This is truly jaw-dropping. Absolutely no one's doubting her credentials. A young Black woman already doing the job of acting National Cyber Director can't get formally Senate confirmed in that role because she has debt?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/07/15/kemba-walden-nomination-cyber-director/
@kevincollier
I don't know the details/politics of this specific case. But I know that #debt is a serious #risk factor for security #clearances. Ask any #intelligence agency.
@newstik @kevincollier Yeah, but you can still get the clearance as long as you make it clear you have debt. No one's without a weak spot, and if you're honest about yours they expect you'll come to them if someone tries to press your weak spot.
@ragnell @newstik @kevincollier like, who doesn't have student loans and a mortgage? That disqualifies anyone but trust fund babies FFS.
@reneestephen @ragnell @kevincollier Now you know why it is so important that public servants receive student loan relief.
Now having debt isn't an automatic disqualification. I don't process security clearances, but I assume that debt amount in relation to income as well as assets, trend (these relations going up/down), credit rating, non-imminent liabilities (a family member with a severe illness/addiction/connection to crime, being sued for damages by a third party, etc) play a role.
@newstik And here I was thinking that free tertiary education and not saddling people with debt to achieve it was simply something that healthy countries provided for citizens because education is a strong social good, but sure, this is a good reason too
@reneestephen @ragnell @kevincollier #Education you don't have to pay for supports upward social mobility. How would that be in the immediate interest of the elite?