hwt 0 #1 July 6, 2011 http://youtu.be/FnLp6V1HDW0 By Marc Watterson Great news everybody! Inspired by the ideas of presidential candidate Barack Obama, your local school district has announced a radical idea that is going to change the world! The hard work and effort of those who have struggled through their education to get the best grades possible now have the opportunity to give back. For you who have worked hard and are getting A's and A-'s, you will now receive a B+! Have no fear, this is in no way degrading your efforts! Rather, this will be for the benefit of all your classmates as no child will be left behind. Your grades are now being deducted and the difference is being given to those who receive D's and F's so that every student will pass with at least a C! After all, how unfair is it to label some of your classmates as failures? Just because they don't see the need for studying or putting much effort into their education doesn't mean it's their fault. And so, in an effort to promote equality among students, there will now be a redistribution of grades. In this system, each student passes regardless of effort or intelligence gained. Now, don't let this deter those of you who go the extra mile in trying to learn, there's still plenty of incentive for you to try and get better grades! You must always remember that your efforts no longer just concern you and your aspirations. Your fellow students now depend on you to get them to the finish line, whether they jog there of their own accord or you have to drag them, kicking and screaming, to graduation. The success of this program depends on you! The greatest impact this new program will have is in the workplace! You see, this program is also being implemented in colleges and universities all across the nation! Students will now, more than ever, depend on the efforts of these A students to get them their passing grades in every class. Again, regardless of effort, everyone receives a passing grade in classes of higher learning. This will be the same in trade, law, medical and graduate schools as well! Think of it, there will never be a labor shortage again as an influx of "passing" workers flood the market! Sure, there might be a rise in flooded basements and guilty persons going free as otherwise incompetent employees are now given positions of trust in society. But at least we can rest assured every night knowing that despite our intellectual mistakes at work, there were those out there who were willing to sacrifice their hard-earned grades so we could pass every year in school. Doesn't this sound fair? Why on earth wouldn't it be all right to take the hard-earned efforts of individuals and give the rewards of their labors to others instead? Why? Because this is America! This is where the dream still exists that through grit and determination, a man might change the stars and the world around him. This is the land where the ideals of "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" remain a noble individual task, not a governmental duty. Barack Obama would have the American people, us, believe that it is up to the government to provide the roof over our head, the food on our table, and the clothes on our backs. He suggests that it has always been government's responsibility to do this but that the American people, since the conception of the Constitution, have been blinded by their desire to work hard and enjoy the fruits of their labors. Instead, he contends that it's government's job to take these hard-earned fruits and give them to everyone who refused to work hard, if at all. Obama is no Robin Hood. Business owners, Hollywood and sports stars and other wealthy individuals are no Prince Johns. And we, the American public, are no impoverished citizens of Sherwood Forest. If anything, Obama would have the government take the role of Prince John, while wearing the mask of Robin Hood. However, depriving us of our incentive to work hard and hindering our ability to progress would indeed make us a sorrowful and impoverished people. Is this the future we want? Are these proposals really fair? Do we really believe these ideas are in our and our children's best interest? Make your vision for the future clear, vote on Tuesday and get involved! Marc Watterson is a double major in communications and political science from Wanship. http://newsnet.byu.edu/story.cfm/70048 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
popsjumper 2 #2 July 6, 2011 Waaaaaay late. Re-distribution of wealth (and grades) goes back a long, long way.My reality and yours are quite different. I think we're all Bozos on this bus. Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 2,434 #3 July 6, 2011 >Re-distribution of wealth (and grades) goes back a long, long way. What? Obama INVENTED progressive taxes! Everyone knows that. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 1,648 #4 July 6, 2011 Quote Marc Watterson is a double major in communications and political science If he'd taken a real major he'd be credible... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hwt 0 #5 July 7, 2011 Quote Quote Marc Watterson is a double major in communications and political science If he'd taken a real major he'd be credible Obama does not want anyone to see his records... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 3 #6 July 7, 2011 Quote Obama does not want anyone to see his records... Why on earth would anybody show any records of any type to anybody if it wasn't required?quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 1,648 #7 July 7, 2011 Quote Quote Quote Marc Watterson is a double major in communications and political science If he'd taken a real major he'd be credible Obama does not want anyone to see his records... Having a bit of a non-sequitur problem today?... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
champu 1 #8 July 7, 2011 QuoteFor you who have worked hard and are getting A's and A-'s, you will now receive a B+! Have no fear, this is in no way degrading your efforts! Rather, this will be for the benefit of all your classmates as no child will be left behind. Your grades are now being deducted and the difference is being given to those who receive D's and F's so that every student will pass with at least a C! I think my posting history makes it pretty clear where I stand on direct wealth redistribution and even I'll get in line to tell you this is a stupid analogy. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
futuredivot 0 #9 July 7, 2011 Three jokes/misdirections from the holy liberal trinity but nobody addresses the substance of the post. merely an observationYou are only as strong as the prey you devour Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rehmwa 2 #10 July 7, 2011 Quotenobody addresses the substance of the post. maybe, but the analogy is older than the 10 guys buying dinner we need fresh stuff ... Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jakee 1,259 #11 July 7, 2011 Quotebut nobody addresses the substance of the post. Well, the post doesn't address the substance of reality, so what's the point? Especially since the guy who's opinion it is isn't here to defend it.Do you want to have an ideagasm? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hwt 0 #12 July 7, 2011 You liberals are great... not one of you makes any comment other than it is old ... Well a little girl seems to understand how unfair it is, and you liberals have nothing to say? It shows how fair you closed minded liberals are. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 2,434 #13 July 7, 2011 >not one of you makes any comment other than it is old ... It's also a stupid analogy. Grades aren't taxes, and academic success is not measured by income. It's like saying that the rich should pay way more in taxes than the poor because truck drivers use way more gas than small cars. >Well a little girl seems to understand how unfair it is, Ask a little girl whether a rich man or a poor man should pay more in taxes and get back to us. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rehmwa 2 #14 July 7, 2011 Quote>Ask a little girl whether a rich man or a poor man should pay more in taxes and get back to us. only if the little girl understands proportions, else you're just exploiting the little girl - aren't you? Ask a little girl (one that's good at math) - "If I make 100 dollars and give $10 to charity, and if you make $10,,, then what's a fair amount for you to give?" how many will say $1 how many will say some amount of any kind I bet most wouldn't say zero I bet most wouldn't say - 'I should get some of the $10 that guy paid' Or DreamDancer - "That guy should pay $90 and I should get $40 of it" ... Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lawrocket 3 #15 July 7, 2011 QuoteWaaaaaay late. Re-distribution of wealth (and grades) goes back a long, long way. Indeed. Atlanta Public Schools ("APS") found a way to benefit without redistributing grades. In fact, they just gave good grades out! Now, this is something that hasn't been tried with an education system before. It's usually been a matter of government fiscal policy but good old fashioned American Ingenuity played out. Roughly 200 teachers and principals and administrators decided to pass an "Minimum Test Score" policy. Unskilled test takers in the APS therefore received a "minimum grade" or even, as some trumpeted, a "Living Grade." Sure, some may argue that the APS did not favors to these students because so many actually did not have the learning and knowledge necessary to move to the next level, but "minimum job performance ratings" and "minimum test scores for college" are also being examined. My wife is hotter than your wife. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
champu 1 #16 July 7, 2011 QuoteI think my posting history makes it pretty clear where I stand on direct wealth redistribution and even I'll get in line to tell you this is a stupid analogy. To elaborate... the problem with the analogy is that you don't go to school to get grades, you go to school to get an education. If you were to audit a class and do all the same coursework/studying as if you were enrolled, you won't get a grade but you'll learn the same stuff. The grade is just a measuring stick of what you're getting out of the class, it's like a receipt. In contrast, you go to work for money. Social programs redestribute money not a measuring stick of how much money you got out of having worked. You don't collect up the receipts for all the cool stuff wealthy people are able to buy and give them to poor people, that'd be completely asinine. If the analogy was an announcement that there were plans to redistribute "learning" then it would at least sort of work, but that's nonsensical, this isn't The Matrix. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hwt 0 #17 July 8, 2011 Quote >not one of you makes any comment other than it is old ... It's also a stupid analogy. Grades aren't taxes, and academic success is not measured by income. It's like saying that the rich should pay way more in taxes than the poor because truck drivers use way more gas than small cars. >Well a little girl seems to understand how unfair it is, Ask a little girl whether a rich man or a poor man should pay more in taxes and get back to us. _____________________________________ One of the main points that the little girl mentioned that all of the progressives failed to see. The more you take, the less a person will be inclined to produce....At what percentage of a rich person's income should the progressives refrain from stealing any more ? Do you do as Hitler did and take it all ? We need a flat tax ... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 2,434 #18 July 8, 2011 >Ask a little girl (one that's good at math) - "If I make 100 dollars and >give $10 to charity, and if you make $10,,, then what's a fair amount for >you to give?" >how many will say $1 >how many will say some amount of any kind Probably a lot. Now tell the little girl "I gave $10 to charity; now give me $1 and I'll give it to the same charity" and she will probably screw up her face, think about it for a second - and then give you a reason that she just can't. And for a little girl that's probably a good decision. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 2,434 #19 July 8, 2011 >The more you take, the less a person will be inclined to produce... Agreed. And the 35% top tax rate we have today is far, far better than the 92% top tax rate we had in 1952. And yet even in 1952 we still had billionaires, oddly enough; clearly 92% is not enough to make people stop producing. Given that I think 35% is a pretty good number if you're in the top tax bracket. Increasing everyone's tax bracket across the board by, say, 5% would still leave even the very rich in a much better position than they were in 1952. >Do you do as Hitler That's like going straight to double dog dare. It's like you're not even trying; I'm hurt. Couldn't you start by comparing me to a serial killer or Saddam Hussein or something? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 1,648 #20 July 8, 2011 Quote>The more you take, the less a person will be inclined to produce... Agreed. And the 35% top tax rate we have today is far, far better than the 92% top tax rate we had in 1952. ? 35% ??? It's only 15% for some super wealthy fund managers... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rehmwa 2 #21 July 8, 2011 QuoteNow tell the little girl "I gave $10 to charity; now give me $1 and I'll give it to the same charity" and she will probably screw up her face, think about it for a second - and then give you a reason that she just can't. And for a little girl that's probably a good decision. I agree, but can't figure out how this one even remotely addresses the thread. ... Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 2,434 #22 July 8, 2011 >I agree, but can't figure out how this one even remotely addresses the thread. Just replying to your and HWT's "little girl" analogies. I agree, it's a metaphor that was stretched pretty thin from the beginning (which is the danger of such metaphors.) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rehmwa 2 #23 July 8, 2011 Don't lump me in with starting "Billvon's and HWT's" analogy. I came in 3rd, after you did. His was a snide comment. In your response, you were very much deceiving that little girl (more to a kid is amount, but we're talking percentages, not amounts). I think better of you than to deceive a poor helpless child.analogies are fun ... Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bolas 5 #24 July 8, 2011 QuoteQuoteI think my posting history makes it pretty clear where I stand on direct wealth redistribution and even I'll get in line to tell you this is a stupid analogy. To elaborate... the problem with the analogy is that you don't go to school to get grades, you go to school to get an education. If you were to audit a class and do all the same coursework/studying as if you were enrolled, you won't get a grade but you'll learn the same stuff. The grade is just a measuring stick of what you're getting out of the class, it's like a receipt. In contrast, you go to work for money. Social programs redestribute money not a measuring stick of how much money you got out of having worked. You don't collect up the receipts for all the cool stuff wealthy people are able to buy and give them to poor people, that'd be completely asinine. If the analogy was an announcement that there were plans to redistribute "learning" then it would at least sort of work, but that's nonsensical, this isn't The Matrix. Grades in themselves are not a finite resource. They are simply a measure of quality. If 100 people do a great job and get A's that has no impact on the grade's value. If 10 do a great job, 30 do average, 40 below average and 20 poor and they still all get A's the value of the grade is basically nullified.Stupidity if left untreated is self-correcting If ya can't be good, look good, if that fails, make 'em laugh. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 2,434 #25 July 8, 2011 >I think better of you than to deceive a poor helpless child. I hear Hitler did that all the time. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
