the mess

[pinkfizzie]

QUOTE

This will take a new level of maturity you obviously don't have at the moment or you wouldn't have gotten in this situation to begin with. And if you think I don't have compassion and concern for deadbeats, you are absolutely correct.

This is hurtful, narrow minded, you never know what your future holds. There, except for the grace of God go I.

[hoku]

I think how to get out of debt depends on what kind of debt. So far everyone seems to be assuming it is credit cards and lifestyle, but my step mother found herself $300,000 in debt after her mother died slowly from cancer over several years. What should my mother have done, just not paid for her mother's treatment? So not everyone in debt is irresponsible.

I don't know how old you are or what country you are in, but if you are suffering from college loans in the US, and you are really that desperate, I do actually, in fact, know of an entity that will pay up to $65,000 of college loans directly to the lender.

This entity will GIVE YOUR LENDER $65,000, and never ask for a penny of it back from you.

This entity is the US Army. So serve your country four years, get out of debt, AND have a respectable paycheck every month during those four years to do as you please with - buy a new car, save up for a down payment on a house, blow it on parties. Your whole paycheck goes to you because you will not have to make another college loan payment ever again. It is actually not a bad deal, considering that paying off the $65,000 by working two or three jobs and eating Ramen noodles for 4 years ( or more, most likely) is probably less pleasant. They give $10,000 for the reserves if active duty is too much to ask.

As far as I know that is the only way to get someone else to pay your debt, and that only applies to college loans and only works if you are willing to do something in return for getting rid of your debt. And actually I think that website is outdated. I think it is over $72,000 now....

NOTE: I am not a recruiter, nor am I recruiting. Just someone who wishes she had racked up $65,000 worth of college loans BEFORE she joined the Army!!!! My mental jaw drops every time I think of how much they are giving away, and I thought someone else might find it interesting/promising. And for the record, the Army has been very good to me. It does offer a lot of opportunities to anyone willing to work for them.

http://usmilitary.about.com/cs/joiningup/a/clrp.htm

Ok, this part offends me. I really hate all the stupid morons who join the military just so the government can pay for their education. There are even more idiotic morons who tried to sue the Army for sending them to war. The US has a volunteer service, which means those who go in have made that choice themselves, fully knowing what awaits them after they sign on the dotted line. The rate of PTSD has gone up recently because the Army is forced to lower their standards and allow more underqualified people to join, people, many of whom, cannot handle the stress of battle. I am not saying every moron who join just because of the education is weaker and everyone who joins to serve and fight is stronger, but statistically they are more likely to develop PTSD than those who are prepared for what's out there.

And encouraging more people to join just because of the money is also very stupid. Some people will do anything to not have to pay the money, so they will sign up, go to war, and either get killed because they are not prepared, get their buddies killed, or come home with PTSD and kill a baby by shaking it, kill themselves, kill their fellow Soldiers (all of these have been reported), or get a DQ from the military and lead a screwed up life, hurting themselves others around them, even if it is just emotionally. Not all will turn out like this, of course, but why would you purposefully attempt to increase the odds of that happening? Why would you put people who are not psychologically ready for the danger into a situation that could turn out like this?

Yes, we need more people in the service, but people should go because they want to serve their country, not because they don't want to pay back their education loans. And yes, I think even small medical conditions should be grounds for disqualification because you can't predict how another injury will affect you once it's added to the already existing condition. Trust me, there are few things I want to do more than serve in the military (like go to Mars) and I am not happy about it myself, but I understand that I could be a hindrance for others and do more harm than good.

[fairview]

QUOTE

This will take a new level of maturity you obviously don't have at the moment or you wouldn't have gotten in this situation to begin with. And if you think I don't have compassion and concern for deadbeats, you are absolutely correct.

This is hurtful, narrow minded, you never know what your future holds. There, except for the grace of God go I.

There is quite a bit of difference between your first and second posts. When people are in a mess because they are in debt, invariably it is because expenditures consistently outstrip income, using plastic. When people are in debt as in your case, it is a different matter. 2/3 of the replies, including mine were not applicable and probably would not have been made had if at least a few details been given in the first post. I know mine wouldn't have been. Several years back a good friend (former now)ran his credit cards to the max, he claimed bankruptcy, wiped out nearly all his debt and he is now living in a nicer home with nicer things than I do. I'm very sensitive to people who do this and I don't apologize for my comments. Thankfully the bankruptcy laws have been changed which put a stop to a lot of this.

There is a lot of agencies out there, including the pharmaceutical companies that offer financial assistance for meds to those in true need. I would start reaching out to them and asking for help.

[Loki]

Ok, this part offends me. I really hate all the stupid morons who join the military just so the government can pay for their education. There are even more idiotic morons who tried to sue the Army for sending them to war. The US has a volunteer service, which means those who go in have made that choice themselves, fully knowing what awaits them after they sign on the dotted line. The rate of PTSD has gone up recently because the Army is forced to lower their standards and allow more underqualified people to join, people, many of whom, cannot handle the stress of battle. I am not saying every moron who join just because of the education is weaker and everyone who joins to serve and fight is stronger, but statistically they are more likely to develop PTSD than those who are prepared for what's out there.

And encouraging more people to join just because of the money is also very stupid. Some people will do anything to not have to pay the money, so they will sign up, go to war, and either get killed because they are not prepared, get their buddies killed, or come home with PTSD and kill a baby by shaking it, kill themselves, kill their fellow Soldiers (all of these have been reported), or get a DQ from the military and lead a screwed up life, hurting themselves others around them, even if it is just emotionally. Not all will turn out like this, of course, but why would you purposefully attempt to increase the odds of that happening? Why would you put people who are not psychologically ready for the danger into a situation that could turn out like this?

Yes, we need more people in the service, but people should go because they want to serve their country, not because they don't want to pay back their education loans. And yes, I think even small medical conditions should be grounds for disqualification because you can't predict how another injury will affect you once it's added to the already existing condition. Trust me, there are few things I want to do more than serve in the military (like go to Mars) and I am not happy about it myself, but I understand that I could be a hindrance for others and do more harm than good.

In your response to M51s post-

Its an insult to many of us who have family and friends who are currently enlisted. People have their reasons and whatnot.

I dont know what dreamworld you've been living in. Theres no such thing as "free lunch." Money does buy everything. Are you working at your job? what difference does it make when they pay you for your work, how different is this when the goverment is paying for the education costs? The recruits are working to get paid also. This is no different from many benefits I see such as people working for health insurance or free tutition costs at their job? People are brought and sold every single day with their jobs. I dont see any difference with this at all.

One of my cousins was not permitted to join the air force due to his tattoo on his calf being just over 25% of the limb so he decided to go over to the army. They do have strict medical requirements so I dont know where youre getting all upset about going off with PTSD how some people cannot handle it. What about Vietnam? The troops were drafted (so your statement about it being volunteer service.......) PTSD- its the aftermath of any war- even civilians have PTSD- look at Bosnia and Serbia, the children have PTSD and still is felt today- War causes PTSD, conflicts causes PTSD- it doesnt matter if youre enlisted or not once again innocent people that gets caught in the conflicts all over the world all have em. More civilians have PTSD than troops in the world as its their world that has been shattered, literally. You're talking about Soldiers going rabid now and then. Look at ourselves that's not soldiers, we are practically going crazy everyday killing each other over stupid reasons: drugs, money, relationships, territory and everything else.

[Sally]

Let's not confuse the troops with the government that's sending them to battle zones. No one who's 18 years old -- and the majority of those enlisting and being sent to Iraq and Afghanistan are between 18 and 21 -- knows what they're doing. They are lured by the money the army offers them as an enlistment bonus, and they are often trapped in their hometowns with no job prospects. They are not bad people, certainly not, but they're very very young and they have very very bad things happen to them where they're sent. Many more are coming home with head injuries than came home from Vietnam; those aren't cured as easily as like leg injuries. Many more are being accepted into service when they are not psychologically suited for it; in Vietnam days, those draftees were not accepted into the service. Now soldiers are coming back in much worse shape than when they left. Who's going to take care of them? Some will need care for the rest of their lives. The VA is stretched already.

Being patriotic or brave has nothing to do with this question. You can be brave and patriotic and do the wrong thing for yourself and the wrong thing for your family and the wrong thing for your country. That's a hell of a lot more likely to happen when you're 18 or 19 than when you're 30.

Whoever wants people to join the army should do it themselves. If they're too old to do so, maybe they should volunteer to help in VA hospitals, and in homeless shelters where some veterans who can't get VA help are ending up. Then they can talk with at least some authority.

[Loki]

Let's not confuse the troops with the government that's sending them to battle zones. No one who's 18 years old -- and the majority of those enlisting and being sent to Iraq and Afghanistan are between 18 and 21 -- knows what they're doing. They are lured by the money the army offers them as an enlistment bonus, and they are often trapped in their hometowns with no job prospects. They are not bad people, certainly not, but they're very very young and they have very very bad things happen to them where they're sent. Many more are coming home with head injuries than came home from Vietnam; those aren't cured as easily as like leg injuries. Many more are being accepted into service when they are not psychologically suited for it; in Vietnam days, those draftees were not accepted into the service. Now soldiers are coming back in much worse shape than when they left. Who's going to take care of them? Some will need care for the rest of their lives. The VA is stretched already.

Being patriotic or brave has nothing to do with this question. You can be brave and patriotic and do the wrong thing for yourself and the wrong thing for your family and the wrong thing for your country. That's a hell of a lot more likely to happen when you're 18 or 19 than when you're 30.

Whoever wants people to join the army should do it themselves. If they're too old to do so, maybe they should volunteer to help in VA hospitals, and in homeless shelters where some veterans who can't get VA help are ending up. Then they can talk with at least some authority.

Well stated!!!!!

One of the tragic things about this country today- such as Americans as PinkFuzzie finding herself disabled and getting herself in debt due to all of the horrible costs due to medical costs and I'm sure alot of vets are enduring this also as we always forget about em.

[Guest koregano]

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