“… We are, in effect, financially punishing those who defer gratification and train in the professions which our society requires, unless they choose the morally dubious route of defaulting on their loans and emigrating. Logically speaking, this proposal creates a situation where the best options pragmatically are those which are morally repugnant, such as deciding to not work and contribute and to live off the dole; or deciding to study for a professional degree and then emigrate and default on the loan. The only other option – the one most likely for those of us who actually try to live honestly – is that that extra thirty thousand euro or so of debt per child will be loaded onto the account of the parents. That’s not even mentioning the kind of stress this will induce in students …” (more)
[Stochastic Geometry, 15 July]