Originally Posted by pocketkangaroo

Unfortunately, our economy has always been tied to war. War brings jobs and money into the US economy. It's a sad state of affairs, but that is unfortunately the truth. It is what makes what Bill Clinton did even more impressive as it was the first time it was that prosperous in a peace time economy.



It's difficult to compare us to other countries that have a more socialist government. We are a capitalist economy which means you get what you pay for. Our top schools and medical facilities are world famous and people throughout the world come to us for health care and education. We have the best doctors and professors in the world. On the other hand, those who can't afford those things don't have that option. If you are poor you can't afford the Mayo clinic for your surgery. If you are poor you won't go to the best high school in the state.

I guess I'm just more of a libertarian in my beliefs. I worked hard for my money and in some ways don't feel like I'm responsible for other people's education and health care. It's just a socialist vs individualism approach to society in which the US is more individualistic than other countries in the world.



Again, this is a socialism vs individualism issue. We have schools that are very poor, have a few computers for students, and very low paid teachers. Than in the wealthier areas you find high schools where every student has a laptop, teachers make 6 figures, and the school is on the cutting edge of everything. We have free clinics and stuff for the poor that feature low wage doctors and the bare minimums for health care. On the flip side we have doctors who make millions for curing rare ailments and performing amazing medical feats.

I think we all would like everyone to be offered the best of the best. The problems is that the more socialist your economy and society becomes, the less motivation there is to become better. If a doctor can't charge the top dollar for health care because he has become the best doctor in his area, why strive to become better? If all teachers and schools are the same, what motivation does a teacher have to become better?

Sometimes are flaws are actually our positives. Having a set of haves and have-nots motivate individuals to become better.

I don't agree with that statement at all. The "can't afford college" route has been used as an excuse or crutch by many who didn't go. Yes, college is expensive. Paying for the top minds is expensive and providing a high level of education with the top of the line technology is too.

Nonetheless, I've never seen someone not be able to acquire financial aid to attend schools. Whether it's grants, scholarships, federal loans, or private school loans, there is always a way of getting the money to go to college. Banks practically throw money at you when you are that age. Yes, going to Harvard is expensive as shit and you will end up with a crapload of school loans. But a degree from Harvard usually guarantees you'll end up with a pretty sweet job.

Yes, college is expensive. So is buying a car, house, or anything else in life. I went to college with no money at all and was able to get loans and even earn some scholarships through working hard. I had school loans when I got out, but worked hard and paid them off. If I could do it, why can't others?

Unfortunately, our school budgets are proportional to the local property taxes. This means that the wealthy areas have great schools and the poor areas have bad schools. If you attend a bad school, you are less likely to get a good education and even less likelier to succeed in the world.

Yes, there are exceptions and not every human being who falls into an economic class like that. But it is a fact that we pay individuals on welfare more for every child they have. It is true that the uneducated are having more children than the educated in our society.

We came to be based on millions of years of natural selection and development. The stronger, smarter survived. We are who we are today because over those millions of years, the stronger genes survived in our society and continued to reproduce. We are at a point in this world where that no longer takes place to an extent and us as a species may not evolve much more.

I disagree here as well. Think of the many wars fought over the past thousands of years. Think of societies, cultures, and people that have been eliminated because a stronger one came in and wiped them off. I don't agree with it, but I'm saying it has taken place. If it didn't, where did all the Native Americans go?