The "dumbing down" of America is a really real thing, and I think this issue has a fair bit to do with that.
PJ-Soul, I totally respect your opinion. The average American truly is dumb. I am a public educator of 20+ years and what I have seen happen over a generation is sickening. . . .
But it is just factually incorrect to say that a lack of access to higher education has caused the dumbing down. There are more students going to college now than at any other time in American history. And if you look at the average GPA in America over the past 20 years, you will see nothing but grossly inflated grades at the same time standardized scores have plummeted. Students are admitted to college with A averages and then they take their course placement tests and we find that close to 60% of students need remedial writing and math classes in college because they were pushed into a track they should never have found themselves to begin with. People have been lying to them all their lives about what special geniuses they are, and it finally hits them when they get to college that they are not. But nobody can say, "Oh, you don't really belong in a four year academic institution" because that would just be too politically incorrect and the so-called "under-served" populations will start crying about how their lives matter too, and the white, middle class helicopter moms will pull out their claws and gauge your eyes out. The fact is, colleges and universities in America can't keep up with the demands placed on them -- and *that* has more than a fair bit to do with the reason tuition and fees are going up.
I think you said in another post that tuition should be subsidized for people who need it. Every college or university in America has a financial aid office for students who truly need it. I needed it. It's how I got hooked up to what apparently was a fantastic student loan. There are grants, work study programs, scholarships. You name it. The truth is -- anybody who wants to go to college in America can, and anybody who regrets their investment in their education probably should never have gone in the first place. To expand an already effective needs-based program to a 340 BILLION dollar entitlement for everybody is just wrong.
I am actually an admistrator at a university, which I'm just mentioning so that people have a idea that I understand how it all works and what a university degree can or can't do for people. I am also someone who went to school full time while working almost full time as well, and still had to get a student loan at one point to support myself, and that's in Canada. My student loan will finally be paid off this October, 15 years after i graduated, and I didn't even get much. And understanding how it all works, I stand with what I already said. But yes, of course there is already money going to universities, I just meant more subsidization, because what's being done now isn't enough. It's drilling a wider gap between the privileged and the poor - the kind of gap that lends itself to making it eternally worse with each year.
Post edited by PJ_Soul on
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
Here in Fl,we converted most our jr colleges into 4 year state schools.There is now talks of making those schools free just like public HS.I think this could be a nice start.
Boys,you know I take it issue by issue.It all dosent have to fit in a nice neat little box.And I'm a charter member of team C so I'm not worried about loosing my card. Plus we can get the money from cutting bullshit wasteful entitlements and won't have to raise income taxes at all. Gambs don't think I didn't catch the PJ reference there.Way to work it in.Nice job.
Boys,you know I take it issue by issue.It all dosent have to fit in a nice neat little box.And I'm a charter member of team C so I'm not worried about loosing my card. Plus we can get the money from cutting bullshit wasteful entitlements and won't have to raise income taxes at all. Gambs don't think I didn't catch the PJ reference there.Way to work it in.Nice job.
The Official GOP Debate Drinking Game Rules according to Rolling Stone. Better read and understand the rules before the event gets underway. What will everyone be drinking? I have a fresh bottle of Knob Creek Bourbon I'll be cracking open.
In the interest of being a balanced non-partisan (and a fan of drinking games!) here are your rules for tonight!
Definitely going the green route! Not sure how much of it (the debate, not the bud) I'll be able to take, but I'm going to choose three of the rules by which to abide.
It was definitely bernie trying to lay it all out there and sly hillary just parrying every shortcoming with well rehearsed responses.
Imo hillary didn't come across well. Im a bernie fan... also thought omalley was decent
bernie definitely went for it. swung for the fences. told the people how they could donate directly to his campaign. nice way to do that, especially saying he does not have a superpac.
hillary came off kind of snarky at times from what i saw.
i was impressed with omalley a bit.
webb, polling at a nice .5% complained he was not getting enough time. when he said something i asked myself, "why is this guy on the democratic debate stage again?"
"You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry." - Lincoln
Bernie and to a lesser extent omalley... even Webb, speak and look like they really care about their positions. Hillary can't take a position on legal pot at this point? Really?
When asked what our biggest threat to domestic security is (maybe not those exact words) only Sanders mentioned climate change. True, this is not the first thing most would say or think of but I was hugely impressed that Bernie said this. He gets it that in a world inhabitable for most or all humans, all other issues cease to exist.
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
Sorry kids,I don't see how this country actually gets better with Larry David(Sanders) as President.I get why he wants some of his positions and I agree with a few of his positions(Climate Change for one) But I don't see the other side working with him.His Foriegn policy ,mainly his more hands off approach ,being not proactive scares me when dealing with Russia and China.I believe he would be too soft. And I agree with Hillary on her point ,we are not Norway,Denmark or Sweden.You can't compare.
Im not voting for sanders expecting universal health care and the banning and confiscation of weapons.
But if he can get elected, and in a 4 year term shine a lot of light on... if not reform the foundation of all his positions: the constant funneling of silly money from corporations to politicians to buy them off... then it will have been the most important term in modern history.
Sorry kids,I don't see how this country actually gets better with Larry David(Sanders) as President.I get why he wants some of his positions and I agree with a few of his positions(Climate Change for one) But I don't see the other side working with him.His Foriegn policy ,mainly his more hands off approach ,being not proactive scares me when dealing with Russia and China.I believe he would be too soft. And I agree with Hillary on her point ,we are not Norway,Denmark or Sweden.You can't compare.
Do you really see republicans keeping the house this next time around? I think voters are gonna clean house in congress and the democrat who wins will have a much easier time than people think.
Sorry kids,I don't see how this country actually gets better with Larry David(Sanders) as President.I get why he wants some of his positions and I agree with a few of his positions(Climate Change for one) But I don't see the other side working with him.His Foriegn policy ,mainly his more hands off approach ,being not proactive scares me when dealing with Russia and China.I believe he would be too soft. And I agree with Hillary on her point ,we are not Norway,Denmark or Sweden.You can't compare.
Do you really see republicans keeping the house this next time around? I think voters are gonna clean house in congress and the democrat who wins will have a much easier time than people think.
Yes,I think they will actually have some juice going into this next term
Im not voting for sanders expecting universal health care and the banning and confiscation of weapons.
But if he can get elected, and in a 4 year term shine a lot of light on... if not reform the foundation of all his positions: the constant funneling of silly money from corporations to politicians to buy them off... then it will have been the most important term in modern history.
Sanders is not going to ban or confiscate weapons. He's pretty clear on that.
Yes, if he is elected we hopefully will see some major changes in terms of politicians being bought and id that happens, it will be monumental!
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
Comments
And understanding how it all works, I stand with what I already said. But yes, of course there is already money going to universities, I just meant more subsidization, because what's being done now isn't enough. It's drilling a wider gap between the privileged and the poor - the kind of gap that lends itself to making it eternally worse with each year.
You are coming dangerously close to getting kicked out of team conservative, better mind your manners!
Plus we can get the money from cutting bullshit wasteful entitlements and won't have to raise income taxes at all.
Gambs don't think I didn't catch the PJ reference there.Way to work it in.Nice job.
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
Bengazi Bengazi Bengazi.
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
Godfather.
Godfather.
The Official Democratic Debate Drinking Game Rules
No bourbon for me tonight. I think I'll stick to beer or green.
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
Imo hillary didn't come across well. Im a bernie fan... also thought omalley was decent
hillary came off kind of snarky at times from what i saw.
i was impressed with omalley a bit.
webb, polling at a nice .5% complained he was not getting enough time. when he said something i asked myself, "why is this guy on the democratic debate stage again?"
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
Bernie and to a lesser extent omalley... even Webb, speak and look like they really care about their positions. Hillary can't take a position on legal pot at this point? Really?
When asked what our biggest threat to domestic security is (maybe not those exact words) only Sanders mentioned climate change. True, this is not the first thing most would say or think of but I was hugely impressed that Bernie said this. He gets it that in a world inhabitable for most or all humans, all other issues cease to exist.
But I don't see the other side working with him.His Foriegn policy ,mainly his more hands off approach ,being not proactive scares me when dealing with Russia and China.I believe he would be too soft.
And I agree with Hillary on her point ,we are not Norway,Denmark or Sweden.You can't compare.
But if he can get elected, and in a 4 year term shine a lot of light on... if not reform the foundation of all his positions: the constant funneling of silly money from corporations to politicians to buy them off... then it will have been the most important term in modern history.
Yes, if he is elected we hopefully will see some major changes in terms of politicians being bought and id that happens, it will be monumental!