National Shame? So, What's the Priority?

[Dodong]

Friends,
Hear what Nicholas Kristof has said of the U.S. government's priorities.

So maybe I was wrong. I used to consider health care our greatest national shame, considering that we spend twice as much on medical care as many European nations, yet American children are twice as likely to die before the age of 5 as Czech children ? and American women are 11 times as likely to die in childbirth as Irish women. - source

 

[The Parakeet]

Education definitely needs some more support. I'm just not sure what would actually do it though. I think it needs more than money. So many of the problems seem to stem from a lack of interest in the students. Our "edgy" counter-culture doesn't value education or critical thinking. I think that's a bigger problem. Getting schools to actually teach skills like critical thinking would probably help though.

 

[omej]

Health care is indeed a tragedy but I would have to agree education is an even bigger shame.

How many of our students can't name continents and oceans is shaming. It's even more embarrassing when you have somebody running for Vice President and doesn't know that Africa is a continent, not a country.

 

[BrightMind]

Considering the lack of intelligence among younger generations, it's quite evident that there's something wrong with the primary education system in America. I think it starts with the teachers though. They aren't properly trained nor are they paid enough for their work.

 

[kingdogol]

Hey mate, it sounds like you should watch a DVD doco I highly recommend, Sicko.
It's a Michael Moore film and the best one he has put out yet. It goes into great detail of the health care system all around the world.
Why you may currently think you're paying more than everyone else worldwide, the money is not really where 'they' say it's going. Countries like Switzerland have the best health care system in the world. Countries like the US have a long way to go....a very long way.....

 

[deanhills]

Education definitely needs some more support. I'm just not sure what would actually do it though. I think it needs more than money. So many of the problems seem to stem from a lack of interest in the students. Our "edgy" counter-culture doesn't value education or critical thinking. I think that's a bigger problem. Getting schools to actually teach skills like critical thinking would probably help though.

Excellent point. Education needs much more than money. Perhaps they need to start completely from scratch as there are two sides to it. You have to educate children and they have to be educated to be ready to be part of society so must be able to fit in with society's needs as far as jobs are concerned. I like the German apprentice system for example where children in their secondary schools can elect to go to technical training colleges and then are trained six months in school and six months by industry. So that when they leave school, they are easily assimilated into jobs. So changes will need to be functional ones, and that of course comes from taking great responsibility and make changes that are meaningful. Simply pumping money into a system that is not having the right effect and doing things the same as before, will not be enough.

 

[Abbott Presley]

“Given the existence as uttered forth in the public works of Puncher and Wattmann of a personal God quaquaquaqua with white beard quaquaquaqua outside time without extension who from the heights of divine apathia divine athambia divine aphasia loves us dearly with some exceptions for reasons unknown but time will tell and suffers like the divine Miranda with those who for reasons unknown but time will tell are plunged in torment plunged in fire whose fire flames if that continues and who can doubt it will fire the firmament that is to say blast heaven to hell so blue still and calm so calm with a calm which even though intermittent is better than nothing but not so fast and considering what is more that as a result of the labours left unfinished crowned by the Acacacacademy of Anthropopopometry of Essy-in-Possy of Testew and Cunard it is established beyond all doubt all other doubt than that which clings to the labours of men that as a result of the labours unfinished of Testew and Cunard it is established as hereinafter but not so fast for reasons unknown that as a result of the public works of Puncher and Wattmann it is established beyond all doubt that in view of the labours of Fartov and Belcher left unfinished for reasons unknown of Testew and Cunard left unfinished it is established what many deny that man in Possy of Testew and Cunard that man in Essy that man in short that man in brief in spite of the strides of alimentation and defecation is seen to waste and pine waste and pine and concurrently simultaneously what is more for reasons unknown in spite of the strides of physical culture the practice of sports such as tennis football running cycling swimming flying floating riding gliding conating camogie skating tennis of all kinds dying flying sports of all sorts autumn summer winter winter tennis of all kinds hockey of all sorts penicilline and succedanea in a word I resume and concurrently simultaneously for reasons unknown to shrink and dwindle in spite of the tennis I resume flying gliding golf over nine and eighteen holes tennis of all sorts in a word for reasons unknown in Feckham Peckham Fulham Clapham namely concurrently simultaneously what is more for reasons unknown but time will tell to shrink and dwindle I resume Fulham Clapham in a word the dead loss per head since the death of Bishop Berkeley being to the tune of one inch four ounce per head approximately by and large more or less to the nearest decimal good measure round figures stark naked in the stockinged feet in Connemara in a word for reasons unknown no matter what matter the facts are there and considering what is more much more grave that in the light of the labours lost of Steinweg and Peterman it appears what is more much more grave that in the light the light the light of the labours lost of Steinweg and Peterman that in the plains in the mountains by the seas by the rivers running water running fire the air is the same and than the earth namely the air and then the earth in the great cold the great dark the air and the earth abode of stones in the great cold alas alas in the year of their Lord six hundred and something the air the earth the sea the earth abode of stones in the great deeps the great cold on sea on land and in the air I resume for reasons unknown in spite of the tennis the facts are there but time will tell I resume alas alas on on in short in fine on on abode of stones who can doubt it I resume but not so fast I resume the skull to shrink and waste and concurrently simultaneously what is more for reasons unknown in spite of the tennis on on the beard the flames the tears the stones so blue so calm alas alas on on the skull the skull the skull the skull in Connemara in spite of the tennis the labours abandoned left unfinished graver still abode of stones in a word I resume alas alas abandoned unfinished the skull the skull in Connemara in spite of the tennis the skull alas the stones Cunard (mêlée, final vociferations) tennis… the stones… so calm… Cunard… unfinished…”

 

[Telstar]