The Student Loan Scheme

One of the most important issues in our modern society in the US – student loan debt – is near to my heart and a huge reason for the shift in my overall political views and leanings. We are being (have been) robbed of our future and placed into a corporate/government profit scheme to make money off of our debt and force us into a life of indentured servitude by way of redundant, meaningless work in a cubicle, factory, or service job.

I don’t have the answer to this problem for myself and the current debt my generation carries, but I do know that my children will go through none of this. The pressure for everyone to go to college is propaganda and meant to fill (overfill) the pockets of a greedy few at the top of private companies and some government officials. Everyone does not need college and it dilutes the real value of the degree, as well as the overall quality of service (education) received.

Vocational programs, community colleges and training/certification/skilled trade programs are far better options, but we need to go further – a cultural mindset shift from “college degree required” to a more experiential and training environment. I learned the majority of the skills needed for my current work in digital marketing on-the-job. My MBA did teach me strategic thought, but I believe that only came because of an international education. In the US, it’s very much a memorize-and-regurgitate system to get ahead, which I find repulsive, stagnant, a waste of money and ultimately against any and all forms of thinking and innovation.

Our entire college-obsessed culture must change, and we must learn to support, appreciate and grow the skills of all our citizens in order to survive and thrive as a society and community.