Buck, your chart does not say what you think it does. Your "Federal Loan" number is not direct loans of taxpayer money, but federally-guaranteed ones using private funds (at least up until July of 2010, when the government became the source for all the money). These loans are listed as assets on the lender's financial books. Sallie Mae alone had almost $30 billion worth, and The "private" ones are just that, completely private loans. The chart shows the debt accumulated over many years, although the number has increased greatly in the past four years or so.

Here'sanother article on the subject, showing the origin of the chart numbers.

Here's a list of the top 100 loan originators (with Sallie Mae #1 of course.)

I don't know why I'm bothering with this. I just get tired of people simply making things up because it suits their worldview, like Eri saying that pharameutical companies steal their research. Stuff they hear from somewhere, or read someplace, or just assume. False facts cramp the discussion, like trying to discuss lunar geology when one of the participants thinks the moon is made of green cheese.

As for "integrity," I'm one of the few people who DOES admit I'm wrong. In one case, when I misread something you wrote and made a wrong conclusion, I actually called it out to the board.

There are real issues in the student loan industry. Apparently nationalizing the system will not fix them, but modern liberals seem to be willing to put up with ghastly abuse from their beloved State as long as no private entity is making money in the process.