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ORIGINAL: Aylee


The US Military is a Federal prerogative. The National Guard is a State prerogative.

Public schooling is SUPPOSED to be a State prerogative. The Feds have no business in it.

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ORIGINAL: farglebargle

If you want to cut education spending, but not military spending ask yourself this; "how many terrorists do I see a day compared to how many fucking idiots do I see a day"?

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ORIGINAL: imperatrixx

well a really easy way to cut the military budget is to end the two foreign wars we're involved in.

it blows my mind that people think we should spend less on education. we should be spending so much more.

you want to put more money into R&D how about you imagine all the potentially brilliant minds languishing in a school district that spends more on metal detectors than on science lab supplies.

investing in education is investing in the future of the country. investing in a military large enough to police the globe is something we don't need. we need a military to protect our own nation and to come to the aid of allies if attacked. we don't need to go on nation building expeditions that suck money out of our country and into another one.

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ORIGINAL: rulemylife

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ORIGINAL: Aylee


The US Military is a Federal prerogative. The National Guard is a State prerogative.

Public schooling is SUPPOSED to be a State prerogative. The Feds have no business in it.

Where did you come up with this delightful bit of reasoning?

It couldn't have been Glenn Beck whispering in your ear, I think he's off the air now.

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ORIGINAL: lockedaway

Ok...  But we already spend a fortune on education in this the U.S.  So, why NOT talk about how to cut education.  What would you do to cut education spending.  Would you curtail the number of administration staff?  Would you reform the pension and health care contributions?  Be specific.

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What would you cut in military spending?  You say get us out of both theaters, Iraq and Afghanistan.  I presume you want us out of Libya too?  I support being out of Libya and Afghanistan.  But we may, before too long, be involved in Iran.  Do you perceive Iran as a threat?  Even if we did demobilize from those two theaters, are their cuts in the military that you propose?

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ORIGINAL: slvemike4u

Cutting education would be akin to cutting ones throat...and than wondering why you don't feel so good.
Sheer lunacy....but given the quality of the posters who are advocating it,and the apparent failure of the system to actually educate them....no surprises.

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ORIGINAL: imperatrixx

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ORIGINAL: lockedaway

Ok...  But we already spend a fortune on education in this the U.S.  So, why NOT talk about how to cut education.  What would you do to cut education spending.  Would you curtail the number of administration staff?  Would you reform the pension and health care contributions?  Be specific.

I would not cut spending in education. I would increase spending in education. I would raise teacher's salaries and benefits to encourage more intelligent people to view it as a career with a future for them. I would allot more money to merit based grants to state universities so anyone with a B average would be able to get a tertiary education. I would invest in public pre-schools, so the children of poor mothers would be able to get the same head start as their more fortunate peers, and this would also help poor single mothers get back into the workforce sooner. I would hire more teachers so that the student/teacher ratio at public schools is comparable to that in private schools. I would invest in equipment for schools - computers, science equipment, new textbooks, etc.

Oh and if you're wondering how I'd pay for all this, I'd cut spending to prisons. I'd have a fine for being caught using drugs and a fine about 10 times that for dealing them. It would bring in revenue from nonviolent crimes as well as costing less to house all those offenders. :D

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What would you cut in military spending?  You say get us out of both theaters, Iraq and Afghanistan.  I presume you want us out of Libya too?  I support being out of Libya and Afghanistan.  But we may, before too long, be involved in Iran.  Do you perceive Iran as a threat?  Even if we did demobilize from those two theaters, are their cuts in the military that you propose?

I do not see Iran as a threat. To me, a threat is when you have credible evidence that a nation is going to mobilize against the US, or one of its allies. Iran having the same nuclear weapons that we do, to me, is not a "threat" - in case you haven't noticed we don't fuck with countries that have nukes, so one could reasonably assume that it's more of a defensive than offensive tactic.

If the US invades Iran, I'd say it's proof that we need to spend more on education. Because that would just be stupid.

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ORIGINAL: domiguy

oops. forgot lockedaway. Another brilliant mind down the shitter.

If only we had spent war on terror money on reeducation camps. Some of the republican doucheholes out here might actually be able to live productive and meaningful lives.

I have a dream!

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ORIGINAL: lockedaway
Wow...  Ok...so by your own words, Iran saying that it will wipe Israel off the face of the map makes it a threat.  Let me tell you something, we will be involved in Iran within the next 3 years.  I am saying that operating under the assumption that the trajectory of US/Iranian relations stays on its present course.

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ORIGINAL: slvemike4u

Locked before we can continue this discussion you will need to familiarize yourself with the definitions of the words "cut" and "reform".
Once you do this basic chore you can than go back and reread my TWO sentence post....diligently searching for any comment that I might or might not have made regarding reforms.
Let me help you out here( in the interest of brevity,and moving things along).. I made no comment on reform....you see the simple story is I am all in favor of getting the most bang for our education buck....but where you and I differ is I would pump MORE money into education while doing everything possible to insure that the money is spent wisely....America is falling behind in the sciences and in math....the dismal state of education in this country probably goes further in explaining the abundance of will burs,lockers and servants on these pages....and no price is too high if stamping out your brand of ignorance is the goal




Now please count the sentences.....see how many you can identify

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ORIGINAL: lockedaway

Cuts ARE reforms, genius.  If you want a better education system in the U.S....find a way to get parents more involved in education.  We (and I hate to use you in any plural tense) were products of an America where most moms were stay-at-home moms.  The over taxation of the American household has done more to damage education than any single factor in my opinion.  Parents are the primary educators.  Wait...you know what?  Parents are the primary and secondary educators....teachers come in third.  I'm not saying that as a slight to teachers but when Mom and Dad place a priority on education and spend time at the dining room table looking over homework, you are going to have a student that excels. 

If Mom and Dad are working themselves to death just to make ends meet and are too exhausted to do anything but eat a little dinner and go to bed, well, chances are the child of those parents is going to perform to a lower level.

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ORIGINAL: imperatrixx

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ORIGINAL: lockedaway
Wow...  Ok...so by your own words, Iran saying that it will wipe Israel off the face of the map makes it a threat.  Let me tell you something, we will be involved in Iran within the next 3 years.  I am saying that operating under the assumption that the trajectory of US/Iranian relations stays on its present course.

If Iran starts to mobilize troops against Israel then yes we should come to their aid.

If Iran makes a bunch of blustering speeches about how it doesn't like Israel, then no we should not attack pre-emptively.

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ORIGINAL: lockedaway

That's silly.  Iran makes a blustering speech, that is a step towards war.  If they make any credible mobilization of any nature, that is an act that supports intervention.  I am a big fan of preemption. If someone tells you on the telephone that they are going to kill you.  What do you do?  Do you wait for them to show up at your house or do you call the police and say that so-and-so has threatened to kill you?  Would you wait until there was a credible first step before you acted?  If your "honest" (honesty is hard for liberals) answer is "No, I would not wait.", why would you advocate that your country wait?  Iran has a developing nuclear presence, they are now talking about testing missiles and they talk about wiping Israel off the map.  YOU DO NOT WAIT until the missile is airborne before you act.

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ORIGINAL: imperatrixx

quote:

ORIGINAL: lockedaway

Cuts ARE reforms, genius.  If you want a better education system in the U.S....find a way to get parents more involved in education.  We (and I hate to use you in any plural tense) were products of an America where most moms were stay-at-home moms.  The over taxation of the American household has done more to damage education than any single factor in my opinion.  Parents are the primary educators.  Wait...you know what?  Parents are the primary and secondary educators....teachers come in third.  I'm not saying that as a slight to teachers but when Mom and Dad place a priority on education and spend time at the dining room table looking over homework, you are going to have a student that excels. 

If Mom and Dad are working themselves to death just to make ends meet and are too exhausted to do anything but eat a little dinner and go to bed, well, chances are the child of those parents is going to perform to a lower level.

Okay, your profile says you are 46.

So when you were in school, let's say when you were 10, it was the year 1975.

In 1975, the tax rate for the lowest income bracket was 14% and the tax rate for the highest income bracket was 70%

Today, the tax rate for the lowest income bracket is 10% and the tax rate for the highest income bracket is 35%

In other words, taxes are lower now than they were when you were in school. So obviously higher taxes aren't making education worse. In fact I'd wager that the lower taxes now are putting less money into the education system and the constant cuts to education are what's making it worse.

Sounds crazy doesn't it?