There is a new PBS show on in the afternoons called "Biz Kid$." Well, it's new to the Rochester area, anyway; I have a feeling the programs have been showing elsewhere for a year or so.
Madison happened across this program last week and loves it. It's mostly about entrepreneurship and money, both of which subjects are near and dear to her heart. It's produced in conjunction with Junior Achievement.
But. BUT.
A show from late last week was about paychecks and taxes. You know: Why it is, when you get a paycheck, there are all of these amounts taken out here and there for FICA, Social Security, etc.
And, see, they explained what these things are. They explained how Social Security will help you save money for retirement. They explained how the tax money that is taken out builds roads, funds the police, educates our kids, helps the poor, heals the sick...YOU KNOW, all of those vital things our benevolent government needs to take care of to make the country work. "Oh!" the kids on the show say, feeling proud that their work helps make the world go round by paying taxes.
No discussion of whether this may or may not be a good idea. No discussion of whether it is moral for a government forcibly to take the money you make and give it to someone else, or fund huge government initiatives that themselves may or may not be ethical. No sense that any of this is at all an issue...no, no, just a treatment of government as benevolently looking out for your interests. See, it's no big deal at all, that you don't get to keep your own money, you just hand it over to us and we'll take care of spending it.
Well, it was a teaching moment. For Ella, at least. Madison already knows what I'm going to say.
A lot of the Biz Kid$ stuff seems fine, inspirational, even. I'll just need to keep tabs on it.
And, when this morning I asked Ella what she remembers about the show, she mostly remembers that the kids on the show are chagrined that someone is taking their money. So, while I think this defeated the purpose of the show's organizers somewhat, the end result turns out kind of okay from my perspective.
Madison happened across this program last week and loves it. It's mostly about entrepreneurship and money, both of which subjects are near and dear to her heart. It's produced in conjunction with Junior Achievement.
But. BUT.
A show from late last week was about paychecks and taxes. You know: Why it is, when you get a paycheck, there are all of these amounts taken out here and there for FICA, Social Security, etc.
And, see, they explained what these things are. They explained how Social Security will help you save money for retirement. They explained how the tax money that is taken out builds roads, funds the police, educates our kids, helps the poor, heals the sick...YOU KNOW, all of those vital things our benevolent government needs to take care of to make the country work. "Oh!" the kids on the show say, feeling proud that their work helps make the world go round by paying taxes.
No discussion of whether this may or may not be a good idea. No discussion of whether it is moral for a government forcibly to take the money you make and give it to someone else, or fund huge government initiatives that themselves may or may not be ethical. No sense that any of this is at all an issue...no, no, just a treatment of government as benevolently looking out for your interests. See, it's no big deal at all, that you don't get to keep your own money, you just hand it over to us and we'll take care of spending it.
Well, it was a teaching moment. For Ella, at least. Madison already knows what I'm going to say.
A lot of the Biz Kid$ stuff seems fine, inspirational, even. I'll just need to keep tabs on it.
And, when this morning I asked Ella what she remembers about the show, she mostly remembers that the kids on the show are chagrined that someone is taking their money. So, while I think this defeated the purpose of the show's organizers somewhat, the end result turns out kind of okay from my perspective.
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