Even as a progressive Democrat at Brown and later in public broadcasting and academia, I was never crazy about Barack Obama. It was certainly time to turn the page on George W. Bush, but I was passionate about policy—particularly protecting America’s middle class from the downsides of globalization—and all Obama seemed to offer was a gauzy lifestyle brand. It was smooth, it was seductive, but where was the substance?
Prof. Thomas Sowell once commented that the best thing about having a degree from Harvard, as Sowell does, is "never again having to be impressed by someone with a degree from Harvard."
I remember those quaint days of fretting big-time about Obama's executive legislating on the illegal immigration issue. I must have written ten "desecretation of the constitutional order!!!!" "why are so few people talking about this!??" pieces for the NRO version of Post-Modern Conservative.
Quaint, because as the advancing case discussed by Aaron Kheriaty is showing, Joseph Biden is the all-time champion!
Keep up the good work. People who know little or nothing about the ivy league and those who make fun of it are often still intimidated by those who make it into the league either by student admission or teaching. Someone I knew who went to Yale as an undergrad never got the benefit or having a show professor actually teach a course they were enrolled in. Teaching assistants and adjuncts were their substitutions for the promised real mccoys.
Republicans don't know how to deal with Democrats. On student loans, they should negotiate with them as far as income limits and loan limits. Included in the bill should be a cancellation of the student loan program and closing the Department of Education. None of this would be possible without an out of control Department of Education and rules that allow it to happen. Shut it down then, if liberals have to have it, make sure there are rules and limits on the program.
I, too, was in law school around this time (2006-2009), and while I was hardly at a top-tier Ivy institution like you, I was in Boston. I heard much the same things and had a similar disheartening, and indeed disgusting, experience. My takeaway from law school in general was that our system is basically a sham that is considered a minor inconvenience when one side is doing whatever it wants, and an important bulwark against the other side doing what it wants. In other words, just another weapon in the war of “Who/whom?”
As an aside, anyone reading this contemplating law school, don’t bother going unless you can get into an Ivy League or Ivy-adjacent school. Not worth it otherwise.
Jul 31, 2023·edited Jul 31, 2023Liked by The Ivy Exile
The solution to the student loan problem is simple, and guaranteed to piss almost everyone off.
1) ELIMINATE government guarantees of student loans going forward. Only students already in college can get loans, and only for the degree (Assoc, Bach, Masters, Doctorate) or trade program they are currently enrolled in. In short, you can finish what you started, but that's all.
2) Reform the bankruptcy laws so that pre-reform student loans are EASILY dischargeable, independent of other economic factors. Yes, you still take the credit hit. Bankruptcy reform is a heckuva lot less a hit on the Taxpayers than blanket national forgiveness. Post reform student loans are treated as any other unsecured personal debt.
3) Chargebacks - every federally guaranteed student loan that is discharged in bankruptcy, some percentage of that is "charged back" to the school the money benefitted.
Prof. Thomas Sowell once commented that the best thing about having a degree from Harvard, as Sowell does, is "never again having to be impressed by someone with a degree from Harvard."
I remember those quaint days of fretting big-time about Obama's executive legislating on the illegal immigration issue. I must have written ten "desecretation of the constitutional order!!!!" "why are so few people talking about this!??" pieces for the NRO version of Post-Modern Conservative.
Quaint, because as the advancing case discussed by Aaron Kheriaty is showing, Joseph Biden is the all-time champion!
...champion at violating the speech and press protections of the First Amendment. Way past all other prezzies combined! https://pomocon.substack.com/p/joe-bidens-all-time-american-record?utm_source=profile&utm_medium=reader2
Keep up the good work. People who know little or nothing about the ivy league and those who make fun of it are often still intimidated by those who make it into the league either by student admission or teaching. Someone I knew who went to Yale as an undergrad never got the benefit or having a show professor actually teach a course they were enrolled in. Teaching assistants and adjuncts were their substitutions for the promised real mccoys.
Republicans don't know how to deal with Democrats. On student loans, they should negotiate with them as far as income limits and loan limits. Included in the bill should be a cancellation of the student loan program and closing the Department of Education. None of this would be possible without an out of control Department of Education and rules that allow it to happen. Shut it down then, if liberals have to have it, make sure there are rules and limits on the program.
I, too, was in law school around this time (2006-2009), and while I was hardly at a top-tier Ivy institution like you, I was in Boston. I heard much the same things and had a similar disheartening, and indeed disgusting, experience. My takeaway from law school in general was that our system is basically a sham that is considered a minor inconvenience when one side is doing whatever it wants, and an important bulwark against the other side doing what it wants. In other words, just another weapon in the war of “Who/whom?”
As an aside, anyone reading this contemplating law school, don’t bother going unless you can get into an Ivy League or Ivy-adjacent school. Not worth it otherwise.
The solution to the student loan problem is simple, and guaranteed to piss almost everyone off.
1) ELIMINATE government guarantees of student loans going forward. Only students already in college can get loans, and only for the degree (Assoc, Bach, Masters, Doctorate) or trade program they are currently enrolled in. In short, you can finish what you started, but that's all.
2) Reform the bankruptcy laws so that pre-reform student loans are EASILY dischargeable, independent of other economic factors. Yes, you still take the credit hit. Bankruptcy reform is a heckuva lot less a hit on the Taxpayers than blanket national forgiveness. Post reform student loans are treated as any other unsecured personal debt.
3) Chargebacks - every federally guaranteed student loan that is discharged in bankruptcy, some percentage of that is "charged back" to the school the money benefitted.
Great piece. Ivy League = Failed Upward.