#1 a society has to be productive. As a teacher I was aware that I lived off the surplus of a productive economy. I wanted local companies to be productive and profitable so they could pay the taxes that paid my salary. If a society is not productive and efficient in the long run it will not be able to remain competitive. #2 For the sake of societal peace we must have a social safety net (unemployment insurance , Medicare and Social Security). For the sake of societal peace we cannot ignore the participation of various ethnic groups and social classes admitted to college programs and other training programs. But if we ignore merit we demoralize society and disincentivize hard work. I taught AP US History and AP Spanish for years. I taught at risk students who had not experience in AP classes. I could have said the reason my students can't pass the AP exams is because of racism etc. Instead I said what we need to do is have intensive review and studying 6-10 weeks on Saturdays. I volunteered my time. There is no question we had more passing exams because of our rigorous curriculum. Students with high GPAS and some AP CREDITS (passing three or four exams) were able to get into good schools and get scholarships. Financially and academically in a rural school such as ours it was unrealisitic to have six or more AP classes. We just did not have the teachers and the resources and the money to pay for the expensive AP exams. Some students did not pass the AP tests but scored 2s (Possibly Qualified). But it was not a waste. Most of those students studied at the Local JC and did extremely well in those subjects in the JC. Most said JC was easier than the AP curriculum and that AP curriculum got them reading for college and graduate school (where they encountered comprehensive exams. We should give first time college bound students or financially fragile students a break. But the best thing we can do for all students is to have authentic standards not quotas based on gender or race.
I would like to see American capitalism shifted to more of a market system. American capitalism is far from a free market economy. Regulations, social and economic engineering via the tax code, and financial manipulation by the Fed are all road blocks to a true market system.
i don't presume to have Alfonso's wisdom. Or his arrogance. to change the outcomes of the systems you'd need to change the nature of humans. Otherwise, we'll inevitably fall to the outcomes of Pareto's Law.
#1 a society has to be productive. As a teacher I was aware that I lived off the surplus of a productive economy. I wanted local companies to be productive and profitable so they could pay the taxes that paid my salary. If a society is not productive and efficient in the long run it will not be able to remain competitive. #2 For the sake of societal peace we must have a social safety net (unemployment insurance , Medicare and Social Security). For the sake of societal peace we cannot ignore the participation of various ethnic groups and social classes admitted to college programs and other training programs. But if we ignore merit we demoralize society and disincentivize hard work. I taught AP US History and AP Spanish for years. I taught at risk students who had not experience in AP classes. I could have said the reason my students can't pass the AP exams is because of racism etc. Instead I said what we need to do is have intensive review and studying 6-10 weeks on Saturdays. I volunteered my time. There is no question we had more passing exams because of our rigorous curriculum. Students with high GPAS and some AP CREDITS (passing three or four exams) were able to get into good schools and get scholarships. Financially and academically in a rural school such as ours it was unrealisitic to have six or more AP classes. We just did not have the teachers and the resources and the money to pay for the expensive AP exams. Some students did not pass the AP tests but scored 2s (Possibly Qualified). But it was not a waste. Most of those students studied at the Local JC and did extremely well in those subjects in the JC. Most said JC was easier than the AP curriculum and that AP curriculum got them reading for college and graduate school (where they encountered comprehensive exams. We should give first time college bound students or financially fragile students a break. But the best thing we can do for all students is to have authentic standards not quotas based on gender or race.
I would like to see American capitalism shifted to more of a market system. American capitalism is far from a free market economy. Regulations, social and economic engineering via the tax code, and financial manipulation by the Fed are all road blocks to a true market system.
i don't presume to have Alfonso's wisdom. Or his arrogance. to change the outcomes of the systems you'd need to change the nature of humans. Otherwise, we'll inevitably fall to the outcomes of Pareto's Law.