I have this dream that the people of the United States of America, realizing that they are in global competition with the economies of other nations, decide to maximize the effectiveness of their own economy. To do this, they vote to set aside a portion of their taxes to pay the tuitions of poor students at high quality colleges.
Their reasoning, in my dream, is very logical: The U.S. is currently losing a large percentage of the next generation of potentially brilliant doctors, engineers, lawyers, entrepreneurs and other human engines of the economy, because many high functioning American kids happen to be born into poor families.
If we could only identify those kids and make it financially viable for them to attend top colleges, our nation would grow in wealth. A modest investment in tax dollars now would pay for itself many times over in the years to come.
In my dream, citizens of the United States find that their healthcare, technology, and general wealth continue to improve over time. Everybody congratulates themselves on finding a good way to looking after their own collective self interest.
Then I wake up.