:grin: That was my guess. Valid concerns, but I don't see any presidential candidates doing anything about it.
Healthcare - some combination of legal reform, tough love, and insurance reform. Education - start moving teachers away from a labor force mentality (unions) and towards a professional mentality (like docs and lawyers). Pay them more through private sponsorship and public funding. Take the money from grossly bloated governmental agency payrolls. Not sure how, but think the prez and Congress could get this started. Foreign Affairs - engagement with China with a wary eye. But engagement nonetheless - keep them as close as possible and wield as much soft power as we can. Middle East/Africa - accept that we're there and cannot leave without creating a destructive vaccum of power. Deter Iran/Syria. Continue to support Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Iraq, Tunisia, Morrocco.
Private sponsorship... I don't know about that. It seems to be inviting parents paying off teachers to get their kids good grades.
May invite some corruption, I guess. There's probably a better way to pay for it. Whatever it takes to get union influence out of an institution that I think is critical to America's future.
I'm against unions, but when it comes to public schools I haven't seen a solution proposed that I think would be accepted by the masses.
Your post is short-sided, I never said that you or anyone else had to donate money to these causes. Thats your personal preference, just like it is mine to donate to them. See, once again, you havent had the experiences I have had therefore you are not sympathetic to the causes that I would sympathetic too and that is just fine. But try not to discount my feelings and thoughts on these subjects. Just because you do discount them, doesnt make you more correct or more wrong than I am. I dont see what your trying to accomplish by doing that. Maybe its my compassion for people who are truly in need, everybody doesnt have the same opportunities, some people are awarded advantages over others and some people just dont want to do anything with their lives, which is easily recognized. However, If I can give a child a chance or advantage in his/her life, I will do everything I can to do that. But thats just the way I was raised, especially in the religious part of my upbringing, that I should always help someone else to get ahead or people in true need. Serving my community. Setting good examples. Equal would be everyone who is qualified, no matter of color, race, ethnicity or gender has the same shot or say in the matter. I dont know what can make them equal, because as soon as you single out one group the other group will cry foul, but if it was equal in the first place, then we wouldnt need to have this discussion.
You mentioned them as being issues that you will consider when choosing a presidential candidate, did you not? From that, I assumed you expect the government to also donate money, which would be the same as forcing all of us to donate money to these same causes. You may have gotten the wrong impression. I agree that these are good causes for you, or anyone, to put their money towards. My contention is that it is a personal choice, and should not be government-sponsored.
Why wouldnt the government put money in education and children, so this country can compete in the world markets when it comes to education, science, and technology, I thought the point of a superpower was to stay ahead of the curve in these fields? I am not here to advocate welfare and handouts, because I am against that. Those programs enable people towards dependency. But as I said before some social programs are needed.
That could be a likely outcome. Parents try to pay off teachers all of the time, as it is, in the community where I live. You name it: really nice gifts, the sweet e-mails to get in good with the teacher, etc. My favorite "intended purchase of preference" was the father some years back who offered to buy me lunch, in exchange for a favorable private school recommendation for his son. I declined the offer (but what can one expect from an Ole Miss grad?) His son, on the other hand, was a raving LSU fan.
