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Originally Posted by Hachifusa
The problem with having public education (besides that we are taxing people - even if they don't use the school system - to keep it running poorly)
well, I don't want to ignore the parenthasies, as it raises a great point. I do think that the school system needs to be revamped. Revamped to run more efficiantly that is. The school is really synominous to our government, a hundred hands in it, all getting what they want. The government can run anything better than a private institution simply because they are not in it for the money... well, shouldn't be. I know hands dip in the pots, but like I said, they need to be revamped. Much like 90% of our government.
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is that with public education that makes the market much smaller for private universities, which jacks the price up. I believe in better education, and if all education was privatized, prices would drop (rather necessarily) or else the "business" (in this case, education) would fail. The reason why you are against all private education is because you are still seeing private education as it is now: high-end, usually specialized (for example, Catholic) institutions for the wealthy.
I agree with this theory, but you would basically get different schools. A Wal-mart type school, a Sears type school, etc. All with verying views on educational standards. Sears might like to provide quality education, but the price would be high. Allowing only the kids with money to attend. The wal-mart school would offer the cheapest prices, but the worst education. This would widen the education gap via economic standards. If a kid is born poor, he deserves a chance.
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Private institutions teach social value as well; in fact, that's a moot argument (I'm talking now as if there was no public schools).
Yes, I am mainly pointing towards learning centers, and very privitized studies here.
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Public education is another brand of socialism that unfortunately comes about; the moment we question just how secure freedom is (and I answer: as secure as you make it) we begin to put safety nets in place. The problem with safety nets is that we begin to lose the productivity from before (and likewise, our freedoms).
I don't think that socialism is all bad. It is on points, but the freedom to rise above others (while still paying your part to society) is invaluable. Everyone benefits from society, and there for should pay for it. This is what I was getting at, where people would complain about paying for schools, even whent the schools often provide a stage for many other public events. I know there are mass restrictions on this kind of activity, but they should definatley be lightened, and allow the public to utilze what they pay for even more efficiantly.
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Make all education private, and we'd have a whole range of schools. Our taxes would drop, as would the prices of schools (don't believe that it will be thousands of dollars to go to school; hardly) and the education quality would shoot up, and with less bureaucracy, the money being poured into an individual school - from the students - would more directly benefit the students.
Buraccuracy, you raised a good point here. Schools need less of this, but I think when people are working for money, there will be more buraccuracy than ever. More letters to sign, more school 'plans' etc etc.
On this point also, a school is most certainly NOT cheap to run. A school needs to be kept up, heated (expensive here in Wisconsin), secure, roomy, and obey so many strict government issued codes, that I don't see a school being able to be paid for (cheaply) by 500 students. Bottom line is profit with priviatization. To make profit, schools have to run very clear of the red. There are a lot of expences in running a school, more than the parents of a handfull of kids could prolly afford. (I am talking the middle low class under $40K a year.
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There are very few things that a government can do better than an individual concern can.
There are also a lot of things a government can do better. The best way to work things is having individual concern work hand in hand with the gov't.
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People who like to scare others into socialism (usually with quotes like, "That'd make school only for the rich! The poor have a right to learn!") are working under the failed premise of being unable to see past the present. They see the way it is now (another failed attempt; another socialized mistake) and make the mistake of thinking that if all schools were privatized, then all schools would be expensive and breed stuck-up brats who have no respect for knowledge.
While I can tend to agree with you here, I must say that privatized students would care more for thier educations, simply because the parents want to see thier money well spent. If only parents got so involved in their children's affairs in a public school. The cause may be the privitization here, but the direct (motor) cause, is the parents involvemnet (even if it is simply in the form of pressure).
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(To go off-topic for a minute: this is a common problem. When I suggested that welfare systems be abolished to help the poor, a rather innocent, yet grossly uninformed individual of the stereotypical liberal
school of thought responded, "But the welfare system is barely working now as it is, and you wish to take it away?" The idea that the system itself is flawed never struck her - nor most people who believe in it. Rather, they think that we aren't sacrificing enough to keep them running. It is the same with public education; if the system is losing a lot of money and the education quality isn't the greatest, most people assume that it's the people that are flawed, not the system. To make that error is one of the costliest - and most dangerous - errors one can make in this field. It never can occur to a lot of these people that there is a possible world where the current "private" option would be reformed, too. )
The strangest part of that story is that people are the ones making all the generalizations and false assumptions. The same individuals you would pin the aspirations of thier children on. The same individual whom could make any mistake, and die for it, at least in a unsocialsitic (Minimal) world. This is why I would have faith in the balance of Individuals vs Society. In your example, the individual make some crudley uninformed assumtuptions. You claim to kill the beast, I claim we should train it.
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The only way to live in a free society with liberty and justice for all is to eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy, avoid involuntary taxation for services one wouldn't want, and increase productivity by putting the power back in the people's hands. The only way, therefore, education can exist in a free society is through privatization.
Or to exorsize these libierties, and get involved deeper. People here can live like sheep, or can be like yourself ()and I included) and jump into the mess. I merely watch, disect, and talk about it here and there. That small spark though can cause a fire well enough to challenge others to get involved.
I think involvment ins key. We are to watch the government, and remember that we are thier bosses. We need LESS counter-pruductive media involved in polotics, and more prodcutive, fact-based, non-biased overviews of canidates and job possitions available. What better stage than the internet?
I think we both agree, Hachi, that they government has become a thorn in our sides in one way or another. I agree that welfare, education, and even health systems, can be prone to so much abuse. Like I said earlier, instead of killing the beast, we should tame it. The government offers a huge platfrom in wich we can creat a society that allows better equality, while allowing people to arise above the mediocrasy that is offered, and become greater due to thier fiscal situations. Therefore, we are not as socialistic as it would seem, but we are more than we should be. My step back is simply less drastic.
On these same premise, I am sure if we quit paying taxes, and had money to spend on education, other needs would arise, and basic prices would go up as greed came into play. $10 dollar gas? 5 dollar bread. Wouldn't suprise me. You see, companies look at the available funds of an area through market reasearch. Incredibly effective, and an honorable tool indeed. It becomes unballanced, when they propose an amount for food that takes in account those without children, or with out a care in the world, and inflates thier prices based on these numbers. The resulting view of this would be that children are now a Luxury Item. Don't have children, unless your willing to cut (possibly like mad) to pay for thier schooling, healthcare, and every other need they have. This is where this idea looses me. Fiscally loosening up taxes will break the chains of greed and allow people whom live for themselves, to hinder others greatly. Simply put, the government supported education and other socialistic systems, allow us to easily set aside money through taxes (in which we must pay). This money is no longer market applicable, and therefore will keep other prices lower, as the effect that we actually have less money to spend hits.
As for a label, I am currious as to where I would fall. I don't claim to be a socialist, but I belive that society needs to care minimally for those whom need it. The lowest standard of living should be the effect of socialism.
Anyways, I am very tired right now, gotta hit the sack.
Bipper