Re: The Education Function

den Otter (neosapient@geocities.com)
Mon, 14 Dec 1998 11:45:21 +0100

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> From: Terry Donaghe <tdonaghe@yahoo.com>
>
> ---Leon Boey <blackman@pacific.net.sg> wrote:
> >
> > From what I have read on this list on this topic, (and compiled
> below) it
> > seems that the points brought up about education in this thread are:
> >
> > 1. Free education at a basic level.
> > 2. Teaching of logic and thinking skills
> > 3. Private schools providing a "free market" competitiveness
> between
> > schools
> > 4. Nothing of everyday application learnt in school.
> > 5. Poor people not getting an education
> > 6. Inadequate advancement of brighter students
> > 7. School placing too much emphasis on developing socialization
> skills
> > 8. Same age => same education
> > 9. Education leads to raised output and higher GNP.
> >
> > A suggestion to compiling all of this into a workable and usable
> education
> > philosophy would be schools that are free at a primary level to
> everybody
> > regardless of social standing. This would hopefully 'help' the
> poorer people
> > to get a better life by being educated, rather than leave them
> absolutely no
> > chance to get out of their situation. It would help if this primary
> > education would be compulsory. This would definitely help in a
> country's
> > literacy rate.
> >
>
> !!!! When are you collectivists going to learn that there's no such
> thing as a "free" education??!!!??
>
> If by "free" education you mean one supported with tax money, then you
> are advocating a "free" education supported with violence - the
> coercion of taxation.
>
> It doesn't matter how benign your intentions are, any governmental
> fooling with prices at any level is detrimental to the economy as a
> whole. Any form of involuntary taxation is theft, and therefore
> immoral.

If the government legalized drugs, prostitution and gambling, and started offering these services itself, perhaps there could be an (almost) tax-free welfare state. Certainly if you invest in automating society. Human workers are generally less reliable than machines, and cost more too. Furthermore, most jobs are a blunt violation of human dignity. Society will only become truly civilized when people no longer have to perform slave labor on a daily basis in order to make ends meet. And no, I don't think you need nanotech to achieve this; we have the tech, but apparently lack the will to use it.

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----------
> From: Terry = Donaghe <tdonaghe@yahoo.com>
>
> ---Leon Boey <blackman@pacific.net.sg> wrote:
> >
> > From what I have = read on this list on this topic, (and compiled
> below) it
> = > seems that the points brought up about education in this thread = are:
> >
> > 1.    Free education at a = basic level.
> > 2.    Teaching of logic and = thinking skills
> > 3.    Private schools = providing a "free market" competitiveness
> = between
> > schools
> > 4.    Nothing = of everyday application learnt in school.
> > 5. =    Poor people not getting an education
> > 6. =    Inadequate advancement of brighter students
> = > 7.    School placing too much emphasis on developing = socialization
> skills
> > 8.    Same age = =3D> same education
> > 9.    Education leads = to raised output and higher GNP.
> >
> > A suggestion = to compiling all of this into a workable and usable
> = education
> > philosophy would be schools that are free at a = primary level to
> everybody
> > regardless of social = standing. This would hopefully 'help' the
> poorer people
> = > to get a better life by being educated, rather than leave = them
> absolutely no
> > chance to get out of their = situation. It would help if this primary
> > education would be = compulsory. This would definitely help in a
> country's
> = > literacy rate.
> >
>
> !!!!  When are = you collectivists going to learn that there's no such
> thing as a = "free" education??!!!??
>
> If by = "free" education you mean one supported with tax money, then = you
> are advocating a "free" education supported with = violence - the
> coercion of taxation.
>
> It doesn't = matter how benign your intentions are, any governmental
> fooling = with prices at any level is detrimental to the economy as a
> = whole.  Any form of involuntary taxation is theft, and = therefore
> immoral.

If the government legalized drugs, = prostitution and gambling, and
started offering these services = itself, perhaps there could be an
(almost) tax-free welfare state. = Certainly if you invest in automating
society. Human workers are = generally less reliable than machines,
and cost more too. = Furthermore, most jobs are a blunt violation
of human dignity. = Society will only become truly civilized when
people no longer have = to perform slave labor on a daily basis in
order to make ends meet. = And no, I don't think you need nanotech
to achieve this; we have the = tech, but apparently lack the will to
use it.

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