On Thu, 16 Dec 2004 16:40:27 -0800, Tim Rowledge <tim at sumeru.stanford.edu>  
wrote:

> [1] Of course in any truly civilised nation education doesn't come with
> a price tag to the educatee. Since everyone benefits from an educated
> populace in ways including educated and successful people paying more
> taxes, it is obvious that as many people as possible should be given a
> shot at extensive education. I've noticed that a large fraction of
> people that disapprove of this idea seem to be the people who wouldn't
> likely have made much use of a full education.

I disapprove of the idea. The ability and freedom to exchange is a concept  
fundamental to human dignity. Children who are not allowed to exchange  
grow into disgruntled teenagers. Adults who are not allowed to exchange  
become disgruntled citizens. And typically they focus their anger on the  
source of their largesse. Indeed, not =demanding= exchange from people is  
one of the worst things you can ever do to them.

Since I was educated in the American system, I can't claim to have a  
"full" education or even to know what it is. Twenty-one years in said  
system--along with a far above average propensity for reading and  
acquiring knowledge outside of school--should've yielded better results  
but unfortunately I'm required to scramble to keep up with my own  
children's desire for knowledge. So it's hard for me to imagine I wouldn't  
have made use of it--be making use of it as we speak--had I received it.

And, of course, plenty of people with extensive education can't make use  
of it either. Indeed, there used to be a strong and healthy prejudice  
against Comp Sci PhDs in the marketplace.