• Empricorn@feddit.nl
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    6 months ago

    Okay, but unless healthcare workers, teachers, First Responders, construction workers, you, me, and everyone else is willing to work for free, it still has a cost, even if the government pays it. I agree that it should be a basic human right though…

    EDIT:

    Clarification: OP is asking for these things to be “free”. Free is if I start handing out hamburgers on the street, no strings attached. We already pay for these services, we pay the most of any country in the world, and we get worse results.

      • Empricorn@feddit.nl
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        6 months ago

        Taxes which… pay for all of those. Not sure why you have to jump to condescension, I’m not being obtuse. Things cost money, and we pay for it either way, that’s my only point.

        • okamiueru@lemmy.world
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          6 months ago

          But… Maybe I’m the one being obtuse here. What was your point? Even though you pay for it either way, the difference for how that works out with taxes or direct expenses is the whole point of taxes

          When someone says “college is free in most of Europe”. It’s wouldn’t be a counter argument to say “well, it’s not free is it, because its paid for with taxes”. The people who would (without it being “free”), need to pay for college themselves, are not in the position to possibly cover that cost (college funds are irrelevant). But, since a skilled labour force is important and a value to society, it should be covered by everyone.

    • Mighty@lemmy.world
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      6 months ago

      Why? What does the one thing have to do with the other? There’s always money for war, for bailing out banks, for lobbying… Thus there’s enough money for basic human needs to be met without me working for nothing. It’s a choice whom to give the money to.

      But I agree to a certain point: if I don’t need to pay rent, healthcare and education, I don’t need to slave away in jobs that I don’t want.