Americans Take Their Medication Over Education. One big mistake our society makes is in assuming that consumer debt is more acceptable than educational debt. We do a lot of public hand wringing over the fact that the average student carries about 30,000 dollars worth of college debt. But we think nothing at all when that same student graduates and goes out and buys a $30,000 car. Debt is debt. The difference between college debt and debt on a car is that the car is a tangible. When you buy it you can drive it, you can see it.Other people can see it too. A college education, on the other hand, is something that you cant see. You cant hold it in your hand. Its much more ethereal. People cant see you drive down the street and admire the nice coat of paint on your college education. In fact in a crowd, the fact that you are educated does not show up in any conspicuous way at all. Driving a large flashy car, however gets your immediate attention. In behavioral psychology this would be explained in terms of immediate rewards being strong reinforcers of behavior. Thats why we prefer to acquire large debt in accumulating tangibles While decrying that same debt when it is acquired in the pursuit of education. This is part of the American propensity for practicality and pragmatism which was observed as far back as the 17th century by writers like Alexis de Tocqueville. And it is even further reinforced by the strong sentiment of anti intellectualism which is prevalent throughout American society. Money spent on education is simply seen as wasted by the majority of Americans. The only purpose of education, to most minds, is as a path to a better job. On the other hand, money spent on conspicuous consumption is seen in much more virtuous terms. And, in the case of public colleges, until as recently as 2012, the cost of attendance was largely covered by public funding. That implied that when you were repaying any college debt that you might owe, you were, in effect, financing the education of younger students just beginning college. In other words, you were paying back into the system which you had yourself benefited from. Yet, a majority of Americans believe that education should be free in America just as it is in some European countries. In other words, they want education to be entirely publicly funded. At the same time, they may think that it is socialism to be in favor of the public funding of health insurance. So, while they gladly accept college grants, and even clamor for more, they decry Obamacare as being a dangerous precursor to the nanny state. (51 percent oppose it) at the same time 60 percent of Americans currently favor Mr Obamas proposal for free community college education. So, like consumer debt, medical debt is considered more palatable than educational debt. Apparently we Americans much prefer paying for medication than education.
Posted on: Sat, 24 Jan 2015 21:55:13 +0000
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