There are thousands upon thousands upon thousands of scholarly articles which argue your point, and it feels like thousands which disagree. I think the debate has moved on to exactly what you can't specifically name: the quantifiable "line" which would be crossed and trigger international intervention.

If you can come up with that line, you're the biggest hero in the world.

Posted at May 16, 2008 3:25 PM in response to Humanitarian "Warfare"

Hillary chose New York because it has arguably the biggest media market in the world. When a whole mess of different type of people vote for you, you look representative.

I'm from Evanston, IL, and I'm damn glad Hillary didn't come back home. She hasn't been in IL since pre-college, it's not really her home. Barack actually came to communities in Chicago and worked. I'm going to chalk this one up as "Huge-sigh-of-relief-after-considering-what-could-have-been"

Posted at May 15, 2008 4:29 PM in response to Senator Clinton Representing the Great State of Illinois

Having no personal contact with the UK secondary education system, I'll take your word for it.

And however much I think your proposals make rational sense, I don't see you being able to make a convincing practical argument, especially in a nation where education will at best rise to be the third most important topic of discussion, following international conflict/terror and microeconomics.

I mean, we already have programs, especially from grad schools, where you win a grant for your unpaid internship if you agree to apply and interview for certain schools (assuming you're meeting their criteria with your schoolwork and course load), which as a college student myself is a pretty sweet offer for a couple hours of paperwork at most.

The US privatized secondary school system also very plainly sets kids up to either mature or drop out, which certainly isn't a socially popular or even relativistic-morally correct opinion, but if you can cut it academically, there are ways to make your financial burdens much easier through pursuit of scholarship grants from companies and government agencies outside of student loans.

Not to mention that we've got this odd obsession that people HAVE to go to college for FOUR years DIRECTLY after high school. I took my first semester off, and it helped immensely, and I'm going to take 4.5 years worth of classes, and that's helping as well. Sure, some schools charge by semester, but that kind of pace is good for someone who's being charged class-by-class.

Also, I'm missing the part where you're assuming you can't work and go to school at the same time, another very odd bias. I am, have been, and will be working my forty hours a week while still taking my 16 credit hours of school per semester, and I'm doing this without any parental assistance financially.

And while I'm not saying "Oh, I can do it, everybody should do that" my existence and by the very fact that I can do what I'm doing, people will not come around to find practical solutions when they already exist in some form. Finding a way to make life easier for students is commendable, but the question is, are there specific improvements you'd recommend which actually address the issues you outlined which aren't already addressed by somebody like me? I see that as the only way to win that argument and have a persuasive, convincing front.

Posted at May 13, 2008 4:29 PM in response to American and British University Systems Compared.

Somebody should ask if it's possible to add on a positive/negative rating rather than just "Recommend", something along the lines of maybe a star system or a thumbs up/down like urbandictionary, because this is insanity.

Posted at May 9, 2008 11:58 AM in response to What the hell is wrong with you people?

Go Opus.

And also, what happened to the idea that if you don't like TPMCafe today, go away, read something else? If you can't positively contribute, passively ignoring it is much more conducive to improvement than complaining about it.

Posted at May 8, 2008 3:14 PM in response to Insufferably Dull: The New TPMCafe

Wait, why is anyone recommending this post? What did you learn here? You heard someone list a complaint with no alternative solution. Just because you agree with the complaint DOESN'T make this a good post. If you agree with the complaint, go make a better post, fill up the Cafe with intelligent posts on the topic, don't bitch because other people aren't saying things you want to hear or taking things the way you want them to take it.

Posted at May 8, 2008 3:12 PM in response to What the hell is wrong with you people?

Swim.

Posted at May 6, 2008 3:43 PM in response to FBI Raids Home, Office of Office of Special Counsel

Henry Abbott. Whoops.

Posted at April 16, 2008 9:52 AM in response to Missed This

Speaking as one of the people who has only known and appreciated this site for a short time, help us out. What can we do (or what can I do individually) to get back to what you're talking about?

Posted at April 3, 2008 2:44 PM in response to Blogs Are Common---Conversation Is Not

I'd like to point out that Bill Richardson also had the audacity to promote HIMSELF for the Presidential nomination. The nerve of this guy, I mean, if he said he could win it earlier this year, then how come he's not endorsing himself anymore? What a jerk.

Posted at April 3, 2008 12:45 PM in response to This Richardson Nonsense.