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That would be more convincing if universities promoted more social mobility. Legolas Send a noteboard - 13/05/2010 12:11:37 AM
Well, taxes are progressive, so it's more like a transfer of wealth from rich to future middle class.

But the thing is, they don't do that so much. It's a sad but incontrovertible fact that the education level attained by your parents still is a very good predictor for the education level you will attain, in Belgium. Despite the cheapness of university studies, children of the working class are still somehow deterred from going to university. They're not necessarily poorer for that, as some jobs that require only lower tertiary education or even no tertiary education at all will make you more money than some university-degree jobs, but still.

Taxes are progressive, and more so in Belgium than in the US I'm sure (not sure about Britain, you're British I think?), but still most of the working class, both the richer and poorer people in it, pays fortunes in taxes to fund universities that their children aren't going to. Obviously the university graduates pay those taxes too, but since a good part is paid by those others, it still amounts to a net transfer to them or more accurately their children.
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So the list of countries using the euro will grow longer, not shorter... Estonia to join in 2011 - 12/05/2010 10:51:37 PM 1013 Views
Sounds like a winner - 12/05/2010 11:07:38 PM 633 Views
You Americans should like Estonia - they're rather neoliberal that way. - 12/05/2010 11:18:30 PM 830 Views
Apparently we do - 13/05/2010 05:34:41 PM 676 Views
I liked the remark one Estonian bankofficial made - 12/05/2010 11:38:26 PM 588 Views
Re: I liked the remark one Estonian bankofficial made - 12/05/2010 11:42:37 PM 660 Views
I stand corrected than - 12/05/2010 11:45:33 PM 545 Views
I do sometimes wish more Belgians would understand that. - 12/05/2010 11:52:41 PM 528 Views
Re: I do sometimes wish more Belgians would understand that. - 13/05/2010 12:05:03 AM 537 Views
That would be more convincing if universities promoted more social mobility. - 13/05/2010 12:11:37 AM 657 Views
Social attitudes take a very long time to change. - 13/05/2010 12:28:09 AM 680 Views
We have need-based scholarships. We could extend them. - 13/05/2010 12:38:31 AM 562 Views
I guess it depends on exactly what the fees are. - 13/05/2010 11:06:37 AM 651 Views
They're low. Too low. - 13/05/2010 12:12:29 PM 673 Views
American universities do have entrance exams. Sort of. - 13/05/2010 02:17:13 PM 696 Views
Those are really too lame to count. - 13/05/2010 02:21:23 PM 711 Views
Re: Those are really too lame to count. - 13/05/2010 05:04:25 PM 724 Views
typically the more specialized programs require that - 13/05/2010 05:53:20 PM 628 Views
Re: Those are really too lame to count. - 13/05/2010 07:32:19 PM 719 Views
Like I indicated, I'm not suggesting it in the American system. - 13/05/2010 07:53:15 PM 712 Views
meh. Most degrees are useless anyway. - 13/05/2010 01:14:54 AM 553 Views
Come on. - 13/05/2010 10:13:29 AM 707 Views
You ever been to Estonia? If not, stop speaking. *NM* - 13/05/2010 10:29:17 AM 371 Views
your funny *NM* - 13/05/2010 02:01:06 PM 235 Views
Surely Sweden can say, or could have said, that they wouldn't join till they damn well felt like it? - 12/05/2010 11:39:57 PM 588 Views
Apparently Denmark only got the opt-out after rejecting the Maastricht treaty. - 12/05/2010 11:47:00 PM 621 Views
Good point: it seems to me no-one cares about being Belgian, only Flemish or Walloon . - 12/05/2010 11:51:27 PM 495 Views
It's slightly more subtle than that. - 13/05/2010 12:00:29 AM 654 Views
What do you think about this suggestion? - 13/05/2010 12:09:02 AM 642 Views
That has been suggested by many, yeah. - 13/05/2010 12:28:24 AM 652 Views
But before you make a decision like that... - 13/05/2010 08:36:07 AM 653 Views
We have a Flemish government, though. - 13/05/2010 12:22:57 PM 677 Views
There is one answer to most of those questions - 12/05/2010 11:49:46 PM 524 Views
I love that the rest of you have the euro. - 12/05/2010 11:53:10 PM 505 Views
*waits for the Pound to drop and the UK begging for the euro* *NM* - 12/05/2010 11:56:25 PM 308 Views
That would be the worst time to do it. - 13/05/2010 12:05:32 AM 616 Views
Well... that is true. But your exports would be really high. - 13/05/2010 12:11:50 AM 560 Views
Also the best time. - 13/05/2010 12:11:53 AM 607 Views
I WIN *NM* - 13/05/2010 12:12:51 AM 242 Views
Bah *NM* - 13/05/2010 12:18:48 AM 207 Views
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times... *NM* - 13/05/2010 12:19:32 AM 200 Views
There is a small problem with that... - 13/05/2010 10:21:44 AM 518 Views
I found the wikipedia article. - 13/05/2010 10:53:00 AM 704 Views
WOW WHEN DID THE UK CHANGE THEIR COINS - 13/05/2010 12:10:41 AM 610 Views
2008, apparently. Though I don't think we actually saw them until 2009. - 13/05/2010 12:17:46 AM 630 Views
I used to use a ten-pound note to inhale...things. - 13/05/2010 05:54:09 AM 566 Views
You have a thing for Charles Darwin? - 13/05/2010 10:45:14 AM 516 Views
From "Mean Mr. Mustard" - "keeps a ten-bob note up his nose...such a mean old man..." - 13/05/2010 02:36:34 PM 543 Views
In that case I'm going to have to disappoint you. - 13/05/2010 02:54:04 PM 683 Views
I knew that, but I had limited options. - 13/05/2010 03:15:07 PM 656 Views
You could try a €500 note. - 13/05/2010 03:18:11 PM 552 Views
In other news, the sky is blue. - 13/05/2010 03:33:25 PM 583 Views
I seem to remember reading something in 2002 about Germans paying their monthly rent in cash. - 13/05/2010 03:43:35 PM 649 Views
Hm. Possible. - 13/05/2010 03:50:31 PM 531 Views
Re: In other news, the sky is blue. - 13/05/2010 07:45:06 PM 661 Views
Sheesh...I was just using, not dealing. - 13/05/2010 03:47:05 PM 546 Views
The thrill of decadence? *NM* - 13/05/2010 03:51:21 PM 239 Views
Ooh...I'm sure THAT will shore up the eurozone... *laughs* - 13/05/2010 05:51:12 AM 602 Views
Agreed - 13/05/2010 12:20:12 PM 580 Views
Nobody said it would. - 13/05/2010 12:34:27 PM 579 Views
You know what will save the eurozone ? - 13/05/2010 04:55:06 PM 568 Views
You're a little ray of sunshine, aren't you? *NM* - 13/05/2010 05:10:48 PM 224 Views
Hey man, I don't want Europe to be the next Japan - 13/05/2010 05:42:26 PM 574 Views

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