3 ms·

Free college works just fine elsewhere.

ngngngng 7y ago
Yes, but do other places have the complication of having to replace systems that are sucking billions of dollars out of students to line the pockets of university presidents? This is what makes me skeptical. A solution in the United States for our education, healthcare, or other problems has to involve removing the leeches from the system. But political bribery is legal in the US, and the leeches have more than enough money to bribe the politicians. So insurance companies will keep existing. University presidents will keep taking home 7 figures. Turbotax won't go away anytime soon. You can either find a way to suck money away from the vulnerable, or you can be poor.
- Elv13 7y ago
  Canada did switch from "for profit" health care to universal one in the 60's. Of course the doctors were furious, but it worked, eventually. Same thing for electricity in Quebec in the 40's. Same thing from prying the education system out of the church hands in the 60's. In all the case of electricity, it is hugely profitable for the government and used to balance the budget. I went to university and turned a good profit working part time as a programmer (while paying everything and having an apartment). My University had a balanced budget too and grew over 50% since I graduated. Hospitals are as good as anywhere else. They spend billions building them and replace the older facility as they become obsolete. Yet the cost are totally under control. Public infrastructure work as long as the bureaucracy is kept in check and corruption is managed properly. Inefficiencies and corruption is unavoidable, but at least the slippery slope of "on purpose" waste like US Universities is avoided. edit: typo
  - tastygreenapple 7y ago
    Unfortunately for America, the grift is part of the system. American colleges aren't expensive because they've been investing in the organization, often they budget for a worse university. Each year, more money is allocated to administrators who aren't involved in teaching at the expense of instructional material/quality. Moving to a university as a center for education means ending the iron rice bowl for overeducated good thinkers. Good luck.
randomdata 7y ago
With much lower post secondary attainment, achieved by having much more stringent entrance requirements, limited to the best students who are already given free ride scholarships in America anyway. So, really, nothing needs to change other than the idea that everyone needs to go to college. Which, as we have seen in the rest of the world, is unnecessary anyway.
SilasX 7y ago
It does, but by being different in ways America wouldn't like: much more spartan accommodations, stricter entrance criteria, valid alternate middle-class career paths that sop off the demand, and (IIUIC) price controls. It's not like Europe has a carbon copy of the American system but with a greater commitment to throwing money at it.
- jimmaswell 7y ago
  Then tax-funded colleges could be just like that. Some states already have free community college.
  - SilasX 7y ago
    I get that. It's just a mammoth caveat that somehow gets lost in the debate over free college and, if advocated, makes it a much more fundamental and far-reaching change than any candidate is letting on.

Yes, but do other places have the complication of having to replace systems that are sucking billions of dollars out of students to line the pockets of university presidents? This is what makes me skeptical. A solution in the United States for our education, healthcare, or other problems has to involve removing the leeches from the system. But political bribery is legal in the US, and the leeches have more than enough money to bribe the politicians. So insurance companies will keep existing. University presidents will keep taking home 7 figures. Turbotax won't go away anytime soon. You can either find a way to suck money away from the vulnerable, or you can be poor.

Elv13 7y ago
Canada did switch from "for profit" health care to universal one in the 60's. Of course the doctors were furious, but it worked, eventually. Same thing for electricity in Quebec in the 40's. Same thing from prying the education system out of the church hands in the 60's. In all the case of electricity, it is hugely profitable for the government and used to balance the budget. I went to university and turned a good profit working part time as a programmer (while paying everything and having an apartment). My University had a balanced budget too and grew over 50% since I graduated. Hospitals are as good as anywhere else. They spend billions building them and replace the older facility as they become obsolete. Yet the cost are totally under control. Public infrastructure work as long as the bureaucracy is kept in check and corruption is managed properly. Inefficiencies and corruption is unavoidable, but at least the slippery slope of "on purpose" waste like US Universities is avoided. edit: typo
- tastygreenapple 7y ago
  Unfortunately for America, the grift is part of the system. American colleges aren't expensive because they've been investing in the organization, often they budget for a worse university. Each year, more money is allocated to administrators who aren't involved in teaching at the expense of instructional material/quality. Moving to a university as a center for education means ending the iron rice bowl for overeducated good thinkers. Good luck.

randomdata 7y ago

With much lower post secondary attainment, achieved by having much more stringent entrance requirements, limited to the best students who are already given free ride scholarships in America anyway. So, really, nothing needs to change other than the idea that everyone needs to go to college. Which, as we have seen in the rest of the world, is unnecessary anyway.

SilasX 7y ago

It does, but by being different in ways America wouldn't like: much more spartan accommodations, stricter entrance criteria, valid alternate middle-class career paths that sop off the demand, and (IIUIC) price controls. It's not like Europe has a carbon copy of the American system but with a greater commitment to throwing money at it.

jimmaswell 7y ago
Then tax-funded colleges could be just like that. Some states already have free community college.
- SilasX 7y ago
  I get that. It's just a mammoth caveat that somehow gets lost in the debate over free college and, if advocated, makes it a much more fundamental and far-reaching change than any candidate is letting on.