Germany has long shown far greater foresight than the United States in the investment into science, infrastructure, and alternative energy — investments that are now giving the country huge returns as a leading economic system. With a decision of Lower Saxony, the German have now shown precisely how serious they are about keeping the country as one of the most educated in the world: they have eliminated all college and university tuition. The Germans view education as not just a right, but an essential component for continued growth.
There are critics to educational subsidies who raise some good-faith issues of how such payments can eliminate pressure to make efficient choices and actually drive up costs. I actually see value to students paying some tuition. However, with tuition sky rocking in the United States and falling enrollment numbers, the United States is heading to a reckoning in the future for our lack of investment in our workforce. While we have spent trillions of dollars on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan (and just renewed our commitment to the later to keep forces in the country), we have continued to cut environmental, scientific, educational, and infrastructure investments. The inevitable result is that we will continue to drop in our competitiveness in the world market and the future economy. Every other country is investing heavily in education while the United States continues to be distracted by shiny objects with more immediate political benefits for politicians.
What is striking is that it is not just third world countries that are investing heavily education, but economic leaders like Germany.
Notably, tuition was only introduced in Germany in 2006 after the German Constitutional Court ruled that limited fees do not violate the country’s commitment to universal education. However, the tuition rates proved unpopular and the country is now tuition free. Of course, there is no such thing as free tuition. The taxpayers are footing the bill. Moreover, such government subsidies can have a negative impact on not just the choices of students (who feel less pressure to make efficient choices) but on schools which are dependent on the government.
Nevertheless, the contrast could not be greater with the United States in terms of the commitment to education as not just a right (as it is in Germany) but as a real national security priority.
The article below has an interesting discussion of how England rejected the free tuition approach but has lost more money due to the higher student default rate on tuition. Yet, the English students face a maximum debt load of $14,550 per year where U.S. tuition rates and debt are soaring. Student loan debt in our country now stands at $1.2 trillion.
Of course, that is less than a third of the costs for the wars, but no one is making such comparisons.
http://thinkprogress.org/education/2014/10/01/3574551/germany-free-college-tuition/
http://youtu.be/8kWuaLfZA2I
Karen
Riesling is good. I also am a fan of Ice Wine and Port. Coincidently, I today bought a Kiona Chenin Blanc Ice Wine and a Offley Barão de Forrester Colheita. The Kiona is wonderful, I haven’t tried the Offley so we’ll just have to have a taste 🙂 I’m not a wine snob by any means but it’s good to have some once in a while.
http://frederickleatherman.com/2014/10/06/rich-americans-are-less-charitable-than-the-poor/
from a new thread:
the Chronicle of Philanthropy is reporting today,
The wealthiest Americans—those who earned $200,000 or more—reduced the share of income they gave to charity by 4.6 percent from 2006 to 2012. Meanwhile, Americans who earned less than $100,000 chipped in 4.5 percent more of their income during the same time period. Middle- and lower-income Americans increased the share of income they donated to charity, even as they earned less, on average, than they did six years earlier.
—————-
$200,000 doesn’t put you in the top 1%
I know you and I are part of the 99%.
Karen, I’m confused. I thought the top 1% were the selfish people and the 99% were oppressed by the top 1%. Chrissake, that’s all we heard during the Vapid Occupy movement days. 50%, 1% close enough for govt. work.
I do not begrudge the Germans their particular way of doing things. Each country determines what works best for them. The majority of people do not want such a high tax rate if they have to pay it themselves.
I am a fiscal conservative. To be called selfish, along with half of the entire population of the United States is ludicrous, but typical.
Annie:
“Riesling, about one half of all Americans are selfish. They venerate what they think is ‘individualism’, which is really, “I got mine, screw you” and reject a society that cares for one another.”
Based on what? If you’re going to say half of the American people are selfish, what do you base your numbers on? Their donations to charity? Their political party?
Riesling is a wonderful wine. I also like Gewurtzawiner.
You’re right Nick. The tactic is not unexpected. This would be a good time to provide this article.
“Are you aware that Claude Pepper is known all over Washington as a shameless extrovert? Not only that, but this man is reliably reported to practice nepotism with his sister-in-law, he has a brother who is a known homo sapiens, and he has a sister who was once a thespian in wicked New York. Worst of all, it is an established fact that Mr. Pepper, before his marriage, practiced celibacy.”
http://thefederalist.com/2014/10/06/the-civil-discourse-two-step/
There is a depraved War on Women in the Middle East. But, the lovers of Islam like Ben Affleck says we’re Islamaphobes for pointing it out. The real War on Women is here in the US. Disgraceful.
Olly, Chrissake, you forgot about the WAR ON WOMEN!!
Don’t forget we hate elderly people, non-whites and we kick dogs.
Olly, you´ve got a point. There can be a problem with “endless students”, but most people are studying because they are ambitious and actually want to get a job.
Years of observation, Olly.
Riesling, it conservatism that has kept this country from progressing. They are retrogressive and greedy.
“about one half of all Americans are selfish.”
Annie,
What is your source for that stat?
Riesling, about one half of all Americans are selfish. They venerate what they think is ‘individualism’, which is really, “I got mine, screw you” and reject a society that cares for one another. They fail to see that Germans are happy with their system and Germany is thriving.
Guess what, all those socialistic countries with high taxes have the highest happiness quotient in the world.
KarenS: Go ahead and live in your American dream….and I´ll live in my German reality.
Riesling,
I appreciate the perspective you bring to this thread. The relatively free cost of attending university there has me wondering what the incentive is to graduate early or even on time?
David: I live near Frankfurt. Bettykath: Riesling IS a great wine. Hence, my name!
Riesling, I have been to Frankfurt several times. Just last year I stayed in Frankfurt for several days. Very interesting city with a rich history.
This next year I am putting together a tour through the Swiss and Bavarian Alps for my daughter who is graduating from high school. We will start in Zurich, then Lucerne, then along toward Salzburg, eventually ending in Munich before heading back to the United States.
Next month I am visiting Prague and Brno in the Czech Republic. I have never been to the Czech Republic before. Plan to spend a week there before continuing onward on a 30th anniversary trip around the world.