PRESIDENT TRUMP

In the libertarian wet dream where all education is privatized, yeah, the poor wouldn't find it financially viable (or necessary) to get an education, so most would resign their descendants to a life of poverty and stupidity. To the few that would want to rise above that, they would likely rely on homeschooling and community assistance, which I guess could happen, but without standards, the quality of education could swing pretty drastically; too, hoping for charity is a shitty position to be in.

Betsy DeVos isn't advocating for completely privatizing education, though. She's advocating for school choice, which is just allowing citizens to use the money that would have gone to public schools and put them towards private schools in the form of a voucher. This doesn't sound too bad on paper, but here are some of the problems with that:

-By students leaving public schools, those public schools will lose funding, meaning they'll have to do things like lay off teachers and cut programs in order to maintain operations.
-It's really hard to come up with a set of standards when you have private schools. Teaching evolution, for instance, is something many Christian schools won't do.
-Speaking of, wouldn't supplying federal funding to Christian and other religious schools violate separation of church and state?
-Since schools are now on the market place, "budget" schools could come on the market place that overstuff classrooms, cheap out on school lunches, and have worse quality education; people will buy into that kind of thing.
-Schools closing could cause some students to have to commute long distances in order to get a decent education.
-More people entering into Christian schools would deepen a divide between different sectors of society. What is "true" will become a more relative notion, most problematically towards objectively true things like evolution and the age of the planet.

It's just really shitty since what our schools need right now is MORE funding in order to raise pay and attract more highly skilled teachers, and instead it's going to be defunded even more.

author=Dyhalto
Even if the voucher is worth $7000, a year of private school is well over $10,000. It's still far too much for the average family.

I spent two years in a Lutheran school/church and I can verify it doesn't come cheap. Not to mention the teachers are all bastards and the students can't wait for the opportunity to jump ship to the dummy public schools that are at least a whole learning grade behind them (sometimes more) with half the work. You're doing 30 questions before class in 4th grade, but somehow you magically work your way down to 15 questions in 6th grade by leaving the private schooling system. You "make a comeback" (which is to say you're even just thinking of a way to verbally give the other guy a taste of his own medicine) there and your teacher scolds you like a parent, but you pick your nose in public schools and no one bats an eye.

I watched a girl who was in advanced classes and had straight A's crumple up into tears over getting a B+... in 5th grade. It destroyed her.

Sure, they've got you working hard for the money (your own money), but you'll fail an important class if you don't memorize Scripture. I got a zero (0) for a pop quiz because I didn't read the Bible. Even my mother (who's a devoted Christian and has been since being saved as a teenager) thought that was a bunch of bullshit.

What I'm saying is that public school is a sham (seriously, how does America stack up with the rest of the world? are we in a dead heat for second-from-last yet?) and private school is a military academy. Which one do you think works best for the parents and the student? Itchy uniforms and asshole teachers or remedial classes that grade on a curve?

author=kentona
https://www.thebeaverton.com/2016/12/kevin-oleary-asks-putin-deal-trump-got/

This is all really ironic. Only about five years ago, in 2011-2013, the various protests like ones on Bolotnaya were often blamed on the US interference and pro-Western "fifth column" here, which was summarily mocked in the West, and dismissed with headlines like "Russia is losing control of the far-right movement it helped create". Now, of course, it's the opposite. In both cases, people were/are trying to deny the harsh reality where sizeable swathes of the country simply do not share their worldview. (Btw, I'm not pro-Trump; much closer to Sanders/Stein left then anything else.)

I'm obviously biased here, but I would say it was more credible for us back then. After all, one of the perennial protest leaders, Kasparov, now spends most of his time online retweeting McMullin, a former CIA, and various Reaganite neocons: imagine the outcry if Trump or someone from his inner circle actually retweeted the FSB people, or strategists like Surkov or Vaino, and that's far from the only link. There's also the golden admission last year that CIA will try to assist pretty much any uprising USA can benefit from with money and weapons, among other things. And lastly, there's typical American insularity. Were the revelations from the DNC/Podesta hack, or even the "fake news" surrounding them, really more damaging then the Panama Papers revealing in April Cameron's family had huge offshore funds? I doubt it, yet no-one sensible tried blaming Brexit on Panama Papers.

I'll also leave this here. I think it's an Indian article, and you would be well advised to read it.

Some other stuff you might find interesting: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jan/21/how-world-reacted-donald-trump-inauguration-us-president - Nothing is particularly surprising here, but a decent read, I guess.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jan/19/bureau-land-management-federal-lease - something that appears rather overlooked, in spite of its potential for harm.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jan/24/sabal-trail-pipeline-florida-next-standing-rock-controversy-suwannee-river - Same as above.

And as for education stuff, I suppose there's an advantage for you in that Trump, looking from the outside in, at least, seemed to literally have it at the bottom of his agenda: I can't think of an issue he mentioned less often then that. Thus, he's unlikely to be interested in any major changes to it. I obviously can't comment on what needs to be done, since I only experienced Russian and Australian public education: the latter is obviously more fun with all the electives that are unthinkable in Russia, but is drastically weaker overall, especially as far as all the hard sciences go.

Silencing critics, telling lies, 1984-style rulership (elites determining what words can be spoken by the peasants) us versus them, etc, etc.....

Hmm. Pendulum, meet the other side.

This is an opportunity for self-reflection and... wait, that's just not going to happen.

Hey harm, the rest of us are obviously inclined to lament the end of civilization with every breath Trump takes, and maybe we are indeed making mountains out of molehills.

Could you point out a few things that've happened over the past week which you think are positive? Your point of view seems more optimistic, so how about sharing some of the cause?

author=kentona
quotes by Sideshow Bob and Marvel's Loki

Not to poo-poo your contribution to the discussion, but I think we all need to be getting away from these conjectures of cultural pessimism. There is no craving for subjugation or deep-rooted desire for a strongman. If anything, the recent Women's March proves that it's completely the opposite. That deep down, people will step up when the going gets tough.

Years and years of "government doesn't work" propaganda have been compounding with interest and the Republicans cashed in on that anti-establishment rhetoric in a big way.

Good things:

-TPP got another nail in its coffin
-Keystone XL was given a new breath of life (pipelines are safer and less environmentally damaging than trains)
E:
-Kelly Anneconway is a GOLDMINE for memes. Alternative facts or black-stretch-pants-wearing women anyone?

author=Dyhalto
snip

Actually, all I said was that the pendulum has swung. A cautionary tale, perhaps a call for self reflection after a loss.

Unfortunately, seems the "everyone I don't like is Hitler/racist/sexist" meme has only strengthened. That stuff won't help anything or mend any wounds. Sad. :(

No, no, no. I was asking a legitimate question, harm. What's got you so optimistic about the new administration?

This whole "pendulum" and 1984 stuff is just more sophistry for people who want to have an opinion on politics but don't want to understand it first. It's like when people refer to "the establishment" like there's a cabal behind everything, or say "they all lie anyway" so they can avoid debate. It's gross oversimplification.

Seriously. Your man, in a manner of speaking, won and is now doing stuff. What has he done that you approve of? What has he announced going forward that you feel hoepful for?

author=Dyhalto

I'm cautious, not optimistic. And the pendulum comment very much applies. Push people too hard and they push back. Happening now and that's why you're not happy. Not sophistry - reality. In 4 or 8 years when we elect Anita Sarkeesian, it will swing right back, no worries.

What am I hopeful for? Anything that reduces the negative effects of rampant globalism on every day Americans. He is right to be taking a hard second look at trade deals and supernational agreements. We should be trading more with Canada and less with the Middle East. We should not be racking up massive imbalances with Mexico and East Asia. We should hold NATO's feet to the fire in providing the agreed upon %GDP contribution to defense. We should make the UN irrelevant by pulling out US influence and support. And yes, a border wall seems like a necessary evil. It's not a new concept, and our border with Mexico is so enormous that we could use some logistical help keeping it under control. All of these things seem to be on the administration's radar.

A dream come true would be some sort of ban on foreign real estate investment beyond a 1st home. If you live in China, are rich, and want to buy a home in the US West coast, you can do so only if you intend on living there permanently. There are plenty of people like myself who would love to buy and live in a home in this hyper-inflated real estate markets, but cannot afford it despite being solidly middle class surburban DINKs. (double income no kids) But... this is a pipe dream, because we gotta keep that funny money economy going.

Oh, and hopefully all the white males band together and fire up the gas chambers again to get rid of all the undesirables. Not really, but I might as well believe that considering the meme wars currently happening.

I kinda don't think it matters how well or how terribly Trump performs. Most media and half the country are unwilling to entertain the idea that he will do some good in the world. Minds are made up, eyes are closed. It's sad.

Soli, can you try and keep calm and nice? I'm doing so.

You misunderstood me. I was suggesting that those items about which Kentona was complaining have been happening for a while, just not to the left. Now that it's happening to the left, yeah, it sucks don't it?

Again, self reflection needed. Not just throwing tantrums about a loss. There is an opportunity for reform and regrouping. I believe Delita said it best: