Is This Is Comedy, Or is This The Truth?

[Steven G Webb]

I find it ironically amusing that the leader of our government says AIG is too big to allow it to fail but it's acceptable for the government itself shut down. When there isn't a crisis diverting attention, it's always handy to manufacture one.
Steve

[scoundrel1728]

Originally Posted by Douglas

Maybe they are both right? I mean, do you feel that you are in control of your government? We continuously have people run on a platform of 1 thing, then do the exact opposite. And it doesnt matter which side of the fence your on.

You mean like Obama? (Sorry, I couldn't resist that one.)

It is my misfortune to live in one of the leftiest states in the Union. Nevertheless, the people of the state have managed to curb the power of the state to levy excessive property taxes and to push through term limits, both of which were much opposed by the politicians in power. I may not have as much power as I would like; nevertheless, I do have some control. At the federal level, no one faction has it all their way all the time, nor is this country a shadow oligarchy with a superficial republic front as Carlin is implying.

Originally Posted by Douglas

And all jokes aside, lets look at the 2000 election. An election where our president was the one who received the least amount of votes. Every year they say their goal is to increase voter participation, and then that happens. What elected a president was a state where the governor was the candidate's brother.

That isn't the first time a President has been elected without a majority. For the record, I would like to get rid of the Electoral College despite the fact that it enabled my favored candidate to win that time. That said, Bush did win again in 2004, that time with a true majority. Furthermore, Gore and his supporters were trying to game the system just as much as Bush and his crew. Bush also is not the candidate who received the "least" amount of votes. As I recall, there were half a dozen candidates for President on my ballot that year and Bush came in only slightly lower in the popular vote than Gore.

The rules for winning were also well-established. Both candidates would have used different campaign strategy, i.e., putting more resources into campaigns in some states rather than others, had the winner been established by popular vote rather than the Electoral College. There's no telling which would have won then.

And, for the record, I find it hard to believe that the country generally would have been better off had Gore become president.

Originally Posted by Douglas

And I still ask the question, why is the education budget always the first to get cut, when its the most important part of the budget?

That particular question presumes that 1) the education is always (and to me, "always" means "without exception," the first to get cut, and 2) that it is the "most important" part of the national budget. As stated, the first assumption is difficult to show and can be falsified with a single exception. The second assumption is also not that well established, especially considering how many other functions need and deserve funding. Are you prepared to argument that position? Until both of these assumptions are established as consensus, your question as stated is fallacious and does not deserve an answer.

Originally Posted by Douglas

And we must be getting near that time. Seeing people getting more political again.

Possibly, but the original post - or at least the video clip - was political, so it is no surorise that this thread now has a political component - it started out that way!

[Douglas]

Actually, I do feel Obama is just as bad. As for 2004, I didnt even think of Kerry for 2 reasons. I didnt believe him. 2nd, I thought in the middle of a war, it was a bad time to change presidents. But mostly the first. I cant remember who I voted for in 2000. I think it was a 3rd party candidate. Your right. He wasnt the least, but he did have less then Gore. I just meant the least between the two.

And come to Florida. New year, new cuts to education. It is an every year thing. Heck, we have a new governor who said his goal was to bring jobs to the state. First thing he did is strike down a deal that would of created a railroad between Tampa and Orlando. Would of created thousands of jobs to build this system, then of course more to maintain and run it. And it would of helped lower traffic on this stretch of interstate as well as lowered emissions due to less cars running. Heck, I hate public transportation, but I would of used it.

And I think education is one of the most important parts of the budget. The worse the education system gets, the less critical thinking you will find in the future generation. This hurts the nation in the long run. Only through education, can we get stronger as a nation. The only thing really on par is public protection. Police and fire departments.

[scoundrel1728]

Originally Posted by Douglas

And I think education is one of the most important parts of the budget. The worse the education system gets, the less critical thinking you will find in the future generation. This hurts the nation in the long run. Only through education, can we get stronger as a nation. The only thing really on par is public protection. Police and fire departments.

"I think education is one of the most important parts of the budget" is a lot more honest and responsible than your first assertion disguised as a question and a lot easier to defend. First, "one of the most important" is a lot more modest a claim than the overreaching "the most important" without the qualifier. Second, you are admitting that this is your opinion rather than trying to foist it off as established fact. That is a position I can argue with, perhaps even to an extent agree with. I don't want to get to deep into an argument on the relative merits of education funding versus funding other governmental programs and functions and thereby hijack this thread. Maybe we can get into this issue deeper on another topic.

[Douglas]

Headline from today

Florida House, Senate Pass Budgets With Deep Cuts to Schools, Health Care

Might as well be a carbon copy of last years newspaper. Without education, you have nothing else.

[scoundrel1728]

Of course we need an educated population. I don't think anyone would really dispute that concept. However, the government isn''t the only entity that can provide an education. Alternatives such as homeschooling and private and parochial schools are available and often less expensive than regular public school for the same quality and level of education, however that might be defined or measured. We've been spending a lot on education, but have we been getting our money's worth? In some ways we haven't. I am not advocating the abandonment of public schools, but perhaps they will become more efficient if they must compete more directly with these alternatives. (If this sounds like advocacy for a voucher program, well, it is.)

[Douglas]

Alot of people cant afford private schools and are either unqualified or unable to do home schooling. Use to be a time when households were 1 income dependent. Now, you pretty much have to have 2 incomes if you want to do a little more then survive.

[pabyar]

Originally Posted by scoundrel1728

Of course we need an educated population. I don't think anyone would really dispute that concept. However, the government isn''t the only entity that can provide an education. Alternatives such as homeschooling and private and parochial schools are available and often less expensive than regular public school for the same quality and level of education, however that might be defined or measured. We've been spending a lot on education, but have we been getting our money's worth? In some ways we haven't. I am not advocating the abandonment of public schools, but perhaps they will become more efficient if they must compete more directly with these alternatives. (If this sounds like advocacy for a voucher program, well, it is.)

Before we "created" the department of education around 1976, the US was always at at near the top of the world in education, although spending lagged. Now we are number 2 in spending per pupil and are ranked around #23. There really isn't a strong correlation between education spending and quality of education. There are problems in the educational system, but money isn't one of them.

[dmthompson]

Originally Posted by pabyar

Before we "created" the department of education around 1976, the US was always at at near the top of the world in education, although spending lagged. Now we are number 2 in spending per pupil and are ranked around #23. There really isn't a strong correlation between education spending and quality of education. There are problems in the educational system, but money isn't one of them.

Unfortunationaly I am out of touch with what is really happening in the schools today because it has been many, many years since I had kids in school. I have grandkids in school (teenagers) but when you ask them how things are going all you get is "fine".

I really have some honest questions about how can a student be in school for 12 year and still cannot read and understand what has been read. How can they know so little about American history and American goverment? In a recent servey of people under 30 when asked about wars the US has been in, 4 of 10 (thats 40%) didn't know we were in WWII. 30% of them believed the sun revolved around the earth. 20% of them couldn't find Calif. on a map.

Do they not teach these subject in school anymore

Dwight

[blackflan]

George Carlin's comedy is both funny and true. It is satire, he holds up the world and it's problems and we laugh at them. When people talk about Carlin as a conspiracy theorist, he was not that, his 'them' are not faceless, he is talking about the banks and the corporations.

Just think that if any country owes the bank, say 100 million of whatever currency, a powerful rich corporation could come a long and say "if you introduce law X we will pay 50 million of your debt". Are the government going to turn around and say yes? of course!

Comparing George Carlin to Glenn Beck is ludicrous! if anything, he's more like Keith Olbermann, in fact he even contributed jokes to Olbermann.

When you talk about the education, there is a huge difference between good education and the education the government and the corporations want. They want people who don't question anything and are happy doing the soul destroying jobs they are given. If you look at the curriculum being taught in schools, especially in the UK, some subjects don't even need to be taught any more (subjects like Art and Music) how is that going to create individuality? it's not, it's all going to create sheep.

I have to admit though that in America there is the worst threat currently known to humanity and it's name is BIll O'Reilly