Democratic debates

They could tie it to a lot of programs, work study, community service, etc.

I could totally get behind something like that......

Antithetical?
YOU are the man. Last time I used that was in a live chat with....Pliny the elder.

A major problem with free college is that it inherently devalues education. From an economical standpoint, education is a differentiating factor. Those motivated and able spend their time and resources on college education knowing it provides an advantage. Once it is free much of that advantage disappears. We will shift a major part of the young and able bodied out of the workforce into non-working roles for a period of time that they're are basically required to do because going without would be a major disadvantage. Meanwhile we'll also foster an even greater classification of the work force as surely those with the means would attend the "better" tuition based colleges. We end up in the same place and spent a bunch of money to do it. Free college doesn't solve the problem. It sounds fantastic but it is solves nothing.

The reality of economics is that some people will always have more than others. The best an economic system can do is provide freedom within that system so that opportunity can be generated and acted upon. Artificially generating "opportunity" doesn't work. In fact it is impossible. Artifical opportunity is almost exactly the opposite of real opportunity. It shackles a person to a specific system along with everyone else and generates, at best, the same level of "success" as those other people. True success HAS to be offset by failure in some way within the system to make it actual success. It is simply a ledger that has to be balanced.

so why not have the folks who want "free" tie it too military service? I heard this argument from my far right friends.

well, if you join the military it is free. i can get up to 72k if i go full time (that's mainly cost of school + monthly stipend). plus a lot of colleges do yellow ribbon, where if the school costs more than the GI bill pays, the government and the school will split the difference, so it's free.

there are also a lot of schools that are sort of fraudulent trying to cash in on naive GIs and give them crappy educations.

A major problem with free college is that it inherently devalues education. From an economical standpoint, education is a differentiating factor. Those motivated and able spend their time and resources on college education knowing it provides an advantage. Once it is free much of that advantage disappears. We will shift a major part of the young and able bodied out of the workforce into non-working roles for a period of time that they're are basically required to do because going without would be a major disadvantage. Meanwhile we'll also foster an even greater classification of the work force as surely those with the means would attend the "better" tuition based colleges. We end up in the same place and spent a bunch of money to do it. Free college doesn't solve the problem. It sounds fantastic but it is solves nothing.

the point of college is to learn a real world profession, not to prove you're better than someone else. this makes no sense. america isn't a vacuum or the entirely of the world population. if we had more homegrown scientists and engineers, we wouldn't be importing them. college can include vocational skills too like plumbing or auto mechanics or whatever else the market has a shortage of.

Not pretending that others aren't taking big bucks from influential donors, but dear lord this woman just doesn't get it.

Clinton defends Wall Street speaking fees: ‘That’s what they offered’ (http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/clinton-defends-wall-street-speaking-fees-%e2%80%98that%e2%80%99s-what-they-offered%e2%80%99/ar-BBp6s5H?ocid=spartanntp)

Sadly, it is a significant section of the American people that.........don't get it. She is also is NO friend of Wall Street.....right?

$675K for three speaking engagements.

She is JUST the person to fix income inequality.

A major problem with free college is that it inherently devalues education. From an economical standpoint, education is a differentiating factor. Those motivated and able spend their time and resources on college education knowing it provides an advantage. Once it is free much of that advantage disappears. We will shift a major part of the young and able bodied out of the workforce into non-working roles for a period of time that they're are basically required to do because going without would be a major disadvantage. Meanwhile we'll also foster an even greater classification of the work force as surely those with the means would attend the "better" tuition based colleges. We end up in the same place and spent a bunch of money to do it. Free college doesn't solve the problem. It sounds fantastic but it is solves nothing.

Many colleges are recognizing and attempting to eliminate or at least limit the current socioeconomic bias of the college application process. The SAT bias is well documented and many institutions are beginning to devalue it's role in determining whether a student will be able to succeed collegiately. You are also seeing the with the AP exams. Colleges are willing to offer the advanced placement but many are realizing that the test favors those from socioeconomic means. One of the biggest reasons Harvard and MIT have begun to offer their classes online for free is it gives them a chance to find untapped talent that would get over looked in the current admissions process. While they look like the good guys in providing this free education they in reality are benefitting greatly from it.