That is not to discount the efforts of individuals, who have sacrificed, worked, for cures that save others. Often, these individuals never profit from their self-sacrifice.
In short, it is not about me, it is about we. Human progress has always been that way. People serve a higher purpose, they give of themselves so others may profit, may live better. That is why the older generation gives to the future, it is called paying it forward.
Except for today. Today's young person, under 40, has a 1% chance of doing any public service at all. There is no draft, no compelling reason to join the Armed Forces. There is no push, other than from the left, for any public service outside of the military.
My young right wing friend launched into an attack on teacher's unions, teachers, and (shudder) educational pensions. Basically all the ills of our educational system, according to this wing-nut are the fault of teachers and their unions.
I remember when we did not have Teacher Associations. We had a system of meet and confer. I remember being told by our Superintendent that he had sold shoes during the summer, and did part-time during the year to get by, while he was turning down yet another request for a raise. When Prop 13 passed, the supposedly broke school district he ran, suddenly had to give millions back to the state, that had been rat holed (basically kept from paying the teachers a livable wage).
I can still remember as a high school student, seeing 70 something teachers hobble into class, substituting. I never could understand that, until I asked one. It was the only way they could live, with the paltry pension they received.
And, what did we get? Why Sputnik of course. Suddenly the U.S.A., who as usual ignored education, was outdone by the Commies. Suddenly an interest in education. An interest in a system, that during the Depression saw teachers work for nothing, kept alive by script, that they could redeem at the local market. Teachers literally kept the schools open by working for nothing.
But Sputnik changed all that. We needed math and science. We needed to compete, and we began to educate more. And, thank God for the Greatest Generation, we had veterans by the millions who had served, valued their countries and joined the teacher force.
And we got a pretty good education.
Today, we have a diverse population. We still have unequal educational opportunity. We need to reform the organization of our educational system, more centralized, more national standards, less local school board meddling, more local school site control., more professional teachers, and better pay to lure the best and brightest into teaching so we can compete again with a world that is passing us by.
And what do we get? Attacks on teachers and unions. "Waiting for Superman", that shows disadvantaged kids, who come from backgrounds that are one big reason why we need to spend much MORE on education, but conservatives blame unions and what we pay teachers for the problem.
And, it is all about me, not we. My right wing friend is so selfish. He hates everything public. He believes the free market can fix everything. He quotes Ayn Rand as an icon; an icon of hate and selfishness.
We are competing against collective, teamwork oriented countries, who are working as teams. We are deciding to do so as disorganized individuals, who are tearing down the very institutions that must save us.
It will not work. As natural resources shrink, collective teamwork will be essential just to survive. The free market fails when resources dwindle, resulting in anarchy and chaos. That is what my selfish conservative buddy doesn't get.
And my friend, who had his heart fixed by the efforts of all of us, has not a heart for anybody but himself.
We are losing because we don't have the guts and some of our young people are just flat greedy, selfish and narcissistic.
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