We live in a society based on knowledge and know how, a society based on complex factors, complex phenomenon requiring complicated and wise decisions.
Knowledge is power... and since DEMOCRACY (demos-cratos) is the voice to the people, shouldn´t they have a free access to what will enable them to better understand and decide ?
Isn´t expensive education a "distortion of competition" in a society who wants to be based on a free and fair market proving all entrants the same chances ?
And isn´t it freezing the social ladder which is the basis of the american dream ?
Doesn´t the benefit outweight the cost, especially if oriented toward sciences ?
2007-03-25 08:06:10 · 12 answers · asked by NLBNLB 6 in Politics & Government ➔ Politics
yes yes yes yes yes.
in view of everyone else putting effort into this, i'll qualify my answer.
- I have graduated and have a debt that grows every year even though my salary is garnished heavily and i just can't seem to get ahead. Millions of others with bigger debts than mine, and outright grants are few and far between.
- Human development indicators - education has a positive effect on every aspect of life, not only income and the 'American dream', but child & mother mortality, vulnerability to disease and exploitation, population activity, it goes on and on. It is a universal right and most nations are signatory to this fact. So why is it all so hard?
- yes R&D is our future in every way, and with the population curve mutating because of the baby boomers retiring, we need to be able to work smarter. We are already facing skills shortages all over the developed world.
Vraag, your points about the pitfalls are excellent.... what if we made fees reasonable instead of outrageous?
2007-03-25 08:11:12 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
You're exactly right. It freezes the social ladder which is the basis of the american dream. Public education also enables people on a low rung of the ladder to become middle or upper class and guess what-a good tax paying citizen. That means more revenue for the US government and less taxes that others have to pay! Today, people seem fond of calling public education "socialist", when in fact, it absolutely advances American Capitalism. The LONG-term benefits, (not just short-term-we are not a country with short term CEO thinking) do outweigh the costs.
If people find the American dream is unattainable, they may give up.
2007-03-25 08:16:56 · answer #2 · answered by Middleclassandnotquiet 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
No one is against it! Where is your head? Anyone, but anyone can go on-line and apply for Pell Grants with the Federal Government. Those of low (or no) income qualify and they can also check a box for the federal work/study program to give them an opportunity to work at the college or university they choose, as long as they're an accredited college or U.
No one has frozen anything and it's only in the perspective of the person looking. If you check all the colleges, some may also have a program, like the one I attended, for people who never got their H.S. diploma. It can be worked into the curriculum.
If people are too lazy to find out about grants and free education from the government and just sit here and constantly complain 'you owe me'...how will they ever get ahead? Forget the 'social ladder'. If money is all everyone ever cared about, then they have real issues. There's more to life than social standing.
There isn't any distortion of competition. Corporations hire and give positions to the ones they want and that's that. I'm in the same boat, and I do deserve more. Do I get it? I'm still trying and I'm 57. Why give up and just throw in the towel. All I'm looking for is a way to support myself and have a place of my own to live. The ex pays the bill for the cable connection and I was allowed to use a portion of my Pell Grant money (after paying for classes and books) to purchase a new computer when my old one quit. I needed it for college classes because much of the homework and test were done on-line.
So, there is always a way for everything if people just look for it, and that goes for any opportunities as well. Problem is, people can't get out of the 'poor me' mentality. Shoot, I've been there and prayed myself out of it. I wasn't going to run to make a doctor and drug companies rich with 'mind and attitude altering drugs' to make my life easier. That's just a stupid 'cop out'.
2007-03-25 08:21:14 · answer #3 · answered by chole_24 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I believe you are correct when you list the disadvantages of our expensive system of education. I think the main reason we don't have free education is that no-one would want to become a professor unless they were independently wealthy. Also, it seems to me that when the government takes over paying for something, that something deteriorates into something practically worthless (it's happening gradually with our medical care system). And the upshot would be that there would also be educational institutions which would not be free and all the best teachers would go there to teach and you would end up with the same problem you have now - the rich and privileged would get the better education. However, I believe that with the introduction of the computer, a good education in almost any field will be readily available to the poor as well as the wealthy.
2007-03-25 08:19:47 · answer #4 · answered by xxxx 4 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Because it's not free (as in "without cost").
The cost has to be paid by someone, either the individual going to school or the government.
You think we (as a society) should collectively invest in education, as being good for society. I agree.
The question is, should that investment be voluntary, or mandatory and funded through forced taxation?
2007-03-25 08:47:46 · answer #5 · answered by coragryph 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
As a liberal, I believe anybody who is qualified and wants to go to college should be able to. Specifically we should start by increasing student grants and subsidized loans (which Republicans have cut back on) and lowering the interest rate students pay to banks. It's guaranteed interest. There is no risk involved for the banks anyway.
2007-03-25 08:16:51 · answer #6 · answered by trovalta_stinks_2 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Because those at the top don't really want a democracy. They don't want other people to get any ideas that they have a right to decide the way they're going to live.
Also, they don't want to spend even one dime if it goes to help anybody but themselves.
2007-03-25 08:28:28 · answer #7 · answered by catrionn 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
First off, you are German, correct? I live in Wiesbaden right now and I know everyone in Germany does not get the opprotunity to attend college. I do know it is free (or so I am led to believe) if you EARN your way there. The problem in America is everyone can pretty much attend college, but you have to pay for it. I think paying for college via work study, loans, grants or scholarship is a great way to pay for your education. Nothing is free in the world and that is a lesson people need to start learning in college. I went to college, but I earned my there via a scholarship for hard work. I do not believe anything should just be given to someone for free.
2007-03-25 08:13:20 · answer #8 · answered by Big John 2 · 1⤊ 4⤋
we aren't based on education. we are based on sports and the military.
and the rich don't want the non-rich to succeed and move up the latter
2007-03-25 08:57:27 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
Its not "free".... someone has to pay for it and in the case of public education it is the taxpayer. I don't want to have to pay any more taxes than I have to especially to educate little nitwit slackers like you.
2007-03-25 08:33:15 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋