Kevin: Here are statistics, according to another dismal article, about the ignorance, negligence, gullibility and shortsightedness of many Americans:
75% can't name more than one of the five freedoms stipulated in the First Amendment
70% did not know what Roe v. Wade was in 1986
75% did not know the duration of a senator's term
80% did not know that each state has 2 senators
60% could not name the 3 branches of government
51% did know that the U.S. dropped the nuclear bomb
15% could not grasp the fact that we have a heliocentric solar system
Harry: But what causes this ignorance among our population? Could it be the education system, or another factor, such as the power of religion on certain areas of the nation? Just a proposition. And what do you do about it? Make government news programs that all are forced to watch?
Kevin: Well, a lot of this is pretty basic stuff one learns in a public school social studies classroom. It shouldn't take a mandatory lecture by the government for someone to pick up on the fact that the earth revolves around the sun. I think the real problem is we just don't have much global awareness because we're so glued to distractions, entertainment and other frivolous media.
Harry: Kevin, you may be correct, but what can you do? How can we limit the distractions?
Kevin: Your point earlier, about government action, was a good one. Maybe the budget could make more room for education since it currently only encompasses just under 3% of the federal budget. What other unnecessary stuff would you cut out from here?
Harry: Besides cutting down on both Medicare and Social Security, I would focus more heavily on reforming the educational system. I feel that, as of now, it is in a sub-optimal state of affairs.
Kevin: You mean privatizing the educational system?
Harry: That's an option, along with raking teachers via a merit system, not a seniority one. That is the main problem I see with the system at this time.
Kevin: So you would get rid of tenure, but what about the broader budget? What would you change? In this Pew poll, 62% said they wanted to increase education, while roughly 40% wanted to decrease health care spending. What do you make of that? And, also, just to support my earlier point about cutting down on defense spending, now 31% of pollsters say they want to increase military spending, a 10% drop in just two years.
Harry: Nowadays, people are looking at large class sizes more than healthcare coverage, at least in the demographic that pole was taken in. All of the reports of America falling behind are shifting the focus of the public to another issue. On education, I would make the system more privatized to save money on the governments part, as the only costs the government would pay would be in subsides, and these could be on a case by case basis. With regards to military spending, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have turned the public away from military spending, which explains the shift in direction.
Kevin: I agree. The government should end its two wars quickly, spend less on military and more on education, and create a lot charter schools. The competition and innovation that would follow would be beneficial. But wouldn't it also be unequally spread across the nation since charter schools are subsidized locally? That is, poorer communities would have inferior schools.
Harry: The two wars that we are currently in cannot be ended very quickly. The charter schools that are created can be distributed (if that is the right word) evenly across the nation. State money could be used as a base for all schools, and then the local communities continue from there with their own money.
Kevin: Right, I understand that all charter schools would start with an even amount of state subsidies. I guess some schools would just end up with inferior facilities due to less local subsidies. With regards to the two wars, you may want to add a third one. The said the US military was winding down in Iraq, but there seems to be no such thing as a full withdrawal since we still have troops in Germany. (There are also probably still private contractors in Iraq.) So that leaves us with Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya now. (A.I.L., as in these bloody wars are 'ailing' our nation's economy, reputation, and troops.)
Harry: We cannot turn completely inwards at a time like this. If we do, then we will be giving up a serious opportunity to influence events in the Arab world that could beneficially impact the U.S. This change must occur gradually. But with a cutback on Social Security, Medicare, and Defense, we can, with time, reform our educational system and withdraw troops from conflicts. 'Gradually' is the key word. We must take this one step at a time. Our withdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan must be gradual, or else serious problems could occur. But, we can do it.
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