Why is education treated as a "right" but health care a "privilege"?

[Bleacher Creature]

When all is said and done, this is what separates our side from the other guys. They believe that health care should be available only to those who can afford it. A few Republicans (and weak-kneed Democrats) are open to the idea of providing the poorest of the poor a bit of help accessing the health care market, but that's as far as they are willing to go.

At the same time, you would be laughed out of the room if you proposed eliminating public education.

[Oregone]

1. Because Americans are gullible

[Trillo]

17. A Blast from the Past(?): Life's Harsh Lessons 'Make You More Gullible'

Psychologists discover adversity makes people more susceptible to suggestion and lies

People who have suffered life's hard knocks while growing up tend to be more gullible than those who have been more sheltered, startling new findings from the University of Leicester reveal.

A six-month study in the University's School of Psychology found that rather than 'toughening up' individuals, adverse experiences in childhood and adolescence meant that these people were vulnerable to being mislead.

The research analysing results from 60 participants suggest that such people could, for example, be more open to suggestion in police interrogations or to be influenced by the media or advertising campaigns.

http://www2.le.ac.uk/ebulletin/news/press-releases/2000-2009/2006/05/nparticle.2006-05-23.9962988556

Results

Negative life-events (NLEs) were significantly correlated with all of the GSS suggestibility scores (yield 1, yield 2, shift and total Suggestibility). Contrary to past research, however, self-esteem scores were not significantly related to any of the GSS components or to NLE scores.

Conclusion

This paper is the first to show a link between the experience of NLEs and GSS scores. The findings suggest that interviewees reporting a high number of NLEs are significantly more susceptible to the leading questions, as well as to negative feedback, administered during the GSS interview. Erroneous reports and false confessions may thus be more likely with such interviewees, potentially classifying them as vulnerable witnesses.

http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/bpsoc/lcp/2008/00000013/00000002/art00010

[BrklynLiberal]

2. You have a good point...but I believe the repukes would have no compunctions

about killing public education. They have been trying to do that for decades.

[GreenPartyVoter]

3. Actually there has been a movement to kill off public education for a long time (since RayGun?). So

you may not get laughed at at all depending upon who you talk to.

[tekisui]

6. I know several who are open in their disdain for public education.

They wouldn't stop until EVERYTHING is privatized.

[create.peace]

7. I grew up in Orange County, CA, where there was a concerted effort to starve the public schools

by the ultra conservative newspaper publisher who only supported school board candidates who didn't support public education. when they finally went to triple sessions, the high school kids went door to door to get the first school bond passed in 30 some years, as the county was the fastest growing county in the nation in the 1960 census, and this was in 1969 or so and they were bursting at the seams, and holding classes in earthquake damaged buildings....this was the height of bircherism...

[Thothmes]

8. according to some on this forum, the effort continues

full bore under the current administration.

[MichiganVote]

4. FAPE - k-12, Free Appropriate Public Education

[Bjorn Against]

5. Sadly many of them do want to eliminate public education

Among right-wing Libertarians in particular there are many people who want to end public education, Ron Paul once ran for President as a Libertarian and their platform calls for the abolition of public education. While Ron Paul has been quiet on education in recent years he is known for his consistency so it is very likely he still supports abolishing public education and he has millions of supporters.

[ddeclue]

9. Don't worry - they're working on making education a "privilege" (I mean commodity) too.

They've already done it to college education by killing off student aid and student loans for college - now they are working on primary and secondary education through "vouchers" and "charter schools" and "home schooling" (sic).


Doug D.

[Winterblues]

10. You certainly would not be laughed out of the room with Republicans

They drool at the prospect of Privatizing our schools and making everyone pay for education..There is absolutely nothing they believe we shouldn't pay for on an individual basis. Even the Military. I believe they think Private Armies such as Blackwater are the way to go..Every person for themselves and survive if you can is a perfect way of describing Republican philosophy.

[daninthemoon]

11. No Child Left Behind, coupled with vouchers and charter schools,

is having devestating results for lower income kids. There is absolutely a large group of neocon fundie rethugs who do not think that education should be a right for all, but rather a privelege for themselves and their kids. Lower income, especially non-white kids, are being driven out of education for good. If they fail a national reading assesment test in grade school, they are held back. This usually ends with the kid eventually dropping out.

[Walk away]

12. The private education lobby must have been short of cash. n/t

[kenny blankenship]

13. Public education is seen as a reasonable investment for turning new life into useful tools

Healthcare is seen as a waste, money pissed away on fixing old worn-out or defective tools.

[stray cat]

14. Education isn't a right - and if you look at some schools its not even a right for children

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

15. Don't worry, if the right has it's way, education will only be for the rich n/t

[Trillo]

16. Because we need to be educated about how to serve corporate.

It was supposed to be a joke, but it may not have turned out as humorous as desired.

[Doctor_J]

18. That will soon change - pretty soon education will be a privilege too

We're well on our way to becoming a feudal society.