"Elizabeth Warren Wants to Let You Pay for College Like a Car"

[malthaussen]

31. Kind of a poor comparison, there.

Flight was a physical problem. Education is a social problem. The variation in complexity is huge. And your "free" education is paid for by others. Teachers and administrators have to be paid. Physical plant must be constructed and maintained. A myriad costs are entailed in education. Education could be provided free to the recipient -- this has been done, is still being done in parts of Europe. But those places where college education is "free" do not provide it for all, do not believe as we do that "everybody should have a college education."

Sure, by taxation we could improve our education at every level, not just college, and spread the costs around among those who already have the cash, rather than imposing crushing debt on those just starting out. By taxation we could solve a whole bushel basket of problems. But our government lacks the will to raise taxes to pay for these things.

I would also suggest that you consider things from the point of view of those who hold the money for a moment. The bald truth is that they do not need a large, educated workforce, that the vast majority of jobs could be done by illiterates and only a small, highly-specialized coterie need be educated for their purposes. Why on earth would they disgorge for something they don't want? Unless forced, of course.

-- Mal