>Or if someone in your family got sick would you have to worry about losing your house or going bankrupt?
When in history has this not been a problem for Americans?
>Did you ever witness an attack on your country's largest city on live TV while sitting in a classroom with no idea why someone would do this?
Fortunately, no -- but, the current US military is all volunteer. Previously, in Vietnam, we had a draft. None of your friends were sent against their will. They all volunteered.
>Did you have to take out large amount of debt as soon as you reached adult age to go to college in hopes that you chose the right major so that you could have some hope of paying that back before the interest started compounding against you?
Neither did you. As many HNers know, you could simply learn programming and get a job without spending a dime on college. You could also have attended a vocational school, and become a plumber, electrician, carpenter, HVAC technician, medical/dental assistant, administrative assistant, computer/network technician, hospitality manager.... Most school districts in the US have taxpayer funded vocational schools. You wouldn't even have had to call a 1-800 number. The government already sorted this out for you. And, if you were an at-risk youth, we even have a program called Job Corps that takes you until the age of 25, and gives you a place to sleep, small stipend, feeds you, and gives you job training.
But no. People want the glamorous jobs. No one wants to just do the necessary labor to support society.
It's too bad if you wanted to be a poet and had your dreams crushed, you probably didn't foot the bill for it in the first place. Federal/state pell grants, and subsidized loans, paid for by working Americans probably paid for it. And if it didn't, it's likely that you came from a rich enough family that they should have paid. It is not society's responsibility to ensure that you have an equal opportunity to become the next Shakespeare.
> When in history has this not been a problem for Americans?
When unions gave you good health insurance and a trip to the ER didn't cost a years salary.
>You could also have attended a vocational school, and become a plumber, electrician, carpenter, HVAC technician, medical/dental assistant, administrative assistant, hospitality manager...
Housing bubble burst all those jobs are worthless these days. Medical field is also swamped with entry level workers. I know this because I have friends that have done all of these things and yes all of them require school unless your dad owns the company.
> Most school districts in the US have taxpayer funded vocational schools. You wouldn't even have had to call a 1-800 number.
Community college used to be free and UC schools were $100 a year. Now UC schools are 30k a year and CC is definitely not free.
> It is not society's responsibility to ensure that you have an equal opportunity to become the next Shakespeare.
Who the hell is talking about being the next Shakespeare? Unless you are comfortable staring at a computer all day, which even though we do should not be that shocking that most humans aren't, it really is very very difficult to find a good paying job right now even with college or even in the medical industry. Maybe not in Silicon Valley but in most of the country it is tough times.
When in history has this not been a problem for Americans?
>Did you ever witness an attack on your country's largest city on live TV while sitting in a classroom with no idea why someone would do this?
Fortunately, no -- but, the current US military is all volunteer. Previously, in Vietnam, we had a draft. None of your friends were sent against their will. They all volunteered.
>Did you have to take out large amount of debt as soon as you reached adult age to go to college in hopes that you chose the right major so that you could have some hope of paying that back before the interest started compounding against you?
Neither did you. As many HNers know, you could simply learn programming and get a job without spending a dime on college. You could also have attended a vocational school, and become a plumber, electrician, carpenter, HVAC technician, medical/dental assistant, administrative assistant, computer/network technician, hospitality manager.... Most school districts in the US have taxpayer funded vocational schools. You wouldn't even have had to call a 1-800 number. The government already sorted this out for you. And, if you were an at-risk youth, we even have a program called Job Corps that takes you until the age of 25, and gives you a place to sleep, small stipend, feeds you, and gives you job training.
But no. People want the glamorous jobs. No one wants to just do the necessary labor to support society.
It's too bad if you wanted to be a poet and had your dreams crushed, you probably didn't foot the bill for it in the first place. Federal/state pell grants, and subsidized loans, paid for by working Americans probably paid for it. And if it didn't, it's likely that you came from a rich enough family that they should have paid. It is not society's responsibility to ensure that you have an equal opportunity to become the next Shakespeare.
First world problems.