Bernie Sanders has promised free college education for Americans if he becomes president. While this sounds exciting, I just do not see this happening in America any time soon.
Do not get me wrong, free college would be great! If I could actually see it happening, I would be one hundred percent on board and excited for it.
It is an interesting proposal, but I do not believe that it will be a successful one.
And I am not bashing Bernie Sanders in any way, but I do not foresee his free college education plan coming to fruition. First, the way in which he intends to raise money to make college free has a very low chance of success.
Sanders intends to impose a tax on Wall Street Speculators. This seems like a good idea because, not only are you not a Wall Street Speculator, but a lot of blame for the economical crash years ago was put on them, so they should pay, right?
You might think you are safe from this tax, but you might not be. Sanders wants to focus on decreasing high-frequency trading, which is used by many trading firms. These trading firms are able to quote investors better prices to buy and sell stock. The tax could eventually lead to the loss of the high-frequency trading operations, resulting in higher costs for the investors.
And who are these investors? Every day people like me, you, and our parents. Higher costs for investors mean less people will buy stocks, which, once again, results in less spending and, therefore, less money to be put towards the cost for college. Another of Sanders’ points is that college is free, or extremely cheaper, in many other countries.
Sanders has especially focused on Germany’s college education system. But he overlooks the differences between the two countries that lead the education plan to work in one country but not the other.
Germany does not rely as heavily on obtaining college degrees as America does. Instead, Germany still has in place a vocational system of education that America pretty much eliminated a long time ago.
In Germany, people usually forgo college and take part in apprenticeships instead. These apprenticeships are greatly regulated by state and business powers-something that the American people probably would not like very much, seeing as though we like to hold on to the notion of the people having more power.
Even if Bernie Sanders does win the Presidential vote, it is not ultimately up to him to make college education in America free. He cannot enter into office and declare that this must occur. He will still need other politicians outside of the white House, such as the Senate and House of Representatives, to vote for this education change plan, as well.
And who is to say those politicians are supportive of this education proposal? Sanders could become President and college education could still not be free.
I really do wish that college education could be free, or even way less expensive. But at this point in time, I do not feel that anyone has a good, solid idea on how to make this effective, even Bernie Sanders.
Jill Augustine
Deputy Viewpoints Editor
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