• LandedGentry
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    2 days ago

    We need to stop calling it “free” college. It’s not free. It’s a worthwhile investment we all pay for and reap the benefits of.

    We don’t call it a “free military.”

      • LandedGentry
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        10 hours ago

        the health of your people is absolutely a worthwhile investment by all definitions. It’s the right thing to do/ethical, it makes them happy/support their government if you’re thinking politically, and a healthy populace does more for society/the country/economy/whatever you care about.

        What’s with the bait nonsense say what you want to say.

        • WhatYouNeed@lemmy.world
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          9 hours ago

          There is an obsessed with going to university - yes education is excellent but to end up in so much debt at such a young age is awful.

          Especially the stoopid requirement for so many “entry” level corporate roles that demand a degree, despite the role never using any skills from that degree. Recruitment seems to think having a degree automatically means a person with a degree will be the best hire.

          And trades - they are overshadowed because having a degree seems to be a better route career wise.

          • LandedGentry
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            8 hours ago

            I am not obsessed with going to university. I think everybody should have access to university. That does not mean everybody should go.

            We have somewhat started to fund trade schools and community colleges and such here in the US so the assumption would be that if we had a universal education of some kind it would include community colleges and trade school and conservatories.

            • WhatYouNeed@lemmy.world
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              7 hours ago

              Agreed that there must be greater access to education. Its just sucks for the less well off to be saddled with so much debt to do so.

    • lud@lemm.ee
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      19 hours ago

      It also isn’t free for people here, it’s paid. They pay you (not a very large amount but still) to go to any education above the mandatory education.

    • Mr_Blott@feddit.uk
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      2 days ago

      College is free, uni isn’t

      Not our fault just one country uses the word incorrectly

      • half_fiction@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        2 days ago

        You’re missing the point. They’re saying it’s not free, it’s funded by the government/tax dollars.

        Also languages develop regionally and sometimes use different words. It’s so 2010 to assert regional differences are “wrong.” Gag me with a spoon.

      • LandedGentry
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        2 days ago

        I don’t understand why that matters ultimately? The point is “free” is not a good word for it, whether it’s college or university. It’s not “free” and we don’t call anything else we pay for with taxes “free.” All it does is create an easy attack vector for detractors and misrepresent it.

        • Log in | Sign up@lemmy.world
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          19 hours ago

          I think free is a great word for something you can rock up to and collect without paying, and you don’t have to remortgage your house because your parent got cancer.

          • LandedGentry
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            18 hours ago

            You do pay for it. You don’t get free roads. You don’t get free hospitals. You don’t get a free military. They are funded by tax dollars, that’s the entire point. Yet we say “free college.”

            • Log in | Sign up@lemmy.world
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              18 hours ago

              Yes I do get free hospitals. I live in the UK. Hospital visits are free and I don’t pay for them. I pay for parking if I park on site, but I absolutely do not pay for the healthcare. The healthcare is free. My daughter gets it free, I get it free, unemployed people get it free, billionaires get out free, everyone gets it free, no one is charged for it. The government pays the whole bill. Unlimited healthcare based on need, no cost.

              It’s earning a salary that isn’t free. That costs me 20% above a certain threshold. But, no, the hospitals are completely free.

              • LandedGentry
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                18 hours ago

                They’re not free. You pay taxes to fund them. Your countrymen pay taxes to fund them. You are all paying for it collectively all the time, which is a great thing to do and is a worthwhile investment. It is a sane and sustainable way of running healthcare. But it is not free.

                You say the government pays for it: where do you think the government gets its money? For the UK it’s not entirely from exploiting former colonial vassals anymore, y’all pay taxes. Same as the rest of us.

                • Log in | Sign up@lemmy.world
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                  18 hours ago

                  You’re twisting words to mean what you want them to mean. The healthcare is free but earning a salary is not. It’s very simple. You don’t pay for the healthcare, ever, no matter how often on expensive it is, but earning a salary is not free, and you get charged every time according to how much you get. The healthcare is free for everyone. Free. No charge. Unlimited. Free.

                  • LandedGentry
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                    18 hours ago

                    No I am literally describing how the system works. I understand that when you go to a hospital you don’t ever open your wallet. It’s because you all already paid for it.

        • Vinstaal0@lemmy.world
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          1 day ago

          I feel like it depends on your translation and how you define “free”.

          I like to compare it to the differences between expenses and costs. Which is something people often confuse. Expenses are talking about the outflow of money and costs are talking about the effect of it on the bottom line.

          “Free” education is free, because it’s not an expense it can be considered and indirect cost. It might never be something that is paid if you never pay taxes for whatever reason.

          People also consider their social security income free because they don’t need to do more for it than filling in a form often online

    • fouloleron@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      I think I understand your concern, but how do you very briefly describe what’s happening a better way?

      Schools in the US are “free”, although they are generally funded by taxes. I think if you said to most people that society benefits from a good basic education for everyone, they would agree.

      If you said that should apply to higher education, it doesn’t sound like too much of a stretch.

      If you then said “we should have the same standard of education and funding for the entire nation”, many people would say “No way”, because America, and that would mean centralized funding and standards and stuff. It’s always that last part.

      • LandedGentry
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        2 days ago

        National education. Funded degrees. Paid-for education. Universal education. Lots of options.

        We don’t call it free healthcare do we?

          • LandedGentry
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            18 hours ago

            It’s called the National Health System and it’s paid for with taxes, yes?

            • Log in | Sign up@lemmy.world
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              18 hours ago

              Earning a salary isn’t free. You get charged all the time for that.

              Going to hospital is free. You get unlimited visits and any procedure you need at zero cost to you, taxpayer or not, no charge. Free.

              • LandedGentry
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                18 hours ago

                I am not having the exact same conversation in 2 places.

                  • LandedGentry
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                    18 hours ago

                    Because I didn’t realize it was the same person in both. What a weird thing to get hostile about.