E5: Torts, Vets and Suicide
In 1971, the Powell Memo addressed US Chambers of Commerce targeting college campuses and media outlets across the country. Enemy numero uno was the Harvard educated, consumer advocate, Ralph Nader. The visit with Nader at his American Museum of Tort Law in CT, inspires Alan Collinge to continue his efforts while college presidents remain silent and universities serve as investment syndicates. The untold impact on student borrowers grows. Countries like Puerto Rico with 3.2 million residents carry $8 billion in debt. The psychological harm leads to thoughts of suicide while others flee the U.S. Veterans face the pressure of scamming debt collectors empowered by the Federal government’s privatized lending regime. Borrower loan balances grow even after making tens of thousands in payments. A younger generation sees the writing on the wall. Activist, Mike McGuirk, strives to convince his father, an Iraq War veteran, to stop making payments during the pandemic pause.