Newt Gingrich: Let's End Adolescence

[OzzyKP]

I really don't like this idea. I don't want a president who thinks the biggest problem faced by 13-year-olds is that they don't have jobs. Oh, and their lack of earned income is responsible for a meth epidemic? And making them learn more slowly than the Indians and Chinese?

The people most likely to do drugs, of any age, are those without something meaningful to do with their lives. For a lot of teens (not all, certainly) school is in no way meaningful to them. So the get bored, and frustrated, and drugs become more appealing. Give them something meaningful to do with their time and they'll focus on that, not drugs. Same as anyone.

[loinburger]

Think for 60 seconds measured by a physical clock why this might be acceptable in say Finland but wouldn't be possible in the US.

Let me guess: colored people!

[Barnabas]

I agree with Newt

Lets imagine you lived two centuries ago and your father was shoemaker

During your childhood you would help your father at work, by age 14 you would be as good of a shoemaker as your father, by age 16 you would be working, and probably married and having sex many times every week with your wife. Basically an adult.

I agree with Newt basically on adolescence being an innovation and not something natural. In fact if I recall correctly, women are ment biologically to have babies as teenagers, as in, at that age their offspring ends up healthier, taller, smarter etc, and not in the 30s and nowadays it is so common.

[Jon Miller]

The issue is one of finance.

JM

[OneFootInTheGrave]

Education is failing, lots of adults are poor parents, so lets remove education, let the business take kids over and teach them

Welcome to 30 year life spans like in the middle ages, I'd throw in slavery too, so that we know who is the boss. Newt