Comments on Schools Matter: Keeping America Great with Bill Gates and Warren B...

Hi, It is really a nice debate, i must agree with ...

2009-11-14T01:14:03.285-05:00

Hi,
It is really a nice debate, i must agree with both ideas, nothing is perfect so we have to sacrifice somethig to get other thing, so unfortunately capitalism gave hundreds of good things but in the process yes public school systems suffered.

Hope for best, and do try for the best.

The capitalist economy of the United States no lon...

2009-11-13T18:49:33.130-05:00

The capitalist economy of the United States no longer has the capacity to maintain a public school system. Of course Bill Gates and Warren Buffet still believe in capitalism but they are essentially hapless business celebrities, just an intellectual half-step above Ryan Seacrest and Simon Cowell.

Beyond the destruction of the public schools, public health care (Medicare/Medicaid) and a public program of old-age and survivors insurance (Social Security) will be sacrificed in the coming year for the sake of the US military's war making capacity and our Chinese creditors. Today the Obama Administration floated the idea of a federal spending freeze or even a 5% reduction in 2010 in pursuit of that ruling class policy decision.

Only one question looms before the people of the US now. Will we have public schools, national health care, and Social Security or will we have capitalism? Can't have both anymore.

I haven't followed Warren Buffett's viewpoints on ...

2009-11-13T14:09:53.789-05:00

I haven't followed Warren Buffett's viewpoints on education overall, but I'm going to make a ringing statement in his (surprise!) defense for something else.

Buffett was advising our failed Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger here in California on economic policy, early in Ah-nold's term, and made strong public statement against Prop. 13. Prop. 13, for you younger folks who don't know, is the 1978 ballot measure that has devastated California and that also started the anti-tax movement nationwide. It really came down to a huge philosophical viewpoint: a "we're in this together" philosophy vs. "you're on your own."

Mostly those people are just shortsighted (might I even say stupid) -- they believe they don't need government services and are too dumb to understand that, oh, roads, bridges, streetlights, Medicare, etc. are government services. Some I guess sincerely believe in the "everyone out for himself" philosophy. But anyway, Buffett advised in the strongest of terms that our state turn away from that. After that, Ah-nold started dismissing his advice. That does make Warren Buffett a supporter of public education (as he was obviously taking the position that we need to tax the wealthy in order to maintain a civilized society), and in my book that earns him my full respect.