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Can we get a suggestion box?
(1) I take your point on general student loan reform, but this seems like a case of letting the perfect be the enemy of the good. You addressed this a bit, but be wary of your cynicism (which is often well-placed!). I think people would be more interested in hearing what you're FOR more often that what you're AGAINST. (2) Acknowledging that Saagar is busy and doesn't have a lot of free time, I think listeners would love if he could get himself back into some interviews (not just Q&A or discussion episodes) that could possibly lead to some areas of contact. Hearing Elliot Ackerman make the rounds on other podcasts, it seems like a missed opportunity to not have Saagar on there.
Specific policies for student loan reform
Saager suggested that we should reduce the percent of population that goes to college. I agree, but how? One possible specific policy is to only provide student loans to those that already have an AA degree. It's really not that hard to get through community college without a loan if you really want it. This would select for people who are more mature, have put skin in the game, and demonstrated some discipline and direction. Thoughts?
Culpability
I think a standard center right and center left argument is that with individual choices the onus for the consequences of those choices and decision is on the individual. Standard neoliberalism principles however when it comes to prominent leaders such as jack welsh who one of your guest book is based on or a dick Cheney or George w bush etc who have shaped the system the unites states is in how much should the onus be on them for the state America finds itself in vs the system elevated these people and molded them and the argument if it wasn’t them it would have been someone else. Really interested in the answer love the show keep it up
How will/are Think-Tanks going to change as the Political Landscape Realigns?
In the current political moment the only "Think-Tank" I've seen that exists for the Trump movement is the Claremont Institute, but they don't seem to have any actual influence on the movement and to me seem increasingly irrelevant even as the populist energy on the right grows. However, the institutional intellectual energy that seems to have staying power is still in established Think-Tanks like AEI (with whose fellows you've interviewed I've enjoyed listening to). David Frum when he left AEI in 2010 made the point that the elite aren't leading anymore and which for better or worse in the years since is increasingly true as socioeconomic divides between different classes of people become more noticeable. With the populist energy feeling like a rudderless ship that knows where it wants to go how do you Think-Tanks on the right (broadly or specifically) will change (if at all) to accommodate that vibe shift? Feel free to add any commentary about how Think-Tanks on the left have changed or you think will change as well .