Think this is overstating the issue? Well, listen to Suze Orman explain how banks are completely screwing students:
If I didn’t know better, I’d swear that somebody doesn’t want anyone other than the rich to get a higher education.
UPDATE: Daily Kos published this same infographic, along with links to further information and raw data.
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It does not overstate the case at all. And it is WORSE THAN THIS. Check out this story: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/27/texas-republican-party-2012-platform-education_n_1632097.html where Republicans want to STOP TEACHING critical thinking because it “goes against some people’s beliefs and the rights of the parents”
We have passed through the Twilight Zone and are entering Wonderland’s evil parallel universe, NeoConLand.
We should all recognize that the education system in this country has failed and is continuing to fail. We should also recognize that just throwing money at the problem isn’t the answer, as on a per capita basis (Pre college) we spend more per student than most countries. And neither party really cares – Republicans want to cut spending and dumb down the population, Democrats want to spend more money but have no ideas how to improve the system.
So as with many issues, the only real solution is re-engineering and ignoring both parties.
This is one of those succinct analyses that requires CHANGE. Things we MUST GET DONE:
litigate against education leeches that extort excessive profits from student loans and steal our children’s futures,
support educators who teach, not so much standardized tests and larded school management,
get out from under the drug of military growth when it is against national interests to let adventurism run wild,
And I hope we also work FROM NOW ON to
remove (almost in full) the venal VA entrenched bureaucracy that dishonors our promises to veterans,
clean up lobbies so self-serving they would poison the wells of American exceptionalism, starting with the NRA,
legislate to make outright lies broadcast in medea far more actionable and subject to meaningful penalities — like loss of license for Fox News’ near-treasonable agendae.
That’ll do ‘er. Let’s get started!
Anyone else seeing parallels to the French Revolution?
Sure, we don’t have a “nobility”, but that’s just another way of indicating class distinctions. And we do have a far too rich group lording it over far too many people who are far too pour. (No, not as pour as in so much of the world, but the dynamic that matters within the country is the difference between the very rich and the very pour, not the difference between our pour and the pour elsewhere.)
I scream and yell about this, just as I do about the tax cuts to the rich.
Romney, Bush, and I all had one thing in common. Free college education. No, my parents didn’t pay. My trust fund paid. To say I was a mediocre student like Bush is an understatement. At least I became a nurse and contributed to society. But the brilliant child coming from a minimum wage earner family doesn’t have the advantages that I do. They are saddled with debt from the start.
Someone wrote the local paper about Obama’s “fair shot” for our youth. Of course, that person must have had debt for his college “We all have the same chance.” Uh, no, Bush, Romney and I had free educations.
An actor named Reagan took away California’s wonderful education system in the 1960s comparable to the Nordic system. No longer did the disadvantaged have free college as though they had a choice of the family they were born to.
Hitler took away all education to the youth so he could brainwash them. We all know how well that worked
*headdesk* I knew “pour” looked wrong, but I just couldn’t figure it out a the time. One night’s sleep, and now I see it. “Poor” for “pour” please.
Sorry everyone. My dysgraphia was acting up so badly yesterday that I spelled “year” as “reay” on my blog.
Athanyel – I agree completely.
Ebdoug – I don’t think having a free education at the college level will necessarily work either. The more money we have given for college to make it more affordable has resulted in college cost rising at equal rates. The schools get the tax dollars and keep raising prices, its the students who get left behind. Our universities should share a significant part of the blame.
There is money for school, but that doesn’t mean it will help the unmotivated and to be truthful, nnot everyone should nor desires college. We have a growing shortage of skilled trades to keep everything running and build new stuff. For some, like me, I didn’t want college right after high school and if told to go would have wasted whatever money was used to educate me. Later in life I wanted to go and earned monies and used job benefits and found other sources to pay for my school. I did well graduating with honors. I preach to my Soldiers to use their education benefits all the time, they can in most cases go to school for free. Still many choose not to and thats ok, they may change their miind later and appreciate it more.
I think we need to really think thru the whole perceptionn that if you’re not college educated you are somehow less then, because thats just not true. No one appreciates the skilled tradesmen until they need them to fix their own botched attempt at a DIY project. Having more money for college won’t solve anything, the colleges will just keep raising prices.
I really like this, but the issues of prison costs and military spending are really separate in my opinion. Those should be reduced greatly I believe, but then we have to look at the best application for those funds. Is it college? Is it an overhaul of the primary education system?
And of course, to reduce prison costs in the first place requires some creativity and action (like decriminalizing drugs see Portugal for reference).
Education : massively important for social mobility.
You’d think it was a prerequisite for The American Dream.
I read the Texas GOP platform (linked from the Arthanyel’s HuffPo link), and let me tell you…it is quite a hoot. The Texas GOP loves this country so much that they demand the restoration of plaques honoring the widows of men who tried to destroy it. They believe in electoral integrity so much that unions must get consent of members to use their dues for political purposes, but apparently don’t believe in such a requirement for corporations. They “strongly oppose any constitutional convention to rewrite the United States Constitution,” but “strongly support a Parental Rights Amendment.” They care so much about protecting children that they demand “[l]ocal, state, or federal laws, regulations, or policies
shall not [emph. added] be enacted that limit parental rights.”
And, oh yes, there’s even the wonderful practice of governing by moralizing. They demand Welfare reforms that “require recipients to remain substance abuse free” and require recipients submit to random drug screening. While such policies sound nice, empirical evidence has repeatedly shown that the only effect is to make us “responsible taxpayers” *feel* better that our money isn’t supporting those lazy bums’ drug habits. In reality, the cost of the testing far exceeds the money saved by kicking those with positive tests out. It also has a very demoralizing effect on the 98% of recipients who are drug free. And, it does absolutely nothing to encourage users to become drug free. It is simply about moral grandstanding.