Raising children from birth to adulthood and sending kids to college abroad are totally different shoes. Nobody outside the US sends kids to the US prior to college. College age students come to the US because they either want to receive a prestigious college education at top schools or they could not get into good colleges at home and "cheat" their way through the system by having their mom and dad pay for an incredibly mediocre American college education at an average school to outdo other college students at home whose parents do not have the money to pay the outrageous tuition in the US.
I still do not get why this is even going down the political slide? Does it even have to be debated that raising kids is getting incredibly pricey in the US and elsewhere unless you want to leave some redneck kids in the forests of South Carolina to explore their own destiny? Unless you define a certain level of medical care and a proper education a purely economic good and not a social good then of course the current problems and exorbitant costs associated with raising kids can be traced to the fact that the middle class is hollowed out and the "lower class" is rising in numbers. If you want to leave each last soul in your country to their own destiny then of course this would not be an issue you concern yourself with. But generally a well educated, as broad as possible, body of citizens is desirable in most societies and pretty much in line with what Democrats stand for, if this debate must be linked to politics. Less government, more self-determination, but also accepting that those who lose out will fall off the cliff is a Republican mantra so I am not sure you actually confused sides here.
Can you explain why so many U.S universities have large contingents of foreign students. Most of these students are very bright. They do not only go to prestigious top schools in the U.S., but many other mid-tier universities. Nearly all decided to deliberately come to the U.S. because they believed the university education in the U.S. was superior to what they could receive in their home countries.
Just some background. Volpunter is a German living in South East Asia. I don't know if he's ever stepped foot in the US, much less study the political system here outside of what he reads in Der Spiegal, but it's unlikely. However, he will tell you he is an expert in just about everything in the world of politics and finance. So take it for what it's worth.
Are you stating that the cost of raising a child in the U.S. is much higher than most western countries. Well, no it is not. You can google the cost of raising a child by country and see their are other countries where the cost of raising a child is higher than the U.S. There is no confusion regarding the sides of the discussion. Both the Democrats and Republicans are responsible for policies in the U.S. Some people may tote the high cost of medicine in the U.S., but I spend every week in Canada where parents regularly take their children to the U.S. for medical services and pay out of pocket... because they average wait for an MRI in Canada is 8 month. These parents have very little good to say about socialized medicine. Each system has drawbacks and advantages. Can the U.S. do better? Yes. It large scale socialized programs to pay for medicine, university education, welfare, etc. with an associated high tax burden the best path? No, I don't think so. Can we find a better balance between capitalism and large federal programs in the U.S.? Most likely.
dude, did I not make clear the distinction between raising kids from birth and those coming for a college education? Could you please re-read my previous post. I think it is crystal clear. But to address your second part: No you are incorrect. A) Most of those students that go to non-top-tier colleges are not bright (well, maybe by American standards). The reason they come and pay ridiculous tuition fees is because they could not get into good schools at home. Rather than enduring the embarrassment to have attended a local mediocre school they are sent by mom and dad to some Aussie or American college that is equally mediocre but at least they come home with English language skills and there are chances nobody at home ever heard of their US school. This pretty much applies to Hong Kong, Mainland China, Korea, and Japan. You wont find a whole lot Europeans (well maybe couple rich Greeks) at US unis.
Gee... all of my in-laws are Germans that came to the U.S. If Germany is so great than why is Volpunter living in South East Asia?