than $17 million into US elections . Funny how 'fiscal discipline' only applies when it targets struggling Americans, not when it bankrolls foreign military adventures. We can't afford to cancel student debt—estimates range from hundreds of
billions to a couple of trillion—but we can apparently always afford a seemingly endless pipeline of defense dollars. Is poverty a choice for students, but a necessary investment for war? One might wonder how many student loans could be forgiven with just one year's worth of the $3.3 billion annual military aid the US provides to Israel. Perhaps if student loan recipients dressed up as fighter
jets, they’d get a more sympathetic hearing in Washington.