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You think public education is guaranteed by the Constitution? Lol. I don't know whether to laugh or cry. I absolutely do not think the government should own the means of production - nor does any self respecting European socialist. I do, however, think we'd enjoy a much better quality of life if wages were higher and higher education and health care were funded by *slightly* higher taxes.
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Originally Posted by WestCobb
The welfare clause? What the hell gibberish are you spewing? Public education is a fine example of a public good that is not in the constitution (society was too primitive in the 18th century to recognize it's necessity) that Americans realized was needed and decided to fund. We're much better off and wealthier because of it. The taxes we spend on it is money well spent - it's a good in investment. Shame we don't invest in health care and higher education.
Every state constitution lists the right to a free public education. Further, the US spends more per student than any other country in the world. Our average test scores don't look that great, but once you break down the test scores by percent of free lunch or race we do very well. Hispanics and AA's don't score very well, but their scores have shown improvement.
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Originally Posted by Toyman at Jewel Lake
Where are you seeing 50% in Europe? The people I worked with over there were saying 60-75% tax rate. Many middle and upper middle class professionals couldn't even afford their own house. Even somewhat dumpy apartments were terribly expensive. About the nicest thing I saw about Europe was the competence of the drivers. Austria is spectacular though.
Riot police have fired tear gas and water cannon during clashes with demonstrators as at least 100,000 people marched through Brussels in the first mass protests against government austerity measures.
Every state constitution lists the right to a free public education. Further, the US spends more per student than any other country in the world. Our average test scores don't look that great, but once you break down the test scores by percent of free lunch or race we do very well. Hispanics and AA's don't score very well, but their scores have shown improvement.
The income tax rate in Belgium.
You are right about that, US test scores are not weak at all when you break it down by race.
The second post of yours sounds like Back peddling to me.
According to your first post, America will be a much better place if we can just get rid of Republicans.
No back peddling, we can't even face the reality of our problems for Republican delusional obstinance. With this craziness of "pretentious grandstanding" talking about see - Look at me, I made it by myself. That is insidious. Why is it, Republican hate with a passion to have and see a system that cares about people. We can't even build great public squares because Republicans are afraid someone from a group they don't like will utilize it.
Republican ideology of the obstinate and grand-standers, fail to realize; It's because of the government, the system of rules and regulation and provision created and supported and maintained by the government is of design and function which helps make it possible for successes.
Republican want some 'let me run wild and disregard rules and regulations madness, when this generation with that baby boomer madness either move into nursing homes or die out, then we can progress.
The minute there is a federal project or state project, republicans are lined up trying to get a contract. but let them tell it the government is a problem. Then, they want to try and come and diminish the quality standards the government set forth for the project, so they can use cheap materials and build something non durable. We see it over and over. we see it in many of these these communities they build and built 20-30 or so years ago, then when they don't want to maintain them anymore, suddenly they want the city to annex it, so the city will maintain and fix the roads that by then have caved in and need complete overhaul.Thankfully, now cities are smart, they are telling these developers, NOPE, you put it in the standard and quality its suppose to be and then come back and talk to us about annexing it into the city. The first thing the developer does it head back to fleece the tenants. then they fight city hall from every angle trying to force feed the community upon the people of the city.
In This City
Just as one person in another post said, this particular city lost its downtown vibrancy, because of the blue hair's who resisted change and in doing so closed and blocked progress. We are just entering an areas when most of those blue hairs are either incapable of mobility to raise hell and block stuff or they have passed on. The more the liberal minded move in the more progress we seem to make. There are still some stuck in yesterday's mud baby boom era types who still try to block things, but they are far fewer than it use to be.
A Progressive City
San Francisco probably has more regulations than many places, but it thrives because open minded people come in and find ways to comply and they move ahead with continually modernizing that city. they may be the likely ones who will create a high speed rail, before any of the Southern Region, and sure it will happen before it happens in any hard core widely saturated republican populated areas.
Be careful when electing local political leaders
It not just Federal Congressional Republican, people need to be careful about electing republican mentality council people and republican mayors, who result to grid lock things, or make them so sterile no one wants to come and deal with anything there. This exclusionist mentality of Republican ideology, is something that must die out in American. Cities with dominant Republican leadership can be found all over the nation, and most of those probably have a long history and list of civil rights violations, human rights violations and other violations of the dignity and livelihood of the citizen populations. (surely someone will research that point in search to deny it).
When have you heard a Republican say anything positive about a foreign nation? Generally they have some angle to try and discredit people in nations around the globe.
Last edited by Chance and Change; 11-15-2014 at 04:29 PM..
I won't even give this the credit to go into elaboration other than to say, 5% of 12% and 6% of 13% did not bring down 60-70%.. geez!!!
Dude, it is black upon white. US average score was about 495 in 2009, if you exclude black and Hispanics who got about 420 average, then the score for white people shoot up to 523.
I won't even give this the credit to go into elaboration other than to say, 5% of 12% and 6% of 13% did not bring down 60-70%.. geez!!!
Yes they did. PISA releases the USA scores with a racial breakdown and percent of free lunch breakdown to the public. The average test score is below the OECD average, but schools with less than 10% of the students on free lunch programs scored up near Japan's scores. Broken down by race, Asians have the highest score, then whites, then (depending on subject) you have AA's and then Hispanics. If white kids scored as high as Asians the scores would increase overnight, but the average would still be declining because Hispanic scores are so much further behind and they are the growing demographic.
Also, I don't know where you are getting your numbers from. 13% of the US pop is black and about 18% is Hispanic. Kids under 18 are more diverse and only about 46% are white (2010 numbers).
America is convenient for consumers but terrible for workers. Europe is the opposite. That's the main difference between the two places, I think along with the different history. I just quit a horrible kitchen job and right now I'm definitely thinking Europe has the better tradeoff.
It's true -- the cheese, chocolate, wine, beer and bread are awesome. They're not as superior as they were pre 1990s though. America has gone through a huge foodie revolution, and our food is pretty damn good these days. In 1990, American beer meant Bud for example. Now, with all of our microbrews, we're winning world competitions. I remember bread pre 1990 in America. Ick. Now, the European stuff is still better, but the artisan loafs you get at your local supermarket are pretty much up to snuff. The chocolate though? Waaaay better in Europe. Maybe America should have a chocolate revolution next.
I'd put it at more like pre 2000 actually. I don't recall the "foodie" culture already being a thing in the 90s though then again I was only a kid then?
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