[CCS]

Originally Posted by Nothing

Yeah, I think calling CCS ingorant probably does qualify as ad hominem, as far as my post goes. However, there are two points to be made in my defence.

First, not all ad hominem is fallacious. I don't think my ad hominem here was fallacious. It points out the fact that CCS is ignorant in some respects, and that is a relevant consideration when evaluating the claims he is making. If they are the kind of claims that an ignorant person would typically make, we should perhaps regard them with a greater degree of suspicion than we otherwise would.

Second, if CCS were actually making a sensible argument or point of any sort, rather than just parroting inane right wing bullshit stereotypes, perhaps I would have responded to the argument. But he had nothing interesting or original to say, it was the same old same old, and has been so thoroughly pulled to bits on so many occasions by so many different commentators that I just couldn't be bothered. It was far more exedient to simply point out the fact of his ignorance, which he so beautifully illustrated for us.

You've demonstrated that you've read my post and completely missed my point. You're so keen to feel outraged that you got distracted by my taking the piss out of certain subjects of study and you went straight to coming back all ad hominem. Lefties are so easy to distract that it's no wonder John Key uses it as a technique all the time.

I'm guessing you have an arts degree and got your feelings hurt when I made fun of it?

Here's the bits you're supposed to focus on:

Originally Posted by CCS

It seems like a nice idea and one I'm not an entirely opposed to. But they'd be better off targeting the skills that NZ is most urgently in need of. If someone wants to get a degree in philosophy, they can pay for it.

Originally Posted by CCS

It's pretty fucking easy. STEM disciplines are usually a pretty good bet.

BoyWonder is the only person perceptive enough to see that and need get all butthurt by my taking the piss out of basket weaving and pottery courses.

So if everybody is quite done with being insecure about their arts degrees, let us proceed.

Here's my idea: subsidise STEM subjects and courses that are on the long term skills shortage list (short term skills shortages have to be filled by immigrants who have the requisite skills and experience right now). There is no skills shortage in marketing, arts, pottery, hip hop dancers etc. Those people should expect to pay the usual tuition fees.

A couple of professions on the long term skills shortage list are doctors and nurses. So it would make sense to offer big subsidies on tertiary education for those professions. The graduates must be bonded to work in NZ for a certain period of time. Five years maybe?

Here's a problem though, and it isn't solved by free or subsidised education. Why do we have a shortage of doctors and nurses? I presume that it's simply that you make more money overseas as a doctor than you do here, and probably the same for nurses. Free/subsidised education may help insofar as some doctors may not feel the need to chase the big bucks if they don't have a large student loan. Others may want to chase the larger salary all the same or they want the overseas experience. That's fine. They can pay the full course fees if they want to head overseas instead of being bonded here.

What I'm getting at is that it would help to pay doctors here commensurate with what the would earn overseas, or close to it. That means more funding from the government.