re: The real fundamental underlying issue in our country is Education

No it's not. Education is just a symptom. The fundamental issue is our insane entitlement system which makes fathers and work unnecessary and creates all kinds of other horrible consequences stemming from these two facts.

Our educational system is pretty mediocre. The curriculum clearly needs a reboot to focus on skills which people graduate sorely needing. Do we really need to spend 6 years of English learning how to analyze poems yet not one day about learning how to file our taxes? However, no matter how much one tweeks the curriculum or the teaching method, nothing will make a difference if we have to teach children who have no interest in learning.

Why don't they want to learn? Their parents don't value education because education is worthless to them. This may sound harsh, but it is true. For those who subsist off of entitlements, education is worthless. It produces no value what so ever.

Why do people study hard in high school? They generally do so to get into college or trade school. Why do they do that? To get a good job. Why do they want a good job? To support themselves and a family. Well, entitlement programs allow them to support themselves and the family without a job. With this need filled, there is no motivation to go to school at all. Schooling literally produces no enhanced outcomes.

Our entitlement system is designed in such a way that it is advantageous for people not to be married. They take in more with separate households than if they were together. They are also paid more for each child they have out of wedlock. This rewards having as many children out of wedlock as possible.

However, our entitlement system also is structured in two other harmful ways:
1. It pays more than having an entry level job. It is simply more economically advantageous to abuse entitlement programs than to work entry level jobs. Going to work with a good attitude and work ethic will allow one to likely eventually get promoted to the point that they come out ahead, but that point is often years in the future. In the short term, abusing entitlements is the smart choice.
2. If one tries to use entitlements to get by until getting a job, they lose EVERYTHING. Getting the job cuts off several benefits by itself. Once one has above a certain amount in their checking account, they lose all of their benefits AND all of the money they saved in their account! This serves as a tremendous deterrent for getting off the system or saving up to get out of the ghetto. They are literally trapped by the system.

Because getting a job is not a very good option, they have to get disposable income somehow. The War on Drugs creates a massive black market to meet the demand for narcotics. The only way for one to have disposable income without triggering the loss of all of their benefits is to get it via working in the black market economy. Selling drugs is the most convenient way to earn any extra spending money. The War on Drugs ensures, however, that those engaging in that market often wind up incarcerated. It's a double-edged sword.

Basically, The War on Drugs and our f&%ked up entitlement system are the real fundamental underlying issues in our country. Education is just a symptom of the disease.