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In a U.S. First, New Mexico Opens Doors to Free Child Care for All

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Re: In a U.S. First, New Mexico Opens Doors to Free Child Care for All

#341

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Outside the home childcare is not 24/7. It's for a portion of the day. Also, it's really weird to be making this argument for mothers and not fathers. Having childcare available gives the opportunity for both parents to spend more quality time with their children.

> Outside the home childcare is not 24/7. No, but it is during our most productive, aware, and valuable daylight hours. > Also, it's really weird to be making this argument for mothers and not fathers. In the context of human history, it’s not weird at all. > Having childcare available gives the opportunity for both parents to spend more quality time with their children. How? It reduces the time children spend with a…

I suppose in the context of human history, you might argue to enslave a population based on racial characteristics in order to provide childcare.

For many families, both parents have to work. Most time spent not working or sleeping is spent doing a task simultaneously with childcare. Cleaning, preparing meals, repairing things, laundry, etc. Even for families where one individual shoulders the bulk of the burden this is largely the case.

Re: In a U.S. First, New Mexico Opens Doors to Free Child Care for All

#342

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It baffles me that it's so hard to argue for care for children. The response is always "but it's the parents' responsibility". Which, okay, fair, BUT if the parent is failing their responsibility (which can happen for many reasons, many of which don't need maliciousness nor incompetence), then what? We let the child die? We let the child starve? That's what I don't get. A child doesn't have autonomy, so it shouldn't…

Parents as a group have lobbied to pretty much own their children. It's hard to justify that ownership if the state is constantly intervening for basic things like healthcare, food, and education. I disagree with this ownership, as it's pretty bad or at least not as good as what the children could have. Think about how few children received an education before the state took ownership. This doesn't mean I don't under…

Er…

America has universal public education because it started with the “Old Deluder Act”: the state wanted people to be literate so they could read the Bible.

The exact opposite of your allegation above: “Think about how few children received an education before the state took ownership. This doesn’t mean I don’t understand why it is the way it is. A large part of it in America is for religious reasons: ‘don’t teach my children your Satanic ways.’”

Re: In a U.S. First, New Mexico Opens Doors to Free Child Care for All

#343

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That either means that childcare is too expensive or teachers don't get paid enough (probably both tbh) I feel like a lot of folks don't actually do this math, and don't realize that they're essentially just working to pay someone else to watch their kid.

> That either means that childcare is too expensive or teachers don't get paid enough (probably both tbh) It's not necessarily either one. If you do it yourself, you reuse the existing home instead of needing a separate building with its own rent, maintenance and security, the children and the adult watching them wake up in the same place instead of both having to commute to the childcare building, you have no admini…

Poorer people use home-based daycares, which has the same cost advantages.

Re: In a U.S. First, New Mexico Opens Doors to Free Child Care for All

#344
post #6

US actually provided child care to mothers employed during WWII. [0] Richard Nixon vetoed the bill that would have expanded it out to all families. [1] Funny how we keep forgetting the past and reject what benefited us as a whole with a moved to pure individualism built around selfishness. AKA The rich keep getting richer. [0] https://www.wwiimemorialfriends.org/blog/the-lanham-act-and-... [1] https://en.wikipedia.or…

> a moved to pure individualism built around selfishness The US was founded on individual rights and freedoms, not community sacrifice. Meanwhile, during the 1800s, scores of millions of people moved up from poverty into the middle class and beyond. (Immigrants to the US arrived with nothing more than a suitcase.) > Funny how we keep forgetting the past and reject what benefited us as a whole Oh the irony!

> The US was founded on individual rights and freedoms ... during the 1800s, scores of millions of people moved up from poverty into the middle class and beyond.

Woah! The US was founded on occupation and slavery. How do you think millions of people were able to move up out of poverty? Because the US was abundant in land and natural resources, which during the 1800s we stole from the native Americans and exploited in large part with slave labor (at first, later pseudo-enslavement as sharecroppers).

Re: In a U.S. First, New Mexico Opens Doors to Free Child Care for All

#345
post #54
post #34

This is one of my pet peeves. If you believe in the welfare state concept, you should never refer to anything that’s subsidized as “free.” It’s a recipe for disaster. As a European who was uprooted and settled in the US, I’ve become painfully aware of how little we Europeans comprehend the workings of the economy. I believe this is partly due to the propaganda surrounding the welfare state as “free.” Of course, nothi…

Looking at USA right now, I just do not see how is that superior.

I’m not sure. If we compare the US to Europe (and I say this with a heavy heart), I wouldn’t be confident that the EU has a positive balance. There hasn’t been any growth in the EU in the last 25 years.

What’s Europe’s future? What's its current relevance?

Sure, the US could eliminate all other expenditures and provide every American with the best subsidized healthcare in the world. But what would that achieve? A few decades of chess-thumping to the world? Then bankruptcy? Who will fund the next innovation in healthcare? Is this what Europe did only now those decades of runway are coming to an end?

When you look at the US, you should note that the poorest state here has about the same per-capita GDP as Germany. And the disposable income for people is 50% higher than even Germany. If you don't consider Germany, the poorest state is richer than every EU country and has a disposable income 80% higher.

You want to feel free? You need disposable income. You want to start a company and have clients? You better hope those clients have disposable income.

You want a welfare state? You better have a strong economy. EU isn't trending too hot in that department.

Many of the usual suspects that defend social welfare "just because" also say things like "face the data!" I suggest you do. Just my thoughts.

Re: In a U.S. First, New Mexico Opens Doors to Free Child Care for All

#347

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Don't forget the "1% of the recipients are fraudulent, therefore the other 99% must spend 10 hours on paperwork and 6 months waiting for the benefits to start, with a 30% chance of rejection" approach.

> Don't forget the "1% of the recipients are fraudulent It’s complicated. Having 1% fraudulent recipients despite having very thorough and deep vetting processes should be a clue that fraud is a big problem. The fallacy is assuming that the fraud rate would stay the same if we removed the checks. It would not. The 1% fraud rate is only what gets through the current checks. The more you remove the checks, the higher t…

[deleted]

Re: In a U.S. First, New Mexico Opens Doors to Free Child Care for All

#348
post #300

Earlier quoted context omitted.

America is the place without universal childcare being used as a control here.

I am reading the article and it looks like it is being compared to the elder cohorts of Qubec children and also rest of Canada. Looks like Quebec's past and rest of Canada is the control.

I'm referring to the comment you responded to comparing america to various countries that offer free childcare.

Re: In a U.S. First, New Mexico Opens Doors to Free Child Care for All

#349

Medicare should cover children. Then we'd be covering children and the elderly. I think that seems fair--children deserve healthcare (just like education) as a fundamental right. It shouldn't be dependent on their parents.

I believe children do get healthcare, coverage, insurance or not in the US. The family might take on crushing debt that will never be paid off but the child will be treated. At least, this is my understanding - please correct me if I am wrong.

It’s wrong.

Re: In a U.S. First, New Mexico Opens Doors to Free Child Care for All

#350
post #243

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Where does mass trustworthy behavior (ie, "a high trust society") come from?

From the perspective of 2025, it's pretty incredible how much of a higher trust society we had as recently as 2019.

How are you measuring this?
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