Context:

One attraction of Biden (primarily discussed on reddit) was the potential cancellation of student debt. This was seen as an ideal by progressives and was heavily pushed by popular figures (mostly on social media) such as AOC and Bernie Sanders. Biden had also made similar discussions on the subject and at one point, had promised too cancel $10,000 of student debt. The expectation has been driven further by many activists discussing the idea and pressuring his administration. However, in a sudden twist, the White House is set to restart student loan payments in February.

This sudden change in both reality and rhetoric has led to some soul searching and heated discussions on the future of the current Democratic party. Progressives, many of whom strongly dislike so-called 'Neoliberals' are disgusted at this and see it as a betrayal. Many progressives are becoming increasingly frustrated with current Democrat policies, threatening to sit out the mid-terms and the election. As a result, infighting within the Democratic support base has been rekindled. In an environment of recent Progressive losses (Several mayoral campaigns across the country went to Republicans and Neoliberals, with few major progressive victories), the worst time to break apart would be now.

Nevertheless, Is it truly Biden's fault? Did he ever promise to cancel all these debts? Are the midterms finished? Who should shut their mouths, progressives of neoliberals? Is choosing not to vote principled or privileged? Should we vouch for accelerationism, revolution or protest? Is any criticism, legitimate or not, levied at the current administration Republican Obstructionism, and ultimately serving their interests? Are we a bunch of whiney babies for taking a loan and refusing to pay it back? Find out in possibly the most widely debated political subject since Bernie's second drop out.

----- r/Politics -----

This will involve several different threads

This is how D's lose the House, Senate, and WH... and then we all lose democracy. GG.

"We thought about taxing billionaires. But ultimately we decided to squeeze a little more money out of the unemployed, homeless young people who voted for us in the hope of a better life."

This is pretty bad politics at a time when there is no margin for error

Enjoy your republican led Congress after midterms.

So we’ll lose the child tax credit AND student loan payments with loan shark interest rates will resume. The optics are going to be phenomenal.

And that is how you royally fuck your own party to oblivion. Promise one thing, then advocate the opposite. So infuriatingly disappointing.

Which really makes me think that the Dems are nothing more than a made up party controlled by the very same wealthy that fund the GOP and they are there purely to provide the public with the illusion of choice and to be able to say "we tried" despite refusing to do simple / basic things like this

The Dems want to be out of office so bad

Seriously, THIS here might actually cause me to sit out 2022 and 2024. I am fully aware of the danger fascists pose to the country, however we're in this predicament for a reason. The underlying reason for the rise of Trump and Bernie was because the status quo isn't working for a lot of people.

Staying home election day to punish Biden. Change my mind by not letting loan payments resume.

What is controversial about restarting student loan payments? Unemployment is currently extremely low at 4.2%. Plenty of jobs available. Why should students and families who decided to go to overpriced schools be relieved of their debt when others chose to go to community colleges or less expensive schools and paid their tuition in full? Shouldn’t they all get their money back then?

The reason student loans will not be forgiven is because they were sold as investments like mortgages

No debtors prison right? Can’t lien a judgement with no assets right?

Bailout hedge funds ... bailout banks ... bailout gmc .... everyday man and woman go fuck your self

When Biden was in congress he voted to make sure you couldn’t declare bankruptcy to clear your student loans either. He’s been a huge advocate for the credit card and debt industry his entire life. He thinks it’s important to keep people in debt so that employers can maintain leverage over people without offering gainful employment

"Oh no, we have to actually pay back the loans we willingly took out."

Cry me a fucking river, pay your goddamn debts, I have and do. And my children will to. Stop looking for handouts, grow a set of balls and buck up.

----- r/StudentLoans -----

Pathetic and disheartening to see how badly Biden dangled the student loan talking points when he campaigned.

And this is how democrats lose elections folks.

Political suicide lol. Good luck to these Democrats during midterms.

So not even the $10,000?

Just to clarify: Trump was the president who stopped student loan payments all together. Biden is the president who restarted them. I say this NOT as someone who is a Trump fan! Can the democrats not realize the bumper sticker version of things is really freaking awful for them?

Also in this thread: astroturfers and bots spreading discord.

This is reasonable. Taxpayers didn't voluntary take on the student loan debt - the students did. I think people need to take responsibility for their actions and pay their loans.

Looks like I'll be sitting out midterms and 2024 election then. I don't understand how the child tax credit gets so much priority but student loans never get looked at. Why do people with kids get government handouts but I can't get any help with student loans?

This is why we wanted Bernie

He never promised it.

----- r/antiwork -----

This will involve several different threads

Does anyone want to organize a strike starting Feb 2022? I have free time on my hands, but I don’t have student loans myself.

But if everyone with student loans collectively stops paying then what???? LETS DO THIS

Its almost like Democrats are the enemy too.

Because y'all refused to vote for Bernie

Yea this is awful, why should you have to repay a loan that you signed up for… it’s not fair.

One thing to fight for better wages and working conditions. It is another thing to not pay back loans you voluntary took out.

My wages are already getting garnished for it so way ahead of you

Open a bunch of credit cards, take cash advances to pay off your loans, then default on the cards and file bankruptcy. Boom loans gone. Just do it progressively over a year or two so it doesn’t look like you’re committing bankruptcy fraud.

People aren’t really grasping the word “ collectively” in this post

I'm not sure how this is supposed to work? Wouldn't they just take all of our money regardless? They don't really give a damn about any of us. I'd imagine they're already prepared to garnish millions of paychecks right now.

Unpopular opinion: College is in need of serious reform and too many people are going to college and a majority of current and future students honestly have no business going.

In doing so, you selfishly forced innocent people to pay for your loans. Nobody put a gun to your head and forced you to take the loans, and YOU benefitted from them.

This is fucking absurd. Downvote this to hell, but if YOU take out a loan, YOU should fucking pay it back.

Interesting that users in a sub dedicated to ending “wage theft” would advocate for not returning something borrowed, i.e. theft.

Did you apply for a loan? Did you accept the loan?

Pay your loans dirtbags. Jesus. This was real money you really borrowed. It was for your benefit and it is a government benefit and privilege. You may think it’s cute to stick it to the man but it just shows your childishness. I had $100k in student loans and paid them off in 17 years, while buying a house and living a life. Holy smokes this trend to dishonor commitments is revolting.

Please don’t actually do this, people. As someone who missed payments in 2019 and still struggles getting approved for apartments two and a half years later, sacrificing your ability to get housing isn’t worth making a stand. We’re fighting for our right to a happy and fulfilling life with anti-work and doing this will actively prevent you from being able to have that. You can afford to lose your employer, but you can’t afford to lose housing access.

----- r/Collapse -----

They want student loan debtors desperate again and back in shitty food service & retail jobs.

Fuck that. Get the loan, do the course then fuck off to another country just to spite the system.

People are only surprised by this because they paid no attention at all to Biden's long history in the Senate. He was a corporate man through and through and a Republican collaborator. Biden never authored or supported bills that benefited the common man. Yet everybody was fixated on all the happy semi-progressive promises he made. Sure, he'll do all that stuff despite 40 years of doing the opposite or so the left held their nose and made themselves believe.

Fucking boomers did it again. They acted like white saviors against trump and then elected another piece of garbage elitist who is just as much of a problem as the conservatives

----- r/TooAfraidToAsk ----- Why are people surprised that Joe Biden is not extending student loan relief?

No one is surprised at all. I think everyone is just frustrated. It was one of the biggest tactics that was used to attract progressive voters, and here we are coming up on an election year when the democrats are already predicted to lose Congress and they’re going back on one of the biggest campaign promises of student debt relief. And then in November, they’re all going to be all HoW dId ThIs HaPpEn.

You're acting like people shouldn't hold him accountable for lying. And that's bullshit, even if the others lie too. They should all be held accountable.

Lol. Because democrats love to pander to progressive voters during election years then forget they exist immediately after.

He didn’t pander to progressives. He ran as a moderate. That’s why no one should be surprised.

Because Orange Man Bad