How much do extremely wealthy people owe to the society that gave them the chance to prosper so much?

[Orangecat]

Will a child get a better education in a classroom where attention is split?

That depends on both the child's attributes and the educator's competence. I would agree that one-on-one education generally has advantages that outweigh its disadvantages, but that won't necessarily make the home-schooled kid more intelligent than his public counterpart. Each individual is different.

 

[Cecilie1200]

It is not necessary for you to demand that everyone else stop talking about the topic when you do

That's not what I was trying to do. I was trying to wind down the conversations people were having with me. I don't care if people keep posting after that.

Sounds a lot like trying to get in the last word. Good luck with that.

 

[bripat9643]

People who do well have a very strong work ethic, will get the training and education needed to reach their goal. It is not aways easy and sacrifices need to be made. My father a Legal Immigrant and WWII Vet told me 2 things: work hard and be honest. I have no problem with people who have become very wealthy. I spent the last 14 years of my life as a County Director of Veterans Services ( 8 years ) and the last 6 years as a State Deputy Director for Veterans Affairs. I guess serving as a USMC Infantry Fire Team Leader in Vietnam helped as well my BA from a State College. I loved insuring that my Brother and Sister Veterans and their families got those benefits and services they were entitled to. I loved every minute of those 14 years.

If you're depending on public schools to teach your kids, then they are doomed. The didn't teach my stepson a thing. I have to teach him how to read and write, and I had to teach him how to do arithmatic: addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. He'd still be illiterate if I left it up to his teachers.

 

[Jimmy_Chitwood]

Fine. We'll pretend that your suggestion was marginally less ignorant than it actually was. You weren't saying quit testing entirely; you were just saying that we should look to save money in the area of one of the least expensive things the school district does, as literally the only suggestion you've come up with for saving money. And how you thought you would save money in that area without quitting testing has been, of course, completely not offered.

Do you have any ideas? If there's no money to save then why do you people always complain about the cost of education?

Cut administration. When I went to grade school we had a principal, a clerk, a janitor and a nurse. Now the same school has a principal, two vice-principals, multiple clerks, a nurse, at least one "security officer" and several janitors.

Nobody will dare say no to more money for schools.

Look at the facilities and resources they have in terms of technology.

And the sports fields and equipment are insane.

 

[Anomalism]

That depends on both the child's attributes and the educator's competence. I would agree that one-on-one education generally has advantages that outweigh its disadvantages, but that won't necessarily make the home-schooled kid more intelligent than his public counterpart. Each individual is different.

I think a child will always learn faster with one on one instruction from multiple educated instructors. I am very thankful that my family comes from enough means for me to have the opportunities that I did and do.

 

[Cecilie1200]

All I'm going to say is I could have passed the GED when I was 12 years old. I'll let you assume whatever you want from there.

How do you know that if you didn't do it?

He probably could've. The GED isn't exactly the LSAT or MCAT. Both of my older children have GEDs because they were homeschooled. We went through the practice tests to make sure they were prepared for the testing environment and not thrown off their game. When they say "general equivalency", they aren't kidding.

 

[Anomalism]

He probably could've. The GED isn't exactly the LSAT or MCAT. Both of my older children have GEDs because they were homeschooled. We went through the practice tests to make sure they were prepared for the testing environment and not thrown off their game. When they say "general equivalency", they aren't kidding.

I would have scored quite well at that age too. It's a very easy test. If you know basic math and reading you'll be fine.

 

[Cecilie1200]

Social skills are way over rated.

By some, true. They do come in handy when dealing with people, though.

I hate people

All the more reason to have the skills to deal with them. Helps you get them to go away and stay away faster.

 

[TheParser]

Surely something, right? I see a lot of people talk like taxes are theft. Is it not just our obligation?

Absolutely.

If you are one of the fortunate few to make big money, you should be delighted to pay taxes in order to help the less fortunate.

It sticks in my craw when these TV announcements ask ordinary people to contribute to certain charities.

We ordinary people need every penny that we have,

The rich, however, could easily cover every charity on earth.

(I am so sad when I see those ads for children in this world who were born with facial deformities. We are asked to help pay for their operations. There are really rich people in North America, South America, Europe, Africa, & Asia who could easily cover an operation for every single such child. Shame on them for not doing so!)

You see ads for those "charities" because little of the donations actually make it to the victims. Most of the money is siphoned off for those expensive ads and good salaries and benefits for the owners and employees of the "charity".

The charity that really sticks in my craw is the TV commercial that shows elderly people identified as Holocaust survivors. They are shown in shabby clothing & said to have very little food to eat each day.

This is 2020. How many Holocaust survivors are still alive? Can't their needs be met by all the billionaires in this world? I would gladly be taxed by the American government to make sure that those elderly people's needs are adequately met.

 

[qualified]

Surely something, right? I see a lot of people talk like taxes are theft. Is it not just our obligation?

Apparently you don't know what it means to be extremely wealthy. Not that I do either. But I can guess. For the extremely wealthy, this country didn't have a damn thing to do with them being extremely wealthy. It was their own god like powers that caused that to happen. And gods shouldn't have to pay taxes. In their view.

 

[Papageorgio]

He probably could've. The GED isn't exactly the LSAT or MCAT. Both of my older children have GEDs because they were homeschooled. We went through the practice tests to make sure they were prepared for the testing environment and not thrown off their game. When they say "general equivalency", they aren't kidding.

I would have scored quite well at that age too. It's a very easy test. If you know basic math and reading you'll be fine.

The school our kids attended had the students take a GED type test in sixth grade, most of the kids passed, all four of ours did. Not sure of the reasoning for the test however it seemed to motivate the kids for while.

 

[Anomalism]

The school our kids attended had the students take a GED type test in sixth grade, most of the kids passed, all four of ours did. Not sure of the reasoning for the test however it seemed to motivate the kids for while.

That must be a rather impressive school if most of the kids passed a GED-level test in sixth grade. I won't boast too much, but it's still high school curriculum and an average 12 year old would struggle with that. I don't know why it even had to be brought up in the first place. Ignorant about politics or not, I think it's pretty clear that I'm not a dumb person. That should be refreshing.

 

[Cecilie1200]

Obviously I'm disagreeing with your assessment. And I'll answer your question after you answer the one I asked you first. This isn't an inquisition, Torquemada. You gotta give to get.

It's obvious that one on one instruction from a good educator is more efficient than being one of thirty students in a classroom.

In other words, you're making an ASSumption on the basis of your own unfounded, unsubstantiated imaginings.

In actual fact, it depends on a variety of factors, including the student himself, the teacher, and the subject. I, for example, am capable of learning many things with no teacher at all, just from a textbook/instruction book. There are other subjects, such as English and history, that I learn much better in a group setting, with other students I can bounce off of, idea-wise. And there are subjects in which I need more direct help.

 

[Anomalism]

In other words, you're making an ASSumption on the basis of your own unfounded, unsubstantiated imaginings.

In actual fact, it depends on a variety of factors, including the student himself, the teacher, and the subject. I, for example, am capable of learning many things with no teacher at all, just from a textbook/instruction book. There are other subjects, such as English and history, that I learn much better in a group setting, with other students I can bounce off of, idea-wise. And there are subjects in which I need more direct help.

It's my belief that my parents had me educated in nearly the best way possible. I would not know as much if I had gone to public school.

 

[Indeependent]

Surely something, right? I see a lot of people talk like taxes are theft. Is it not just our obligation?

What you have to do is go way back in time to understand how our infrastructure came to be.
Most of the original towns were built by those who came here.
Slaves, who cost money and required maintenance, were like the labor force of the later non-slaves until FDR came along.
Prior to the 60s, only MDs, Lawyers and Business Owners were able to get a mortgage.
The majority of legislation since the 60s, has been thrust upon us by Interest Group, both poor and wealthy.
We are, in a way, currently living an illusion.

Give me a break. There have been privately-owned houses in this nation since before there was a nation. Some were built by the owners, most were bought by the owners. Mortgages are nothing new.

Almost everyone who lived in the US back then ran a business.

 

[Chuz Life]

If Bill Gates was in line at the gricery store, would you expect for him to pay more for the same brand of a gallon of milk than you are paying for yours?

Sorry for spelling.

Hating this phone.

 

[Papageorgio]

The school our kids attended had the students take a GED type test in sixth grade, most of the kids passed, all four of ours did. Not sure of the reasoning for the test however it seemed to motivate the kids for while.

That must be a rather impressive school if most of the kids passed a GED-level test in sixth grade. I won't boast too much, but it's still high school curriculum and an average 12 year old would struggle with that. I don't know why it even had to be brought up in the first place. Ignorant about politics or not, I think it's pretty clear that I'm not a dumb person. That should be refreshing.

I don't know how smart you are, you slide into insults pretty quick, which is the norm here, so far you seem to be just like everyone else here, however you will create a dialogue, which is nice.

 

[Anomalism]

Sorry for spelling.

Hating this phone.

I understand your perspective enough for me to find it difficult to disagree with you. A man I respect very much is a very conservative economics professor. I've spent a loooot of time talking to him. I still have to go my way though.

 

[Anomalism]

I don't know how smart you are, you slide into insults pretty quick, which is the norm here, so far you seem to be just like everyone else here, however you will create a dialogue, which is nice.

I didn't say I'm smart. I just said I'm not dumb.

 

[Chuz Life]

Sorry for spelling.

Hating this phone.

I understand your perspective enough for me to find it difficult to disagree with you. A man I respect very much is a very conservative economics professor. I've spent a loooot of time talking to him. I still have to go my way though.

That's fine.

I don't need for anyone to agree with me, in order to know the validity of my point.