[oldjokes]

Absolutely. I am excited by the prospect of hospitals shutting down and doctors being unable to find a job, it's long overdue for them to finally come back down to earth. I can't imagine a quicker way to reform healthcare than that. It's probably our best case scenario right now with a non-functional government.

Student loans are a bit more complicated, but yes absolutely I expect to see massive defaults hurting the federal balance sheet and for schools who failed their students to start shutting down. This isn't a bad thing, it's healthy.

[gok]

How would students defaulting on their debt cause the schools to shut down? They get the tuition up front.

[bluGill]

Student loans would presumably not be given if the degree program isn't able to get you a "good" job after finishing it.

Nothing wrong with getting a worthless degree: if you are into art you should get an art degree. However you should first get a good job that pays your bills and pay for that degree from your own fun money. As a society I help with your basic education because the value of everybody knowing how to read and do math makes it worth it.

[gok]

>Student loans would presumably not be given if the degree program isn't able to get you a "good" job after finishing it.

Er, that's pretty much how we got here, they have been and are being given. Government-backed student loans have no requirement that they be spent on degrees that are lucrative.

[bluGill]

That can change.

The implication that government is choosing which degrees are worthwhile is scary...