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There are 36 countries with better healthcare than the USA. What needs to happen?

What needs to change in US healthcare?

  • Complete overhaul, replacing old system with European-style universal healthcare.

    Votes: 25 65.8%
  • Partial overhaul, including expansion of Medicare, reworking of profit-based insurance system.

    Votes: 7 18.4%
  • Sparse overhaul, based around getting rid of the profit-based private insurance companies.

    Votes: 4 10.5%
  • Nothing needs to change, the US system is good the way it is.

    Votes: 2 5.3%

  • Total voters
    38
You mean like having a healthcare system that successfully treats more people than the entirety of the EU while at the same time allowing for far more choice than any of the EU countries offer? No thanks.

have you ever been in Europe?: )))
 
.....We maybe keeping kids in school longer today and even graduating. But are we doing them any favors when they graduate with a 10th grade education and have to complete two years of college to get the education I received way back in the 50's and 60's?

Yes, High School and College degrees strongly correllate with higher income and other quality of life indicators, but we can do better.
 
I graduated from High School in 1964. I was shocked when my youngest daughter went to college and I helped her with her homework. I found out a lot of what I learned back in High School was now being taught in College. This was especially true in core subjects like English, Math and Science. In other words the stuff I learned back in High School or my H.S. diploma as far as knowledge learned was the equivalent of a 2 year degree in college today. Not all subjects, just the core one.

Hence my conclusion that of dumbing down our students through grade 12. My oldest granddaughter is now going to college and I can easily help her with her homework too. the grade structure in High School has also changed immensely. Looking at some of my old early 60's report cards, the grade scores or structure was 70-77 D, 79-85 C, 86-92 B and 93-100 A. According to another one of my granddaughters report cards the grade structure is now 70 D 71-79 C, 80-90 B and 90-100 A. That is pure grade inflation.

We maybe keeping kids in school longer today and even graduating. But are we doing them any favors when they graduate with a 10th grade education and have to complete two years of college to get the education I received way back in the 50's and 60's?
As I understand it, highschool used to be all the education many people got - in the last few decades or so, however, it became more the norm to attend some form of higher education...I'm not sure if there is any connection, but it seems like there could be.
 
Yes, High School and College degrees strongly correllate with higher income and other quality of life indicators, but we can do better.
I think his point was that highschool graduation standards today are equal to 10th grade education standards 50 years ago, and that 2 years of college today is equal to a highschool graduation 50 years ago.


Edit: Granted, part of that might be to the increasing levels of technical knowledge necessary for even entry-level jobs, but at the same time, many children these days grow up immersed in technology to a far greater extent than they did 50 years ago, and thus....absorb...some technical skills even without formal training.
 
I think his point was that highschool graduation standards today are equal to 10th grade education standards 50 years ago, and that 2 years of college today is equal to a highschool graduation 50 years ago.


Edit: Granted, part of that might be to the increasing levels of technical knowledge necessary for even entry-level jobs, but at the same time, many children these days grow up immersed in technology to a far greater extent than they did 50 years ago, and thus....absorb...some technical skills even without formal training.

My point is that his concern that more inclusive education may reduce the quality of education may be somewhat valid, but the advantages of more people getting a high school diploma outweigh the negative impact on quality.

Similarly, we may suffer some negative consequences from providing affordable health care to everyone, but the benefits of a healthier public will outweigh the downsides. That is the experience in the countries that have tried it.
 
As I understand it, highschool used to be all the education many people got - in the last few decades or so, however, it became more the norm to attend some form of higher education...I'm not sure if there is any connection, but it seems like there could be.

I think you are onto something there. Back in my day only a few out of any graduation class would go on to college. I didn't, but I was drafted into the army in 1966. Even without the draft, I would probably have stayed on my dad's farm and worked it. I don't know the figures or percentage that went on to college back in the early 60's, but it was sure nothing compared to what we see today.
 
I think you are onto something there. Back in my day only a few out of any graduation class would go on to college. I didn't, but I was drafted into the army in 1966. Even without the draft, I would probably have stayed on my dad's farm and worked it. I don't know the figures or percentage that went on to college back in the early 60's, but it was sure nothing compared to what we see today.
This may sound conspiracy-theoryish (is that a word...meh)...

But I halfway wonder if, a few decades back, colleges started lobbying for reduced educational standards in highschools in order to increase their own revenue...since, effectively, a year or two of college is taken up by teaching stuff that formerly was part of highschool
 
This may sound conspiracy-theoryish (is that a word...meh)...

But I halfway wonder if, a few decades back, colleges started lobbying for reduced educational standards in highschools in order to increase their own revenue...since, effectively, a year or two of college is taken up by teaching stuff that formerly was part of highschool

I am not a conspiracy buff, but again I think you may be onto something. It was a few decades back that the federal student loan program kicked in. There were none in my day.
 
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