Quote:
Originally Posted by mr dave
just curious about your education setup here. i live in canada and we get called 'socialist' often enough. when it comes to education pretty much anyone can get a government student loan. i can only think of one 3 other people besides myself who paid them off. one person i went to school with takes pride in the fact that he HAS NOT MADE A SINGLE PAYMENT in 9 years since graduating (he'd also be cheering the wealth redistribution like mad in this thread).
do you have to pay extra taxes when you finish school in order to cover your education or is it just part of the package of being an independent adult in norway? is it something everyone has to pay into regardless of whether or not they continue their education past high school? just curious here.
personally i don't like the idea of giving someone a free ride (like the example above). like so many people have mentioned it seems to be more of a social philosophical change that would have to occur more than an actual economic change. thing is for a lot of us (especially those with humble beginnings and proud upbringings) having to hand over a portion of the gains we've made through the work we've done for people who only want to help themselves is a VERY bitter pill to swallow, especially when they're holding up an altruistic front like it's for the benefit of everyone and not at all because of envy of their neighbors.
|
You have to pay off your loan, but you're not taxed any different.
You should read my last post, it goes a little bit more into detail about how things are over here. A potential problem with a capitalist society in which you get classes and wealth inequity is if you need money to get an education, that may create a lower class unable to get the same high education as the upper classes. That could have many negative implications for society so I think it's better when everyone has a chance to become whatever they want, regardless of the wealth of their families. It gives people freedom to be what they want as well as create a well educated society with people of professions that will benefit it.
As I wrote in my previous post, you don't get it for "nothing". I mean that's part why taxes tend to get higher when you get more socialistic. The government nurtures you, gives you an education, food on your plate while you learn a trade or whatever and eventually you start making up for that by paying taxes (also explains why the government is not "stealing" from you, you're paying back some of what society already gave you and will give your children).
A political system that gave free education and health care for nothing in return wouldn't work at all so the idea is rather dumb. I know you all know this, but I've seen "getting stuff for free" tossed around a few times now and it's not like that.