Which would benefit your nation more....

[Bozo Erectus]

...A ten year program to develop a new type of nuclear bomb, which will cost $400 billion, or taking that $400 billion, and using it to pay for a ten year program to provide a free college education to the nations poorest citizens?

 

[ComradeDavo]

Easy choice - Education! Why bother building nuclear weapons that will never be used (and if tehy did we'd all die anyways) when you can educate your citizens and thus improve peoples standards of life and further human knowledge!

 

[HannibalBarka]

Educating your people will ultimutly give you the bomb some decade later if you still want it ;-)

 

[Kal'thzar]

Education, You can make the next step up on the weapon chain, "Weapon of Global Destruction", or WGB's for short.

Seriously though, education had a wide range of applications, especially to a college level, whilst a nuke has a limited number of applications.

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

My country has more nuclear weapons than we can use, anyways. I think having a few as a deterrent can be useful as long as you have strict procedures in place and they are a last resort. On the other hand, to fix education here requires a heck of a lot more than just money to send poor students to college. I think we need an overhaul worse than more money.

 

[ybbor]

It's not like my country has a shortage of nuclear bombs

edit: x-post

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

Education, one cannot understate the value of an educated populace, with brains you can do so much more long term than you can with a nuke.

BTW, is this in reference to any *particular* State?

 

[Elrohir]

Assuming we're talking about America here, and we already have a couple thousand nukes capable of turning any country on the Earth into a radioactive parking lot? I wouldn't use it for nukes, but I wouldn't pay for people's college education either. I'd either give it back to the taxpayers as a rebate, or use it to elsewhere; I don't think giving people a free ride is the right way to go.

 

[Corlindale]

In Denmark we already have free college education for the poor, but I still don't think the nukes would benefit us much.
For other countries I would definately choose the free education. It's a great tool to increase social mobility in society.

 

[Turner]

Education will ultimately give the greater payback. Unless they all leave the country for greener pastures.

 

[Elrohir]

In Denmark we already have free college education for the poor, but I still don't think the nukes would benefit us much.
For other countries I would definately choose the free education. It's a great tool to increase social mobility in society.

Just for the poor, not the rich or moderately well off?

 

[Corlindale]

Just for the poor, not the rich or moderately well off?

For everyone, herein including the poor.

 

[Bozo Erectus]

BTW, is this in reference to any *particular* State?

Not at all, but of course as an American, its the situation here which prompted me to make the thread. This question really involves every government in the world. I believe that especially in the 'Information Age', a first class education provided to all citizens, regardless of their ability to pay, is the first line of defense for all nations, everywhere.

I wouldn't use it for nukes, but I wouldn't pay for people's college education either.

Why not? When you think of all the things that government pays for (with taxpayer dollars), why dont you feel education is important enough for government to guarantee for all its people?

 

[Bozo Erectus]

Education will ultimately give the greater payback. Unless they all leave the country for greener pastures.

The more educated the people, the greener the pasture here at home, and the less reasons for them to leave. Education is like fertilzer

 

[tomsnowman123]

There is no need to see a stronger military, nuclear bombs, etc. Education is the obvious choice between the three.

And who voted for the "...lamentation of women"? That doesn't seem like a very good goal to me.

 

[Turner]

The more educated the people, the greener the pasture here at home, and the less reasons for them to leave. Education is like fertilzer

Hopefully, yes!

 

[Elrohir]

For everyone, herein including the poor.

Ah, ok, good. I was going to say, it's pretty cheap to give free education to some people, but not others.

Why not? When you think of all the things that government pays for (with taxpayer dollars), why dont you feel education is important enough for government to guarantee for all its people?

It's not that education isn't important - it's that it's not the government's business paying for it. (At least above the High School level) As it is, I think the government taxes way too much to pay for way too much. Let the people deal with their own problems, and leave them alone. Keep the borders secure, crime down, and the currency from becoming inflated, and leave the rest to us. The government really needs to stop meddling in private affairs.

 

[azzaman333]

$400 billion that i can use to buy a couple of small countries, exploit the workers, get them to make me a nuclear weapon and if they succeed i will give them free education. Of ccourse, if they make the nuke and kill me, no eductaion.

 

[Bozo Erectus]

It's not that education isn't important - it's that it's not the government's business paying for it.

Why isnt it? Shouldnt it be?

(At least above the High School level) As it is, I think the government taxes way too much to pay for way too much. Let the people deal with their own problems, and leave them alone.

Arent the peoples problems the governments problems? One would think, particularly in a democratic system.

Keep the borders secure, crime down, and the currency from becoming inflated, and leave the rest to us. The government really needs to stop meddling in private affairs.

IMO, the best way to keep the borders secure, reduce the level of crime, and to protect the currency, is to educate the people.

 

[Desmond Hawkins]

Well, I voted for Conan, but education is probably the best.