Topic: Varia
Opinion: noun a personal view, attitude, or appraisal.
I don't like doing this, posting an update only to refer you to another article, but I felt the need to share this with you:
Pourquoi je suis pour la hausse et contre la gratuité, de Lise Ravary
Please note that this article is in French.
Stay cool,
Snowman
The following article is not a perfect response (and the first thing I would do is change "Parti Quebecois" to "Quebec Solidaire"), but it is a start.
ReplyDeleteI would add to it in a few ways: The culture he speaks of has the illusion that it is Quebec's value against the industrial drive of the Westernized world. What he really means to say, but probably lacks the political insight and vocabulary for is "Socialism vs. Caitalism" or "Working class vs. Bourgeois".
A socialist system CAN provide free education; albeit not for all (as your article seems to be aware). However, I would much rather take an entrance exam and have the return tell me "higher education is not for you; there are other good job options for you to pursue" than to force my way into education I can scarcely afford and have no promise for a job when I get out.
For me, it is a choice of risking damaged pride (failing the entrance exam) for the chance to be told my safest path vs. Being told my only chance is to risk time and money for a chance to out-compete my fellow students (and left to struggle my way into what jobs remain if I don't achieve).
Do I imply more jobs in a Socialist system? I do. The idea is that this free education allows the government to organize a "planned economy", with jobs for each person such that they can feel of some use to society. The alternative is a world where companies only provide as many jobs as they require and government can do nothing but pressure them to provide more...which promises a fluctuating and disproportionate number of jobs.
Sorry to be such a critic; I just wanted to voice the alternative position.
Amendment: I see the potential problem that a planned economy would get to tell you where you need to live in order to work a certain job. But then, I wonder if one would just abide by personal priorities; moving to work the ideal job if the job matters most or taking a less ideal job in the place he/she lives if the location matters more.
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