- Capitalism and Alternatives -
There is no way you can have your cake and eat it too.
Posted by: Frenchy on December 30, 1999 at 11:21:57:
In Reply to: The G.I. Bill posted by MDG on December 29, 1999 at 10:53:32:
: Stuart, you shouldn't discount government-sponsored education. My father came from a dirt-poor background (his parents were immigrants), but he was able to go to college because of FDR's G.I. Bill - the first one in his family. There is nothing inherently wrong with state-sponsored education, but there are tremendous benefits to be derived from universally-available, free education, including college. An enlightened society would not think twice about providing free, quality education to all its members. We spend billions on bombs, so why not billions on education? If we're to move ahead as a society and as a species, we ought to channel our resources into those areas, such as education, which might actually bring us progress.$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$I should be at least thankful that you didn't refer to the GI Bill as a form of welfare, as I've heard in the past.
The GI Bill was a good thing, no question about it, for those who were lucky enough to survive being in the military during WW II. Don't forget, that was the impetus of the GI Bill, it wasn't exactly a freebie; you had to do something in order to qualify, ie; fight a war.
The GI Bill still exists today, I was fortunate enough to take advantage of it when I got out of the service and some of my nephews are doing the same. It's not the same program though, in the current program the individual has to contribute to his educational savings. Anyways, your point is that educational socialism is a good idea. I don't have any idea on earth why you say that. If a country is willing to give away education, why not everything else too? Food? Automobiles?
Healh care?
The problem of course is that while this may seem desireable what you wind up with is a loss of personal freedoms.
There is no way you can have your cake and eat it too.
Besides, as I've pointed out before, if education is such a great thing, then how come Cuba is in such a sorry state of affairs? Aren't we always being told how Castro raised the level of education there? Free education for everyone, health care too.
Last I heard people are dying to leave Cuba (pun not intended).
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