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Ehh, it's more of "I don't use that service, so why should I pay for it?" We as a society have stopped looking at our tax dollars as an investment in the futur

Ehh, it's more of "I don't use that service, so why should I pay for it?" We as a society have stopped looking at our tax dollars as an investment in the future. Public education is one of the best investments we can make, but you're right; it tends to be viewed as "liberal indoctrination" (because you know, the truth has a liberal bias). Modern conservatives look at a problem and see the answer as "free market economics, let those who want it pay for it!" Hence the tragedy of the commons situation we're rushing headlong into. Modern conservatism is morally and intellectually bankrupt; and as a result 2017 will be known as the year that China assumed leadership of the world.

deepnotderp 9y ago
Oh noes, did you just say the fwee mah-ket is bad? Socialist! Incendiary comments aside, I have to agree with you, a lot, the mindset in the United States towards free markets has become something of a religion. While free markets are definitely useful as a general heuristic, markets Can be inefficient.
cobookman 9y ago
I think it's not I don't use it. And more of a is the money better placed elsewhere. Education is a large percentage of the budget today. We can also spend all the money in the world and we might not have any better of an education system. Just look at Mark's Zuckerbergs millions he gave to schools with no results.
- HarryHirsch 9y ago
  Just look at Mark's Zuckerbergs millions he gave to schools with no results. Anyone who genuinely wants to make an impact in any field first surveys the literature to see what has been done before. Why didn't he consult with experts [1] before dropping millions at the Newark Public School system? Zuckerberg isn't exactly known for righteousness. There's his other initiative where he wants to arm people with tablets to provide the schoolchildren in a certain impoverished African country (forgot which, was it Sierra Leone?) with an education, instead of funding teacher training. One thing would improve the infrastructure in the country, the other would funnel money to online education companies. What if the same goals were at work here? [1] It's easy to point fingers at Schools of Education because many are bad. Not all of them are, tough.
  - exelius 9y ago
    That's kind of indicative of another American value; namely "my money trumps your knowledge".

deepnotderp 9y ago

Oh noes, did you just say the fwee mah-ket is bad? Socialist! Incendiary comments aside, I have to agree with you, a lot, the mindset in the United States towards free markets has become something of a religion. While free markets are definitely useful as a general heuristic, markets Can be inefficient.

cobookman 9y ago

I think it's not I don't use it. And more of a is the money better placed elsewhere. Education is a large percentage of the budget today. We can also spend all the money in the world and we might not have any better of an education system. Just look at Mark's Zuckerbergs millions he gave to schools with no results.

HarryHirsch 9y ago
Just look at Mark's Zuckerbergs millions he gave to schools with no results. Anyone who genuinely wants to make an impact in any field first surveys the literature to see what has been done before. Why didn't he consult with experts [1] before dropping millions at the Newark Public School system? Zuckerberg isn't exactly known for righteousness. There's his other initiative where he wants to arm people with tablets to provide the schoolchildren in a certain impoverished African country (forgot which, was it Sierra Leone?) with an education, instead of funding teacher training. One thing would improve the infrastructure in the country, the other would funnel money to online education companies. What if the same goals were at work here? [1] It's easy to point fingers at Schools of Education because many are bad. Not all of them are, tough.
- exelius 9y ago
  That's kind of indicative of another American value; namely "my money trumps your knowledge".