Welfare

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Guess what I fail to understand is why so many people are having kids with no visible means of supporting them. Not only here, but in the rest of the world as well.

In Third World countries they don't have any retirement programs so your children are your social security...and with high infant mortality rate, having more children is insurance. It's not being irresponsible...it's being smart under those circumstances.

As for why people have so many children here - I think it's a combination of churches fighting against sex education and contraception, lack of education, and broken families.

I have to agree and disagree. I think there is an excessive push in America for people to go to school. Why not promote a trade or starting your own business too? The current system unknowingly makes kids think that they either get an education or they are losers. Whereas, it should promote a range of options. After all, when you look at lot of people that are wealthy, or even those housewives shows, you will find that not to many of them hold degrees.

That is something that I never understood. University is not necessarily meant for everyone, and that is not an insult, nor is it a promotion of those who went to university. In the U.S. all parents tell their kids to go to college, and there is an implied derision of trade schools. Trade schools are a viable option for people, and quite often they fill jobs that are in desperate need of being filled, and pay quite well. It's a matter of perceptions for many though.

Well said. We'll always need a working class.

[Niels Bohr 72]

I have to agree and disagree. I think there is an excessive push in America for people to go to school. Why not promote a trade or starting your own business too? The current system unknowingly makes kids think that they either get an education or they are losers. Whereas, it should promote a range of options. After all, when you look at lot of people that are wealthy, or even those housewives shows, you will find that not to many of them hold degrees.

That is something that I never understood. University is not necessarily meant for everyone, and that is not an insult, nor is it a promotion of those who went to university. In the U.S. all parents tell their kids to go to college, and there is an implied derision of trade schools. Trade schools are a viable option for people, and quite often they fill jobs that are in desperate need of being filled, and pay quite well. It's a matter of perceptions for many though.

I agree. Not all degrees are treated equally.

When I was in the University, there are so many people who I think should have never been admitted in the first place. I think it's more about politics than it is about academic in those areas. To make sure the school continue to receive donations from Alumnis, they need to do make sure those worthless degrees recipients are also getting the same treatment.

I studied Computer and Electrical Engineering. I know how demanding it is to be detail oriented when analyzing signals such as calculating how fast the microprocessor does the Analog to Digital Conversion. And, if I want to filter out certain frequencies of signals, I had to do complex signal analysis using Laplace and Fourier Transforms. When it comes to building the medium for the signal to travel through, we have to take into the account of the electromagnetic properties of the medium. For example, we need to determine the capacity of a coaxial cable, and how to reduce interference from outside sources. It again require vigorous Gaussian, and Laplacian formulas. And, not only that, we also have to build the hardware at the receiving and transmitting end which requires building electric circuit filters.

Lots of people have no idea of what Engineering is about. Lots of scientific and mathematics knowledge involved. If you're building semiconductors, you need to understand the physics and chemistry at the hardware level. The physics of how the electrons transfer from the pFETS to the nFETs. The FETS themselves must have proper chemical dopings.

Maybe that is why people are scared of engineering. I like to make fun of other majors. For example, most of the majors offerred in the College of Arts and Sciences with the exception of physics, chemistry, biology. I'm very very sensitive about these things. I admit. Those who take History courses, require no analysis skills other than to memorize their skills.

blah blah blah...I could go on all day. I'm obsess.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Of course they shouldn't. Hand outs sound good when people are down and out for sure but look at the other side. Oftentimes people become down and out because of their own irresponisble behavior. If there were no hand outs to begin with then people would be more apt to take stock in their behaviors and act accordingly. If the penalty was no one will be there for when they screw up then they will use the adage, "save for a rainy day" and think more about if their actions would be negative. If there was a handout always then that thinking will be more skewed toward, "this is probably going to hurt me but what the hell I have the government to fall back on."

Ah like the 6,000,000 who lost their job so far hey.

Yep, how irresponsible of them.