This is a fairly long post, so I'll get started immediately.

Just a bit of background knowledge.

• In Australia, there's this thing called TAFE (Technical and Further Education). It's pretty much just school for more practical jobs or the jobs "tradies" do. Plumbers, electricians, that sort of stuff.
  
• There has been some cuts as to the funding of these institutions. Now, I don't know the whole story and I'm not going to pretend I do. I'm not a taxpayer (and I doubt I will be, unless I gain citizenship) and TAFE doesn't affect me too much. I'm not planning on going to TAFE nor do I call tradesman, as I have a builder friend. So, don't trust me on too much of the issue.
  

Now, me and my friend (who isn't anything like a best friend, but still a good friend) were playing some Tekkit. Anyways, we got to talking about what we're going to do after school (I know we're good friends, and this is like introduction content, but it's not something we have discussed[by we, I mean him and me(go English tricks!)]).

Anyways, he said he isn't really decided, but his brother is going to TAFE and that might affect his decision, based on what his brother thinks of TAFE. And then I mention the recent TAFE cuts, which,to my surprise, he says he agrees with. I was a bit confused. I mean his brother was going to TAFE.

So, I asked him why does he support the cuts if, you know, his brother is going? He then says, in times of economic hardship, we have to make sacrifices and cutting education was one of the them. Then I asked him "You mean just TAFE right? And not like public schools or anything like that, right?"

He actually said he'd cut public funding for schools.

And I didn't like that answer. Not one bit.

See, I didn't like cutting funding for TAFE. I mean, even if I'm not going to TAFE, I don't want to have some shabby wiring.

But I was even more annoyed when he said he'd cut education in general.

Now, I understand his way of thinking. We need to make sacrifices, especially when undergoing time of trouble. But I don't think cutting education is one of those sacrifices, we have to make just yet.

Now, you may say that I'm a bit biased. You know, cause I love school and I love learning, I may just want to keep schools to keep indulging me with facts. Which is true, but there's a more social and economic point here.

I have two views on school. It is a place to better one's understanding of the world and it is an investment by society.

See, by cutting public education, we're cutting the amount of future taxpayers and future voters who are scientifically literate, or at least, have the ability to think critically. We need those people. As a society, they are vital. And school gives us those people, or at least it tries to. It makes people better than who they already are, by giving them knowledge. Knowledge of physical world. Knowledge of the abstract. It inspires creativity (no matter what that one graffiti "artist" might say). It makes a person better. Not sure if schools are doing that now, but if done properly, it most certainly can.

Another thing. School is an investment, by the community. It's them saying "Hey! I believe you have potential. Potential to make this world a better place. And more specifically, me. So I'm going to put some money into you, so as to release that potential!" See, there are people in school, at this very moment, who are going to be great. They are going to do amazing things and they are going to change this world. And society recognizes that. They recognize that we can help them, if we are nurtured. We are the ones who are going to be presidents and inventors and business owners. And they don't want us to fuck that up.

So, back to my little story. I was talking to my friend about what else he'd cut. Among things like medicare (which is stupid), he said he would cut science funding. Not all science funding though, just ones that won't help us in the future. Which is even more stupid. Now, to be fair, it wasn't the first thing that popped into his head. I had to ask him, but he didn't think about his reply. It was almost instant.

Now, I have two problems with this.

It is incredibly shortsighted to say, that knowing won't help us ever. That's just dumb. Even if it doesn't help us directly, it could always help the understanding of other subjects, which could immensely help us. A classic example would be the mathematics of knots. You know what's it doing know? Helping us unravel (get it?) the mysteries of knots in proteins.

But that's not the bigger problem I have. It's that he thinks science is about helping humanity. Which I don't agree with. It certainly does help. Not saying that it doesn't. But I don't think it's a primary focus of science. Mostly because I think that science doesn't have a goal. I think science is about finding more about universe, in which we occupy. And even beyond that, if you are inclined to think other universes exist.

Now, while my second point doesn't really carry all that much weight in times of economic hardships, my first point certainly does, and if you want to have a culture that's stagnant as the ponds in which mosquitoes grow, make sure to tell me in advance, so I can get the fuck out of there.

Anyways, I have a few more things to get off my chest, but it's unlikely you would want to read more. One can assume 4000 characters would be enough for the time being.

Well, good night ya'll. And if you want to correct me on anything, please do. And if you're offended, who'd have guessed you'd be offended on the internet, eh?