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[GlyphGryph]

$5/gallon gas

This one, mostly.

6.) Education Reform, teaching and costs I'm sorry but how come our kids can't read? We spend more money on education than any other nation, because it's important and look at the results.

I have a feeling I disagree with your opinions on how to implement this as well, but I don't know because you didn't give them.

[Truean]

$5/gallon gas

This one, mostly.

Yeah, I'm also against $5/gallon gas. Did you somehow think I wanted this? Here's what I put in the first post:

8.) A regulated commodities market: gas prices. Why is it that any time someone sneezes anywhere in the world gas goes up? The economy worldwide is terrible and its especially so in the U.S.. Wall Street has convinced itself otherwise.... If gas is over $3 a gallon now, when the economy sucks, what will it be when things actually recover? That is, if gas prices don't reach $5 a gallon and kill the economy again when we recover....

Basically there is no reason gas is currently $3 per gallon. Traders use any excuse they can to raise it in spite of the terrible economy/demand for it. They will make it $5 a gallon once things actually improve if they are BSing their way to $3 in the crap we are in now. This isn't a free market at work and you know it. I'm talking about combating oil cartels and smacking Wall St. into making sense.

   

6.) Education Reform, teaching and costs I'm sorry but how come our kids can't read? We spend more money on education than any other nation, because it's important and look at the results.

I have a feeling I disagree with your opinions on how to implement this as well, but I don't know because you didn't give them.

Ok, well actually teach kids with results focused study. Teach them skills they can use rather than stuff abstract things into their heads. I've tutored Math, Science and English for years. You wanna know how I get the "hopeless" kids to learn? I teach them practical skills. I show them formulas for writing that I learned in law school, like CRA (Conclusion, Rule Analysis), and IRAC (Issue, Rule Analysis Conclusion). I show them how to take a topic paragraph and use the sentences there as topic sentences in the later paragraphs in their essays. I show them how to write. I do similar things for math and all for next to no money....

[GlyphGryph]

No, no, I'm against your STANCE on gas prices. If anything, the tax on gasoline should be raised.

Reducing prices on an already limited good is only shooting ourselves in the foot as far as the future is concerned.

[Truean]

No, no, I'm against your STANCE on gas prices. If anything, the tax on gasoline should be raised.

Reducing prices on an already limited good is only shooting ourselves in the foot as far as the future is concerned.

How about a different approach: two prongs.

a.) Stimulate the economy now by making gas cheaper

b.) Use money from stimulated economy to spur green technologies.

[GlyphGryph]

And your evidence that making gas cheaper would actually stimulate the economy is...?

If you want to maker it cheaper, you basically have to subsidize it. If you're subsidizing it, then an even GREATER portion of every dollar spent on tax gets sent outside the country, AND people care less about gas efficiency and so buy more. How is this an improvement?

[Truean]

And your evidence that making gas cheaper would actually stimulate the economy is...?

Gas prices are reflected in everything: all goods, all labor. Transportation costs.

Labor--I have to drive to work.
Goods--truck drivers have to get it to the stores.

Even if you postulate public transit, that takes a massive investment that would take time and money we currently don't have.

You make gas cheaper, you make goods less expensive to make and people get more from their wages which lets them buy more.

Until I find an electric car that is practical and affordable for the masses, we're stuck at gas.

[G-Flex]

Ok, well actually teach kids with results focused study. Teach them skills they can use rather than stuff abstract things into their heads.

Here's the thing: We don't teach our kids how to think abstractly at all. It's about teaching to the test, letter-grade rewards, and rote facts.

In my opinion, one of the biggest problems with our educational system is that we try to teach children what to think without ever teaching them how. Elementary school, in particular, is just a series of regurgitated facts and cultural narratives without much of any emphasis on critical thinking or reasoning of any kind. Because of a combination of this and what I mentioned in the last paragraph (and probably some other things), it's no wonder that general skills like math and reading aren't up to par, because our testing methods are terrible, we have trouble teaching kids concepts instead of tabular facts/data, and nobody teaches them why any of it is important, or how to come to conclusions rationally.

See, things like math and physics aren't taught abstractly enough. It's all formulas and facts to be memorized for tests, whereas if you were to give children a conceptual and abstract background, they would actually understand it as well as have less reason to memorize things in the first place, along with having an actual appreciation for the subject and how it applies to their lives (which is obviously something we both consider important; teaching things on a practical level is one way to get people to really understand it). I've seen tons of people who did "well" in high school math, yet don't really understand the concepts at all; they just did well because they crammed formulas into their heads for tests, and had no reason to believe they should have been doing anything else.

[Truean]

And your evidence that making gas cheaper would actually stimulate the economy is...?

If you want to maker it cheaper, you basically have to subsidize it. If you're subsidizing it, then an even GREATER portion of every dollar spent on tax gets sent outside the country, AND people care less about gas efficiency and so buy more. How is this an improvement?

No, I'm not subsidizing it. I'm telling Wall St there is a damn limit on how high they can trade crude for. That $141 a barrel crap is too high and they know it. It needs to be regulated not subsidized.

It won't lead to shortages or anything else, because the oil companies are making historic profits .... If they try to sell to other countries, then we get together with the other countries and make a damn stand. Screw you Oil companies, barring some good reason, you don't need over $100 a barrel.

[Truean]

Often times the trouble I got with the kids I tutored was "when am I ever going to use this?" I showed them and then taught them. That makes them want to give a crap and do the studying. I made the abstract practical. I taught them the uses for abstract thinking, starting with English Composition and moving up to more numerical subjects (because it went down easier that way).

Here's an abstract representation and here's what you can do with it....

Your way of just sitting down and cramming it in works... for the scholarly ones. For the rest of us, there's my method.... Who the heck are we kidding, it's mostly the rest of us that I'm concerned about learning deficits with.

[GlyphGryph]

You make gas cheaper, you make goods less expensive to make and people get more from their wages which lets them buy more.

And if its through subsidies that you accomplish this, congratulations, we're still paying for it, probably paying more, its just less obvious. Unless you actually support price controls, in which case we start get gas shortages. If you RAISE gas prices through taxes, however, you encourage more people to use gas efficiently, you keep a higher portion of each dollar spent in the country, and that money can be directly reinvested in new industry.

And you think we won't get gas shortages because they are making epic profits? I think they'd be MORE than happy to hold onto it for a while in that case, since it will only be more valuable in the future.

[Truean]

You make gas cheaper, you make goods less expensive to make and people get more from their wages which lets them buy more.

And if its through subsidies that you accomplish this, congratulations, we're still paying for it, probably paying more, its just less obvious. Unless you actually support price controls, in which case we start get gas shortages. If you RAISE gas prices through taxes, however, you encourage more people to use gas efficiently, you keep a higher portion of each dollar spent in the country, and that money can be directly reinvested in new industry.

Yes, I'm talking about a price control and I know all the economic arguments against them. Here's why it will work.

Oil is high because of cartels (oligopolies acting as monopolies). Basically they are ganging up on us on the supply side. We, (All countries that buy this crap) simply gang up on them with a consumer cartel.

Unfair cooperation screwed up the supply price and it can screw up the demand price. If they play hardball, then everyone in the US should boycott one gas company for one month straight. It will bring that one to its knees, then you move start buying from it again and rotate to another one. It screws up their distribution so badly they'll have no choice. You get them to sign a bulk contract at a reasonable rate or threaten to never buy from them again. They will cooperate or die.

Stop and think about what I'm saying:

Let's pick on BP, because I hate them. Every American Agrees not to buy gas from BP but buys from any other company. BP will wither and die while its competitors circle around it eating up its market share. Force them kicking and screaming to sign a contract supplying a $100/barrel agreement so they don't go under. Rinse repeat. It'll work. They will be able to continue doing business at a lovely profit and we'll get oil at a reasonable enough price.

We are never without gas that way, because we keep filling up at any place except that one company. We separate them that way like wolves separating individual animals from the herd.

[G-Flex]

Often times the trouble I got with the kids I tutored was "when am I ever going to use this?" I showed them and then taught them. That makes them want to give a crap and do the studying. I made the abstract practical. I taught them the uses for abstract thinking, starting with English Composition and moving up to more numerical subjects (because it went down easier that way).

Yeah, that's fair. I never understood "when will I use this?" because to me, understanding the world around me is what makes it worth it. An abstract understanding of math, science, philosophy, history, English, or just about any other subject can improve the quality of your life and how informed/rational your decisions will be. This (and critical thinking itself) are also extremely important for both capitalism and democracy to function.

Your way of just sitting down and cramming it in works... for the scholarly ones. For the rest of us, there's my method.... Who the heck are we kidding, it's mostly the rest of us that I'm concerned about learning deficits with.

Wait, who said I learn by sitting down and "cramming"?

[Truean]

Often times the trouble I got with the kids I tutored was "when am I ever going to use this?" I showed them and then taught them. That makes them want to give a crap and do the studying. I made the abstract practical. I taught them the uses for abstract thinking, starting with English Composition and moving up to more numerical subjects (because it went down easier that way).

Yeah, that's fair. I never understood "when will I use this?" because to me, understanding the world around me is what makes it worth it. An abstract understanding of math, science, philosophy, history, English, or just about any other subject can improve the quality of your life and how informed/rational your decisions will be. This (and critical thinking itself) are also extremely important for both capitalism and democracy to function.

Your way of just sitting down and cramming it in works... for the scholarly ones. For the rest of us, there's my method.... Who the heck are we kidding, it's mostly the rest of us that I'm concerned about learning deficits with.

Wait, who said I learn by sitting down and "cramming"?

I admit this was actually me misinterpreting your last sentence. Sorry about that.

[GlyphGryph]

Truen, I still have no idea what you'd actually be lobbying for, education-wise. Your goals are nice (teach kids practical methodologies for learning and how to be an active participant in their education) but what exactly would you lobby for to push us towards that goal?

[Truean]

Truen, I still have no idea what you'd actually be lobbying for, education-wise. Your goals are nice (teach kids practical methodologies for learning and how to be an active participant in their education) but what exactly would you lobby for to push us towards that goal?

Pass a law that requires the department of education to:

1.) Research and devise methods of teaching practical methodologies for learning and how to have students be an active participant in their education and understand the practicalities and processes of doing things.

2.) Test that methodology for effectiveness.

3.) Mandate that it be taught in public schools.

Why not? No Child left behind [cringe] mandated the current crap we teach now. Why not actually mandate education?