Will the federal government take over education?
Posted by Andrew Jackson University at 7/20/2009 
Categories: Education
Tags: Andrew Jackson University Apollo Group Freddie MAC Health Care Reform Obama Education Online Degrees University of Phoenix Don Kassner Fannie Mae George Orwell Educate America AIG General Motors Online Education Congress
Categories: Education
Tags: Andrew Jackson University Apollo Group Freddie MAC Health Care Reform Obama Education Online Degrees University of Phoenix Don Kassner Fannie Mae George Orwell Educate America AIG General Motors Online Education Congress
We live in strange times. Over the past year, the federal government has begun to take over many privately-run industries. First, we saw the takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which put the government in control of a large portion of the home mortgage industry. This was followed by the takeover of AIG, and the Fed running insurance, investment and 401(k) plans. After that, the government began its takeover of the investment and banking industry, followed by the their entry into the auto industry by taking over General Motors.
At this point, it should be clear the federal government is on a path to own and control a significant portion of U.S. economic activity. The latest effort is the current health care reform bill. Watch Don Kassner in Educate America to learn details of the plan to eliminate choice in health care insurance.
Click here to watch Educate America
Although health care is bad enough - what is next? With education considered to be one of the pillars of the president's economic plans, will we be facing a government takeover in education next? The Obama administration is already committed to a significant role in the community college system and is using that plan to eliminate private student loans. Could this be a blueprint to the eventual takeover of the entire post-secondary landscape? Will the government outlaw private education in the same way that it is looking to outlaw private health care insurance?
For those of you who think this is far fetched - keep in mind the huge endowment funds held by many of the top private institutions in the country. It is easy to see the government viewing those funds as part of the problem that has led to the high cost of education. And what about private for-profit education? What will the government do as it looks at Apollo Group - with revenues over $3.5 billion and profits approaching $1 billion? Small peanuts in comparison to the amount of endowment funds that exist at the major universities, but easy pickings for a government that believes that large for-profit sectors that serve the public good should not exist.
Times are changing - for more proof, everyone should re-read George Orwell's Animal Farm - the similarities are striking.
And then, go back and re-read paragraph two of the Declaration of Independence. Is this what the Founding Fathers had in mind?
No they will not. There a new global initiative being targeted at India and China to flatten global education using media 3.0 solution. The eSingularity Initiative will be one of the biggest disruptive changes to effect global education. for more information go to http://bit.ly/HqOqW
Reply to this
What makes a country powerful is not its arms but its own people. Two area's any strong government should provide its people to excel and exceed above others, Health and Education. Why did it take the US government this long to begin the discussion of affordable higher education and health insurance?
Foreign student can afford to study at the best universities we have, when our kids can't afford it and their parents don't have the means to help them. Then we complain of why non US citizens are taking the higher paying jobs in and out of USA. We all know that to have skilled workers we need to provide them with affordable education and training. Can some one tell me what is the mean of college education tuition for the undergrad these days, in a four years university?
If all of you have money saved for your children to attend a four years college in one of the best schools in USA, without graduating with a large some of students loans, with at least an 8% fixed interest rate, I don't, and many other parents I know of are in the same situation as mine.
Yes, it is time to act by supporting a health and education systems reform.
Reply to this
To characterize the US government's recent involvement with banking and auto companies as a "take-over" is inaccurate. Further, you seem to forget the government's original relationship with Freddy Mac and Fannie Mae, which began decades ago.
You claim Obama's administration is "looking to outlaw private health care insurance." I'm not sure where you get that impression. Neither of the health care bills in the House and the Senate would make private insurance business an illegal activity.
Your argument, as far as I can tell, is this: The government is involved in some influential way in three very big, for-profit industries (banking, autos, health care), and therefore this is proof that the Obama administration seeks to eliminate the private sector from these and other large for-profit industries. While the government does hold a majority stake in several companies, it has not eliminated the private sector from any industry. Like you, I'm unhappy to be an unwilling owner of GM stock, but I'm pleased that this has allowed them to reorganize. Now, at least, there's the possibility that GM will take the stock off of taxpayers hands. We may even make a profit.
We haven't seen any hard evidence that the Obama administration plans to "take over" the major industries. Such doomsday speculation is unreasonable, unhelpful, and counterproductive.
Reply to this
Privatizing "health care is bad enough?"
I'd love to tell you 'bite me,' but I'm too worried about the cost of the tetanus shot.
Reply to this