Our Kids Are in Big Trouble

I have written a post today and am planning to concentrate on my work when I see this post (via Furl - The Object Learning Archive). Lawrence Lessig wrote about how the American politicians shifted the current responsibility and created burdens to our future generation. The argument is that the future cannot vote and hence has no say! Example quoted include:

relaxed the control of greenhouse emissions, creating cheaper energy for us but astronomically higher costs for our kids, if they are to avoid catastrophic climatic change. We have waged an effectively unilateral war against Iraq, giving some a feeling of resolve but engendering three generations of angry souls focused upon a single act of revenge: killing Americans. And we have suffocated stem cell research through absurdly restrictive policies, giving the sanctimonious ground upon which to rally, while guaranteeing that kids with curable diseases will suffer unnecessary deaths

I would just add that another example is the concept of "user pay in education". Shame on all those who supported this idea. We, this generation, has benefited from the generosity of our previous generation, enjoyed a free education to us. I don't see what is the moral in shifting this cost to our kids. See my other post on this issue.