Sam Crane in his entry on Blogging for Kids wrote about funding problems faced by local authorities in providing special education and medical care for disabled children, as the Federal Government often forgot about its part of the bargain. To provide some moral support, this entry is the least one can do perhaps to help kids (whether able or disabled) in the US and in the world.
Enriching and educating the people prosper nations. It is an irony when a Government ignores the concepts of its own brilliant and renowned economists while other nations use the same ideas to set economic policies and prosper from them. It can be just a matter of choice between 'butter and guns'. Although a simple concept; it does affect a nation’s allocation of funds and opportunity costs for prosperity, since all countries no matter how rich have limited budgets to spend.
Take a simple look at the big picture and examine why countries like Germany, Japan, and China have prospered over the past several decades and one may find that these countries have a balanced or enforced choice of ‘more butter than guns’ policy? This has nothing to do with maintaining a well equipped army during peacetime and staying ahead in terms of arms technology over other nations. Wrong policies on funds usage by any nation like fighting wars for instance do have major repercussions on its people’s welfare, immediate or in the future.
Wars if fought frequently bring hardship on a state and its people. Sunzi has this to say on waging wars (Chapter 2):
‘When the army engages in protracted campaigns the resources of the state will not suffice.’ ‘When your weapons are dulled and ardor damped, your strength exhausted and treasure spent, neighboring rulers will take advantage of your distress to act. And even though you have wise counselors, none will be able to lay good plans for the future.’
Perhaps wise policymakers could take Sunzi’s thoughts into consideration before they decide whether to better spend their nation’s money on butter or guns. They should not forget that they are of the people, by the people and for the people. Therefore policymakers should also allocate some money for kids’ welfare. After all, a country’s wealth (or debt) belongs to the kids too.
Children if properly nurtured can become future captains of industry or leaders in Government. Is the cost any lesser or money well spent for a Government to send a young soldier to distant lands to fight protracted wars rather than providing continual free special education and medication to a disabled child?
You can decide, but please spare a thought for the kids.
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Extracts of Malaysian Budget 2006 allocation for Kids and education announced on September 30:
EFFORTS to upgrade human capital will be intensified through education and training to enable the people to master knowledge and skills, particularly in science and technology.
For this purpose, a sum of RM29bil or one-fifth of Budget 2006 is provided for education and training to benefit 5.7 million students. Of this, RM24bil is for operating expenditure, with the remaining RM5bil for development.
The RM5bil for development expenditure will be spent on pre-school, primary and secondary schools and matriculation (RM1.3bil), higher education (RM1.4bil), training (RM1.1bil), and ICT, curriculum development, hostels and teachers’ quarters (RM1.2bil)
HIGHER education received RM1.4bil under Budget 2006. The good news is that parents with children pursuing tertiary education will get automatic tax relief of up to RM4,000.
This applies also to those with children studying at recognised universities abroad.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said tax relief for disabled children pursuing higher education will also be increased from the current RM5,000 for each child to a total of RM9,000.
To encourage lifelong learning, the scope of courses that qualify for tax relief of RM5,000 for individual taxpayers will be broadened.
(http://thestar.com.my/budget2006/)
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