Earlier quoted context omitted.
>The US can barely afford to school its children You're the richest nation on earth. You can afford it, the people who control the purse strings choose to use it on other shit that benefits themselves.
> You're the richest nation on earth* *On paper
That said, the gap between capability and actuality of spending that your parent comment is lamenting is the gap for that on-paper wealth not being used for real-world-improving actions, and instead being used to increase the on-paper wealth of a tiny minority of wealth-holders.