On Sat, May 26, 2012 at 12:08 PM, WereSpielChequers werespielchequers@gmail.com wrote:
Even if we weren't in a recession, money is not an unlimited resource. The fair comparison is not between those in the class who pass and those who fail to get the research grant; But between those who applied for the class and those who applied for the grant.
I think that's another good comparison, but both seem fair to me! Grant funding is a highly competitive selection process, but to even "apply" suggests that a person is part of some "class" or "pool" on which the selection process runs. If you get a grant, then you're part of another class altogether.
What I like about your formulation is that it points to efficiency. If people can get a high-quality education and do high-quality research at a fraction of the current cost, doesn't everyone win? Including and especially those who did not meet (for whatever reason) the threshold of "access" in the various selection processes running within the current regime.
To paraphrase a famous saying: there is no one who likes to pay high cost, just because it is a high cost, except sometimes the high cost secures us some great pleasure!