Synthesis

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Pedro Rico
Jamie McBeth-Smith
ENG 1010
04/10/16
The Issue of Education
As many know, we are at a critical time in rethinking our political system. Bernie Sanders now
demanding that access to education is a right and not a privilege is starting to turn the gears in
the minds of many Americans who have been struggling under the fray of high cost, such as the
ridicules high interest rate of student loans; that debt is impeding on peoples right to pursue
happiness that others have been profiting off misery and it goes against a utilitarian way of life
when so few have so much and so many have so little. Bernie Sanders a democratic socialist
from Vermont, has entered the presidential race of 2016, his primary concern is the welfare of the
American citizens. He is concerned that our country has benefited large corporations that have
not paid their fair share in taxes that their hands have been involved in the political system for
too long. The same way our country regulates (by dividing) church and state is the same way he
wants to treat corporations; by removing them out of our political system so politicians cannot
benefit from big money, in which they can have an unbiased opinion when it comes to the
welfare of the people. There has been a lot of confusion and misinterpretation of socialism and
many Americans have a negative view of it. That it is a system that will take money from
working people and the inevitable fear is that youll run out of other peoples money. This
fearmongering has led to citizens being misinformed and stigmatized, separating ourselves from
the government by claiming that we are, far more free than any other country. On the contrary,
our country has several programs that are socialistic at its core, for example social security,

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public schools and etc. My main question is how do we start perpetuating the idea of free access
to higher education? And what are the issues that might arise?
Well some say that providing free access would lead to the decline of student success, due to the
easy access and availability. Andrew P. Kelly is the director of the Center on Higher Education
Reform and a resident scholar in education policy studies at American Enterprise. His biggest
concern is that allowing free access to higher education would hinder student success, by
allowing many students who arent prepared for college would lead to crowded schools and
underachievers. That if students are truly struggling to pay for school, that there is already money
allocated for low income, and middle class students that virtually pay for everything. And his
belief is that by allowing these underachievers to attend we would lose innovation and
motivation for those who want to receive a higher education, and that allowing free college
schools would have to start turning many away or start implementing a cap of how many
students can attend. However The American Enterprise which is a conservative think tank have a
lot invested in privatized schools and they specifically target low-income families with reforms
like school choice which gives families alternatives to publicly provided schools. Scholarships
tax credits, which allow individuals or corporations to receive tax credits toward their states
taxes in exchange for donations made to non-profit organizations that grant private school
sholarships.
This is precisely the problem in how we view education. The claims that there would be a
lack of motivation and innovation due to less competition is a farce, and it appeals to fear and
that cost is a way to weed out those who arent committed is a hasty generalization of a
population.

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In other worlds Bob Samuels claims that the biggest reason for dropout rates is due to cost, about
30% of Americans actually graduate from college or universities. Samuels (an author and the
president of the University Council) argues that higher public education should be free, and that
our government needs to focus less on funneling money into privatized schools and invest into
public education. That allowing accessing to education will increase and an educated workforce
and enrich a community. Samuels argues that these for profit schools that have low graduation
rates, which inevitably means, with our current system, people pay more, and as a result these
institutions produce fewer graduates.
I dont think anyone can argue that higher education isnt an essential tool for social
mobility, and because of the mentality of keeping education unaffordable it is at its all-time low.
With the rising cost it has become more of an inherited privilege, while the gap of uneducated
Americans grow larger. The opportunity for citizens to attend college is shrinking and the cost of
education is effecting lower-income Americans the hardest. Research (from the Hechinger
report) shows that Americas colleges and universities are quietly shifting the burden of their
big tuition increase onto low-income students, while many higher-income families are seeing
their college costs rise more slowly, or even fall. Which brings me to my next topic the problem
with the monetary system, Darius Moravcik a young entrepreneur interviewed two members of
the Venus Project, Jacque Fresco and Roxanne Meadow who propose a new way of life, free
from the constructs of the monetary system, politics, and wars. Declaring earth and all of its
resources the common heritage of all of the worlds people. Jacque claims that the most essential
thing to do now is to get rid of the monetary system, for it isnt capable of providing a high
standard of living for everyone and it cannot ensure the protection of our planet because the
motive behind the monetary system is profit. He suggest that we move towards a resource based

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economy, and utilize existing resources rather than money to provide an equitable method of
distribution in the most humane and efficient manner. It is a system in which all goods and
services are available to everyone without the use of money, credits, barter, or any other form of
debt or servitude.
His belief is that people dont need money, rather they need free access to their personal
needs, without stressing out about, financial security or having to appeal to a government
bureaucracy. And with a resource-based economy, money will become irrelevant.
Jacque is on the right track when he claims that money is the main culprit on
environmental policies and poverty affecting many around the world. However it doesnt give us
an immediate solution to affordable education, but keeping in mind that money is a mere a
construct and that it isnt an essential means to provide a good life, but rather we need free access
to personal needs. Keeping this value that humans require access to their personal needs, and that
we are hindering on their right to pursue happiness. We can now argue that education needs to be
affordable and accessible for everyone and anyone who wishes to enlighten themselves. Richard
Eskow, a writer, former Wall Street executive and radio journalist, says that, Social progress is
never a straightforward, linear process. Sometimes society struggles to recognize moral
questions that in retrospect should have seemed obvious. I believe that education is right for all
mankind and by denying them access to it by making it unaffordable you are impeding on that
right to pursuit happiness. We live in a society where money is the main culprit that infringes
human rights, how can we progress as a civilization let alone a nation if we continually put
money before the people.

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Yet some readers may challenge my view by insisting that Ive been avoiding the
question on how are we going to pay for this? well ultimately we would have to implement a
tax, not on the 99% but on the wealthiest members of our society.
For example Emily Foster a writer for the Campaign for Americas Future (CAF) which
is an American nonprofit progressive political advocacy organization. Foster reports from an
interview with Capital & Main that Robert Reich an economist (and former secretary of labor of
Bill Clinton) is calling for free higher public education and debt-free college. Reich believes that
reinventing education is one of many ways of saving the economy, for example, implementing
policies that stop endless testing, limit classroom size, increase federal funding and services,
have optional technical training, and increase teacher pay.
Reich believes there are various options that the government can provide a tuition free
college education for all Americans. For example Reich advocates for Sanders College for All
Act which would raise taxes on the wealthiest members of our society who have never been as
rich as they are now. Whose effective tax rates are extraordinarily low relative to what they were
10 years ago, 30 years ago, 50 years ago. . . Foster also explains that the organization
Opportunity to Learn campaign agrees with Reich and that, when appropriate investments are
paid for with well-structured tax increases they result in significant positive net impacts to a
states economy. The Opportunity to Learn Campaign has provided easy to read Fact Sheets
detailing exactly how to solve Americas education crisis; they give three ways to do so: first
one, is to implement a millionaires tax provision, which would be a 1 percent increase to tax
rates on incomes exceeding 500,000. . . . states would collectively raise around $8 billion in
additional annual revenue. As for the other two they include a progressive income tax
provisions, and sales tax provisions. Foster also mentions that Sanders has a similar tax plan

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known as the Robin Hood Tax, in which a Wall Street speculation fee could raise hundreds of
billions a year. Foster advocates that debt-free college should be the norm. it is in numerous
other countries across the world. And that higher education is one of the most powerful
indicators of sustain economic growth and reduction in poverty and inequality. To build our
middle class and boost our economy, it is necessary to provide young Americans with education
they deserve. I would have to agree with Robert Reich that this is a utilitarian issue, that the rich
should have a moral obligation of providing the most to future generations of this country by
paying their fair share in taxes.
In conclusion, while there is plenty of people who believe that education shouldnt be
free because it devalues degrees lessens motivation and innovation there are also plenty of other
people who believe that education isnt a means for profit but rather a way to enrich our
communities improve the quality of life. The monetary system has failed to feed the hungry,
educate the mind, shelter the poor and clothe the naked its time for us to move away from
money as a means for ones happiness, its time for us to fight for our rights to free access to our
personal needs, without the stress of, financial security or having to appeal to a government
bureaucracy. And that providing free access to education will allow those who cant afford it to
contribute back to society that our country could allow every mind the equal opportunity to
create a better life regardless of their social class; and the first step of achieving this goal is by
removing money out of our political system and usher in new people who arent interested in
making profit but rather interested in the development of our society.

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Work Cited
Eskow, Richard Free Higher Education is a Human Right. Campaign for Americas Future. 19
March, 2014. Web. 04/08/16
Kelly, P. Andrew. Tuition Is Not the Main Obstacle to Student Success. Educationnext.org.
Web. 04/10/16
Moravcik, Darius. What is the Venus Project? The Venus Project. 1 January, 2013.
Web. 04/08/16
Samuels, Bob. Why All Public Higher Education Should Be Free Huffingtonpost. 18
November, 2011. Web 18 January, 2012
Foster, Emily. Robert Reich Joins the Call for Debt-Free College. Ourfuture.org. 6/12/2015.
Web. 4/27/16
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_choice