Poop and Education

Have you ever been to a public restroom where the toilet was left a disaster?

Can you imagine toilets that NEVER needed plunging? Or that NEVER needed a second flush? Did you know that's how they were invented to begin with, but due to the government creating laws just to hear the clicking sound of their pens, toilets can only legally use 1.6 gallons to flush? Originally they used 3.5 to 5 gallons. Preserving water? Clearly, no one is saving water when they must flush several times per visit to the porcelain throne. As a consequence of this law, toilets and bathrooms across America are far more disgusting and unhealthy than they need to be.

This is a perfect example of how the government creates laws supposedly to make something more efficient, but actually accomplishes the exact opposite. In fact, (this is an open challenge to any of my friends/stalkers to educate me) I cannot think of anything the government has involved themselves in and ultimately improved.

Can you imagine how great it would feel knowing that education in this country is getting better? That compared to the rest of the industrialized world the United States were gaining ground, rather than losing it?

Back in 2005, among adults age 25 to 34, the U.S. was ninth among industrialized nations in the share of its population that has at least a high school degree. In the same age group, the United States ranked seventh, with Belgium, in the share of people who hold a college degree. By both measures, the United States was first in the world as recently as 26 years ago. The Department of Education was formed in 1979. Our world-class education system managed to stay on top for only 4 or 5 more years and it's been in a free-fall ever since. Coincidence? How much longer are we going to lie to ourselves before we succumb to the truth?

People who speak against government interfering in our lives, in these circumstances, would ironically be labeled anti-environment, or anti-education. They'd be ridiculed mercilessly, if they couldn't be ignored. Absurdly enough, politicians campaign get elected on the premise that they will solve the problem by perpetuating it. Is that not the definition of crazy? When there's a direct unrelenting correlation between the scope of government interference, and the plummeting efficiency of whatever it is they've gotten their hands into, wouldn't the reasonable (ahem, sorry, don't want to offend anyone, let's say logical... no wait... umm, intelligent? Fuck it, BEST) thing to do is to abolish the cancer that is that particular government program?

The way we create and "solve" problems in this country makes about as much sense to me as a doctor prescribing cigarettes to a person dying of cancer. "Smoke two packs a day to make cancer go away."

Trying to educate my cat how to poop in a toilette was a complete failure.