• 9 Posts
  • 347 Comments
Joined 3 years ago
cake
Cake day: July 26th, 2023

help-circle


  • Well, I don’t recall where I heard it. So it may not be true. That said, I have heard talk that some people think adhd is just another form of autism.
    The reality is they really don’t know a lot about what causes any of them. So maybe they are putting them all in the same bucket because for all they know, they could all be caused by the same thing. Dunno. I still bet it has something to do with money. Everything always seems to.





  • There are two parts. First, they aren’t as underpaid as most people think in most cases. The union isn’t dumb. When they negotiate they look at the long term. A career teacher (30 to 35 years) can retire at about 55 give or take depending on the district. And they will get something like 80% of thier salary for the rest of thier life. They will also get subsidized health insurance. And in some states, all of that is tax free. That is a ton of money and a ton of security. And for many, they can retire, collect pension, and go get another job at the same time if they want. I make more than double what teachers make best case, and my wife works too for a 6 figure salary. I can’t possibly retire at 55, let alone feel secure doing so. I also have been laid off twice over the last 30 years, where as most teacher don’t have to worry about that after 10 years. Now, I get to take vacation anytime of the year, I can change jobs or move and not mess up my future benefits. I don’t have to deal with parents. Lots of intangible benefits to not being a teacher. But the point is the union ensures those less obvious benefits, which keeps the current salary low. This keeps the optics of drastically underpaid teachers so that the union can still negotiate for more with public sentiment on thier side. So while they are still underpaid, it isn’t as drastic as it would appear.

    The other reason is simple. There are a lot of teachers. Like a lot a lot. And schools are generally built to a higher standard of saftey, so they are much more expensive than other building types. All of this adds up to a very high cost. Education is typically one of the largest expenditures for a state budget. Poloticians could dump more money into it, but it isn’t likely to be enough to make a difference that will get them reelected. So they put money other places that will get them votes.

    That’s your reasons why.











  • Well, as you say. If you don’t pay your taxes, they will put you in jail. So you do have the free will to choose. You could of course also move to a country with a less interventionist military so that your taxes aren’t paying for it. In the US, kids from poor neighborhoods have very few job options. We don’t have good public transit, so they can only go so far for a job. Moving is usually out of the question expensewise because they are living with their parents already.
    For many who end up in combat roles, it is often a choice between making a living via crime or the military. At least with the military they have a decent chance to become a productive citizen after a few years. So it is the better of two bad options. Others are just not too bright. They have no idea how the military is used. They just hear the words of a sweet talking recruiter telling them how good a person they will be for signing up. It’s hard to blame them for being dumb.

    I am not saying noone in the military is a bad person. But I am saying that not all are. The US military has like a 50% resign rate. You could say the ones that sign up for a second tour are choosing of thier own free will, with thier eyes open. That I will agree to.


  • Hm, the percent of drug dealers and mobsters that don’t have an active combat like role is very very low. But the military has people like doctors and nurses among other very much non combat roles. So it isn’t really a fair comparison. And some people join the military to avoid becoming a drug dealer or mobster. It’s a step up, mostly because it is legal. And for some, they do one tour and then become productive members of society. That happens far less with drug dealers and mobsters. So at least give them the respect for choosing not to become a drug dealer or mobster.


  • I don’t know much about the SA. But my understanding was that the SS required a person to be pretty fanatical. So that is a little different than just joining the regular army to be a cook or something. It really would be more of a person by person determination, than a sweeping generalization of everyone who joined the military. There were and are certainly plenty of people who join looking to become murderers and such. But in todays military, that percentage is a lot lower then back there. There is just a lot more jobs that lead to a better career, and are often the only way many people can get to that stable life. This is of course one of the reasons they don’t want college to be free. It’s thier hook for a lot of people.


  • Um… If they really had a choice, the vast majority would not join the military. There are exceptions of course. But most feel they have no other options. Just like technically you don’t have to pay your taxes (you can file a form to have nothing withheld from your paycheck). But it is the best choice if you want to make a living. So still, very much valid.