Do you think someone born into a poor family in a third world country has the same opportunities as someone...

Question

born into a rich family in a first world country?

Some cons seem to think so.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Am4lndhKivgSRzEcJSunVbbY7BR.?qid=20070617093430AA8aoFn

Not me though. That's why I support public education for every kid regardless of the social class he was born into, as well as student grants, subsidized student loans, subsidized state universities, GI Bills, and job training.

This kind of social spending serves to level the playing field. It is possible for a handful of people to "make it" from poverty to wealth without any help (except from parents), but it is more likely a higher percentage of people will "make it" if you help them help themselves.

More people "making it" means less money spent for prisons, police, judges, and lawyers.

Dirty,

And why is there public education (kinder through 12th grade), subsidized school loans and subsidized higher education?

Because liberals support helping peole help themselves. If we let conservatives take over, they would eliminate every single social program. The most extreme would probably even eliminate public education and public state universities. They want an America where only the wealthy would be educated.

Locutus,

I'm not saying we should fund education for the third world. I'm making the extreme example. If you want pure unregulated capitalism and governments that don't care about their people, go see how people in the third world live. If they are lucky the government might fund public education up till 8th grade.

But don't expect the kind of social programs that America and first world countries offer.

Blue,

You're making the capitalism versus communism argument. That's not what I'm arguing. It's not black or white.

I'm arguing for regulated capitalism with laws and programs to protect/help consumers, workers, and citizens from the pitfalls of unregulated big fish eat smaller fish, law of the jungle, capitalism.

Answer 1

No. I've lived and worked in the richest areas of NYC and the poorest as well as lived in this hemispheres poorest countries.

Horatio Alger rags to riches stories are there, but they are few and far between. If you go 20 minutes Uptown on the subway in NYC you will see that people are not born the same and simply don't have the same opportunities.

There is a teaching shortage in this nation. I challenge anyone who this there is an equal playing field in this country to find out for themselves and teach.

Answer 2

The problem with your question is that you seem to think that wealth is a naturally occurring phenomenon. It is heavily cultural. You can give the best education in the world to people and it will not do them any good at all, unless you have a functioning market economy.

Members of my family are Russian emigres and I can assure you that the average American high school diploma is intellectually worthless compared with the education that the old Soviet Union gave to students in Math and Science and indeed, English, but the evil social system in Russia meant that there was no use for such knowledge. Entrpreneurship in Russia meant illegal activity.

What is needed in the Third World before any education are much more basic things like water and a legal system that normally will protect property rights. Look at the film "Blood Diamond", forget the last 10 minutes and you will see what is wrong in the Third World.

Social spending is a luxury you can have, once you reward enterprise. If social spending were the solution, Russia would have outpaced the USA long ago.

Answer 3

No, obviously they would not. If they are in a third world country, why would it matter to you?
Show me they part of the Constitution that has anything to do with citizens of citizens of other countries being put on the same playing field as Americans.
Your point is a bit of a reach, and obviously just baiting.
We DO have Public Education for all. Do you know that in Public Schools, at least in California, There are twicw as many "Administrators" as there are Teachers? Your tax dollars at work...Does that kind of "Spending" make sense? Where over 65% of the salary budget goes for NON-TEACHERS? Less than 35% FOR Teachers?
Waste is all it is. Throwing money at something, does not ensure success.

Answer 4

Boy, are you going to be sorry you asked this question!

President Lula of Brazil grew up dirt poor..... and black. Now he runs the country.

Saddam Hussein was not only dirt poor, but his family more or less threw him out to live with an uncle that hated and mistreated him. He became ruler of Iraq.

There are a lot more examples where those came from!

Now, regarding education. In order for it to lift someone out of the poverty cycle, you first have to learn. Have you conveniently forgotten it is President Bush that has decided to stop the Liberal excuses about why kids aren't learning? His "No Child Left Behind" has teachers screaming.... they actually have to (gasp!) teach, and be responsible. Maybe they'll spend some of those 3 summer vacation months honing up on their teaching skills.

Teachers Unions are Liberal bastions, and they have been far more concerned with getting benefits for members than actually teaching. Thank Bush that this is changing.

Did you forget it is President Bush who has increased the deduction families can take for college education?

Conservatives are taking the approach you advocate: helping people help themselves, as opposed to wasteful entitlements that just give people a victim mentality.

Wow, I've answered your question with insight and examples. Guess that gets me ten points, huh? Even though I'm only a Conservative, but Liberals are all about fairness, right? :)

Answer 5

Of course there are differences between nations, but within the United States there is definitely a level of equal opportunity.

This opportunity does not mean people take advantage of it as much. I have found upper and middle class people tend to push their children harder in public schools while lower class people tend not to push as hard with as much regularity.

There are exceptions to this for sure. I have seen plenty of poor kids go to fine universities while I have seen just as many rich kids end up working some dead end job because they did not have any self-motivation. No government program cannot make people want to seize on their opportunities.

Answer 6

No, they don't. I come from a third world country and the opportunities aren't the same. However, someone that was born here to a working class family does have the same opportunities as a kid does in the suburbs. It all depends on them, so in this country poverty is a choice. Sadly, in other third world countries with dicators and corrupt governments is not.

Answer 7

Having lived and worked in Africa it is extremely tough to better oneself unless you have money. One aquaintance there was given the college entrance exam at the end of his "senior" year and scored 2nd highest in his class. It was the rule that only one student from each school could go on to college (due to lack of space) so he missed out by half of a point. And if you made it to college, you had no choice what to major in. You took the course that they had a vacancy in.

Everything is based on money and if you don't have any you've lost out.

Those of you who are cons and are so set in your thoughts really ought to go live in the bush in an African country so you can see what the real world is like. Most of the world is third world, you know.

Answer 8

maybe, I grew up dirt poor, my country suffered hard under British occupation. many times I ate once in 2 days. I would point out, despite being in utter poverty, no one appeared upset, mostly I remember the smiles. I ended up studying and learning 4 languages, attending university, working for the government, and owning a small business. All this in an Islamic country and being female. Our government is so conservative, it makes American conservatives look like liberals in a huge way.

Answer 9

Of course you want to "level the playing field" that's been the goal of communists and socialists for generations. And you do it by making everybody equally poor.

And so you punish people who actually do make something of theirselves. But while most liberals will stop at demanding the successful people in this country pay to take care of the lazy in this country, that's not enough for you. You're demanding that they pay for educating the entire third world too.

Why does the concept of people taking care of themselves scare you so much?

Answer 10

I agree with you. Some people tend to believe that everyone is equal and has the same opportunities but that's just not the way it works.
It DOES matter where you're born. It DOES matter what your family life is like. It DOES matter how well you're nourished, it DOES matter if you go to school.
The playing field does need to be leveled and I think it is our job as humans, to help alleviate poverty, lack of education and help those with medical conditions. It DOES take a village.