There has been a lot of discussion since Athens about foreign swimmers training in the United States. Most of them attend U.S. Universities, receive athletic scholarships, and compete at NCAA's. Some notable examples include Duje Draganja (Cal), Fred Bousquet and Kirsty Coventry (Auburn), Markus Rogan (Stanford), and the South African sprinters (Arizona). Some train in the U.S., but don't compete for a university (Inge de Bruijn). All of these athletes benefit from U.S. coaching, from training with U.S. swimmers, and in some cases, from financial support provided by U.S. entities (athletic scholarships). They all turn around and then win medals for other countries.
A couple questions: 1) What do you think about this arrangement generally? 2) Is it of benefit or detriment to U.S. swimming to have these foreign athletes training and competing here? 3) Should we be giving athletic scholarships, which are a scarce resource in swimming, to foreign athletes who will represent their own countries internationally instead of U.S.-born swimmers who will represent us internationally?
I'm sure there are other issues, but these come directly to mind.
Well, gull, you're right, nothing is actually free. The question is how we all pay for it: by screwing the middle to make money for private companies or by charging people what they can afford yet delivering a constant standard, also known as taxation and national health service. The cigarette argument is inane precisely because they are not essential--you can not buy cigarettes and live a full life, even if it is unpleasant for the first few weeks. The same cannot be said of food or housing or healthcare. Thus providing the latter regardless of ability to pay is both civilized and ethical.
Aquageek: Americans pay less in taxes than almost any other advanced nation. I know how much of my money goes to taxes (more than yours dollar for dollar probably since about half my income is freelance and thus taxed at a higher rate because no company is paying half). Geez, I pay for roads I don't even use, seeing as I take the subway. Then again, when anyone needs emergency services, they're glad the roads are there. I pay for schools even though I don't have kids. Then again, an educated populace is good for all of us. If I can buy fewer books, CDs, and vacations so that others can have a roof, some food, and decent healthcare, I am ethically obligated to do so. I'm proud to pay my taxes, not bitter. They are the dues of a decent society.
Then again, paying more taxes doesn't necessarily equal less money for you. People in countries with higher taxes have no health insurance to pay for and generally they don't pay for higher education either. In fact, the US population pays more for comparable healthcare than do people in lands with nationalized healthcare. The point about the French trains is just that sometimes public systems are better than the private alternative.
Well, gull, you're right, nothing is actually free. The question is how we all pay for it: by screwing the middle to make money for private companies or by charging people what they can afford yet delivering a constant standard, also known as taxation and national health service. The cigarette argument is inane precisely because they are not essential--you can not buy cigarettes and live a full life, even if it is unpleasant for the first few weeks. The same cannot be said of food or housing or healthcare. Thus providing the latter regardless of ability to pay is both civilized and ethical.
Aquageek: Americans pay less in taxes than almost any other advanced nation. I know how much of my money goes to taxes (more than yours dollar for dollar probably since about half my income is freelance and thus taxed at a higher rate because no company is paying half). Geez, I pay for roads I don't even use, seeing as I take the subway. Then again, when anyone needs emergency services, they're glad the roads are there. I pay for schools even though I don't have kids. Then again, an educated populace is good for all of us. If I can buy fewer books, CDs, and vacations so that others can have a roof, some food, and decent healthcare, I am ethically obligated to do so. I'm proud to pay my taxes, not bitter. They are the dues of a decent society.
Then again, paying more taxes doesn't necessarily equal less money for you. People in countries with higher taxes have no health insurance to pay for and generally they don't pay for higher education either. In fact, the US population pays more for comparable healthcare than do people in lands with nationalized healthcare. The point about the French trains is just that sometimes public systems are better than the private alternative.
