Comments on: Everyone Is A Special Interest Group http://thesophist.wordpress.com/2008/04/22/everyone-is-a-special-interest-group/ Arguments for Enlightenment's Sake Sun, 17 May 2009 10:44:08 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: sethandray http://thesophist.wordpress.com/2008/04/22/everyone-is-a-special-interest-group/#comment-202 sethandray Mon, 28 Apr 2008 22:06:50 +0000 http://thesophist.wordpress.com/?p=178#comment-202 I was trying to make the point that it is short sighted to ignore the cost of a college education when considering the future of this nation. If it isn't affordable, you won't have to worry about the American economy because there will be no economists. You won't have to worry about our military problem either because the military will be a first option for many more young people than it is now, and we'll have enough soldiers for a quest of world domination. As for appealling to selfish interest... each individual is a special interest group by themself. A bunch of individuals migrate together to achieve a common goal, and you will find they have the same interests as well. College students care about affording their education. Find me one who doesn't, I'll find you 100 who do. That the letter appealed to these thousands of students is logical and strategic. How can you find fault in that? I was trying to make the point that it is short sighted to ignore the cost of a college education when considering the future of this nation. If it isn’t affordable, you won’t have to worry about the American economy because there will be no economists. You won’t have to worry about our military problem either because the military will be a first option for many more young people than it is now, and we’ll have enough soldiers for a quest of world domination.

As for appealling to selfish interest… each individual is a special interest group by themself. A bunch of individuals migrate together to achieve a common goal, and you will find they have the same interests as well. College students care about affording their education. Find me one who doesn’t, I’ll find you 100 who do. That the letter appealed to these thousands of students is logical and strategic. How can you find fault in that?

]]> By: TheSophist http://thesophist.wordpress.com/2008/04/22/everyone-is-a-special-interest-group/#comment-194 TheSophist Wed, 23 Apr 2008 20:44:01 +0000 http://thesophist.wordpress.com/?p=178#comment-194 sethandray, With all due respect, I'm not sure that you even see the problem. I have no issue with the fact that you and students at Temple, UPenn or wherever want to encourage activism in college students. I take issue with the fact that you guys appealed to the most selfish interests possible and essentially defined 'college students' as a special interest group. If you and the others used opposition to the War in Iraq as the issue to generate activism, I don't have as big a problem with this. And you should know by now that I oppose your perspective on Iraq quite vigorously. But at least that's an issue of importance to everyone. Cost of college may be ever-increasing, but are you seriously suggesting that this is the most important and pressing issue facing Americans today? Basically, what your group has said is, "We really don't care what his positions on other things are, as long as Barack gets us the gubmint booty." Special interest groups erode democracy, erode responsibility, and erode community. And college students -- especially college students at elite universities -- won't be college students in a couple of years. Rather than thinking of yourselves as Americans first with American interests to discuss and get active on, you chose to latch on to plundering the treasury as much as possible. That is both shortsighted and despicable. -TS sethandray,

With all due respect, I’m not sure that you even see the problem. I have no issue with the fact that you and students at Temple, UPenn or wherever want to encourage activism in college students.

I take issue with the fact that you guys appealed to the most selfish interests possible and essentially defined ‘college students’ as a special interest group.

If you and the others used opposition to the War in Iraq as the issue to generate activism, I don’t have as big a problem with this. And you should know by now that I oppose your perspective on Iraq quite vigorously. But at least that’s an issue of importance to everyone.

Cost of college may be ever-increasing, but are you seriously suggesting that this is the most important and pressing issue facing Americans today?

Basically, what your group has said is, “We really don’t care what his positions on other things are, as long as Barack gets us the gubmint booty.”

Special interest groups erode democracy, erode responsibility, and erode community. And college students — especially college students at elite universities — won’t be college students in a couple of years. Rather than thinking of yourselves as Americans first with American interests to discuss and get active on, you chose to latch on to plundering the treasury as much as possible.

That is both shortsighted and despicable.

-TS

]]> By: The Red Pill http://thesophist.wordpress.com/2008/04/22/everyone-is-a-special-interest-group/#comment-193 The Red Pill Tue, 22 Apr 2008 21:36:31 +0000 http://thesophist.wordpress.com/?p=178#comment-193 This looks like it was taken right out of Michelle Obama's thesis paper. I guess we'd better get used to it.... This looks like it was taken right out of Michelle Obama’s thesis paper.

I guess we’d better get used to it….

]]> By: sethandray http://thesophist.wordpress.com/2008/04/22/everyone-is-a-special-interest-group/#comment-192 sethandray Tue, 22 Apr 2008 20:45:05 +0000 http://thesophist.wordpress.com/?p=178#comment-192 As a Temple grad and a friend of the current student body prez there, I fully support the letter and efforts of this group. Their underlying effort and goal is to encourage activism among a group of people who tend to exclude themselves and be excluded from the process. I personally was a part of efforts to get students to vote in large amounts and ending the apathy we saw on the campus. The cost of a quality college education is ever-increasing, and a college educated population is that which this country needs the most to excel in the world. We should all encourage the government to do whatever it can to make college a bit more affordable instead of tearing down those who speak up. http://sethandray.wordpress.com As a Temple grad and a friend of the current student body prez there, I fully support the letter and efforts of this group. Their underlying effort and goal is to encourage activism among a group of people who tend to exclude themselves and be excluded from the process. I personally was a part of efforts to get students to vote in large amounts and ending the apathy we saw on the campus.

The cost of a quality college education is ever-increasing, and a college educated population is that which this country needs the most to excel in the world. We should all encourage the government to do whatever it can to make college a bit more affordable instead of tearing down those who speak up.
http://sethandray.wordpress.com

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