A few days ago, I had a reunion with my ex-coworkers, a good bunch of lads, over the course of the dinner the subject turned to public policy. To be precise the state of education.
In education I believe in parents being in the driver seat, and it being in a free market of choice, not the single option given by the state. I live in a socialist province, or in a form of French “dirigiste” mindset, this is the idea where people need to be imposed (nanny state) and decision made for them. I have strong opinions and I am not shy in expressing them. But unfortunately, I suffer from time to time when presented with the “but the poor” type of argument with the stairwell brain effect. This is the effect that after a debate or discussion, the correct answer comes to you after have left and are in the stairwell of the building. Thus, stairwell brain, delayed processing of an argument.
The discussion was on school choice and the education curriculum being dictated by the ministry of education (in Canada we have ministries not department, basically the same thing), specifically in the force multi-cultural values, cultural values being force fed to kids according to progressive value. My point was that this is the parents to teach these values, not the state, and that school should be teaching subjects (math, science, etc.). And school should be free to offer or not, different value perspective, for example, faith-based, secular, multicultural, or common western Judeo-Christian values, or none at all and leave it to the parent to decide. To my friend, that was not acceptable, because parents could choose badly. Namely a racist would teach his kids racist values. And the state should not permit choice because of that racist.
My proper answer to this argument came to me after I left the restaurant, namely people will still find ways to choose badly, it should always be their choice in choosing, because overall people will choose better and choose better than the experts at the ministry of education, who could have some of the negative elements he hates.Having choices makes for a better society.
My answer at the time was along those lines but muddle and not precise.
I always get caught occasionally by the “but the poor” type of argument, it is an anecdote that will always exist, and improving things should not be stopped by an anecdote. But unfortunately, the mindset here is to level to the lowest common denominator in any policy imposed by the state.