Free education and welcoming globalization, the Irish story

Parent Cafe
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<p>By now Ireland’s affluence is not news to many, but I am wondering whether people see applications for the U.S.: </p>

<p><a href=“http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/29/opinion/29friedman.html?n=Top%2FOpinion%2FEditorials%20and%20Op-Ed%2FOp-Ed%2FColumnists%2FThomas%20L%20Friedman[/url]”>http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/29/opinion/29friedman.html?n=Top%2FOpinion%2FEditorials%20and%20Op-Ed%2FOp-Ed%2FColumnists%2FThomas%20L%20Friedman&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>So…what do people think?</p>

<p>Friedman leaves out the fact that Ireland, by missing the entire Industrial Revolution, was well-positioned to enter the 21st century free of decaying infrastructure of various kinds.</p>

<p>Also, it’s natural to welcome globalization when you are (at least up to now) on the receiving end.</p>

<p>However, I am interested in his emphasis on the importance of free university education.</p>

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<p>there is a similar article in the current Economist. I was also interested in the credit given to free education.</p>

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<p>While the availability of an english-speaking and trainable workforce has been a blessing for Ireland, the impact of free education seems a bit overstated. </p>

<p>Why would free education yield different results in Ireland than in the rest of Europe? After all, if not completely free from cradle to grave, the education possibilities are endless and extremely affordable throughout most of Europe. </p>

<p>The story of the economic rebirth of Ireland is indeed a beautiful one, but it was not not an overnight miracle. It required a stubborn and dedicated government to see its progressive measures -such as a judicious use of tax benefits and simplification of its tax code- come to fruition, in spite of a number of forces that could have derailed the efforts of Ireland to come out of its 19th century-like torpor.</p>

<p>As far as emulation by other countries, the example of Ireland will work better in a country such as Slovakia than in the United States. For instance, it took little time for Slovakia to punt its entire tax code and replace it by a flat tax system with few exemptions and loopholes but a flat rate of 19%. </p>

<p>It is also worth remembering that Ireland is a small country and that positive economic impacts are not diluted by a distribution among hundreds of million of citizens. However, there are many lessons to learn from the benefits of a smaller government that looks to increase the wealth and well-being of its citizens as opposed to ensure its own survival.</p>

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<p>“However, there are many lessons to learn from the benefits of a smaller government that looks to increase the wealth and well-being of its citizens as opposed to ensure its own survival.”</p>

<p>Hear, hear!</p>

<p>I was puzzled about the comments re free education also, given that in the rest of Europe it is also free or cheap. Personally, I think the key is your sentence above.</p>