Lots of people here don't seem to realize that if the government pays for something, that's really them paying for it through their taxes. It's like the whole "university education should be free" thing, when the reality of the matter is that the ultra-low university fees are already, to quote a description someone once made, "a transfer of wealth from the entire society to the soon-to-be-richest members of society".
There are plenty of educations that are not likely to make people rich at all.
Also, a free system might inspire those less fortunate to actually do the studying thing. It has been my experience here that many people would not pay for the education due to their socioeconomic background, but have the capacity to manage an education once they take the leap.
The matter is not a simple one.
"People think it must be fun to be a super genius, but they don't realize how hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world" - Calvin.
So the list of countries using the euro will grow longer, not shorter... Estonia to join in 2011
- 12/05/2010 10:51:37 PM
1212 Views
Sounds like a winner
- 12/05/2010 11:07:38 PM
823 Views
You Americans should like Estonia - they're rather neoliberal that way.
- 12/05/2010 11:18:30 PM
1017 Views
I liked the remark one Estonian bankofficial made
- 12/05/2010 11:38:26 PM
791 Views
I do sometimes wish more Belgians would understand that.
- 12/05/2010 11:52:41 PM
707 Views
Re: I do sometimes wish more Belgians would understand that.
- 13/05/2010 12:05:03 AM
724 Views
That would be more convincing if universities promoted more social mobility.
- 13/05/2010 12:11:37 AM
835 Views
Social attitudes take a very long time to change.
- 13/05/2010 12:28:09 AM
861 Views
We have need-based scholarships. We could extend them.
- 13/05/2010 12:38:31 AM
753 Views
I guess it depends on exactly what the fees are.
- 13/05/2010 11:06:37 AM
843 Views
They're low. Too low. 
- 13/05/2010 12:12:29 PM
869 Views
- 13/05/2010 12:12:29 PM
869 Views
American universities do have entrance exams. Sort of. 
- 13/05/2010 02:17:13 PM
866 Views
- 13/05/2010 02:17:13 PM
866 Views
Those are really too lame to count.
- 13/05/2010 02:21:23 PM
904 Views
meh. Most degrees are useless anyway.
- 13/05/2010 01:14:54 AM
738 Views
That could be fixed if there weren't such stigma attached to vocational schools.
- 13/05/2010 02:18:40 AM
766 Views
Re: That would be more convincing if universities promoted more social mobility.
- 13/05/2010 08:08:16 PM
829 Views
Re: That would be more convincing if universities promoted more social mobility.
- 14/05/2010 11:48:22 AM
822 Views
Is it as late as university? Or is it a good bit earlier? EDIT: Nevermind. Answered elsewhere.
- 14/05/2010 05:36:50 PM
935 Views
Re: Is it as late as university? Or is it a good bit earlier? EDIT: Nevermind. Answered elsewhere.
- 14/05/2010 07:57:32 PM
770 Views
Re: That would be more convincing if universities promoted more social mobility.
- 14/05/2010 08:02:58 PM
882 Views
Come on.
- 13/05/2010 10:13:29 AM
900 Views
naw most of them are getting degrees in liberal arts because they like to read book more then work *NM*
- 13/05/2010 02:01:59 PM
321 Views
*NM*
- 13/05/2010 02:01:59 PM
321 Views
Surely Sweden can say, or could have said, that they wouldn't join till they damn well felt like it?
- 12/05/2010 11:39:57 PM
770 Views
Apparently Denmark only got the opt-out after rejecting the Maastricht treaty.
- 12/05/2010 11:47:00 PM
806 Views
Good point: it seems to me no-one cares about being Belgian, only Flemish or Walloon .
- 12/05/2010 11:51:27 PM
686 Views
.
- 12/05/2010 11:51:27 PM
686 Views
It's slightly more subtle than that.
- 13/05/2010 12:00:29 AM
836 Views
What do you think about this suggestion?
- 13/05/2010 12:09:02 AM
826 Views
That has been suggested by many, yeah.
- 13/05/2010 12:28:24 AM
839 Views
But before you make a decision like that...
- 13/05/2010 08:36:07 AM
824 Views
They can export him to another country which needs a king. Wouldn't be the first time.
- 13/05/2010 10:57:59 AM
762 Views
Hmm, a pan-European entity getting too big and splitting into Eastern and Western administrations...
- 13/05/2010 11:09:51 AM
748 Views
There is one answer to most of those questions
- 12/05/2010 11:49:46 PM
712 Views
I love that the rest of you have the euro.
- 12/05/2010 11:53:10 PM
706 Views
*waits for the Pound to drop and the UK begging for the euro* *NM*
- 12/05/2010 11:56:25 PM
394 Views
*NM*
- 12/05/2010 11:56:25 PM
394 Views
That would be the worst time to do it.
- 13/05/2010 12:05:32 AM
794 Views
*NM*
I think on the balance, that's probably better than the opposite, but yeah, neither is ideal. *NM*
- 13/05/2010 12:14:23 AM
369 Views
WOW WHEN DID THE UK CHANGE THEIR COINS 
- 13/05/2010 12:10:41 AM
788 Views
- 13/05/2010 12:10:41 AM
788 Views
2008, apparently. Though I don't think we actually saw them until 2009.
- 13/05/2010 12:17:46 AM
815 Views
Oh. Okay. I guess the black is just a reflective thing they're doing for the photo.
- 13/05/2010 12:37:24 AM
737 Views
I used to use a ten-pound note to inhale...things.
- 13/05/2010 05:54:09 AM
764 Views
You have a thing for Charles Darwin?
- 13/05/2010 10:45:14 AM
694 Views
From "Mean Mr. Mustard" - "keeps a ten-bob note up his nose...such a mean old man..."
- 13/05/2010 02:36:34 PM
740 Views
In that case I'm going to have to disappoint you.
- 13/05/2010 02:54:04 PM
870 Views
I knew that, but I had limited options.
- 13/05/2010 03:15:07 PM
851 Views
You could try a €500 note.
- 13/05/2010 03:18:11 PM
736 Views
In other news, the sky is blue.
- 13/05/2010 03:33:25 PM
766 Views
- 13/05/2010 03:33:25 PM
766 Views
I seem to remember reading something in 2002 about Germans paying their monthly rent in cash.
- 13/05/2010 03:43:35 PM
847 Views
Ooh...I'm sure THAT will shore up the eurozone... *laughs*
- 13/05/2010 05:51:12 AM
786 Views
Nobody said it would.
- 13/05/2010 12:34:27 PM
773 Views
- 13/05/2010 12:34:27 PM
773 Views
You know what will save the eurozone ?
- 13/05/2010 04:55:06 PM
766 Views