[verbify]

There are still people in the US without access to clean water. In some parts of the country, primary and secondary school education is abysmal.

As far as I'm concerned, it's a question of priorities. Sure, I love the humanities, but the government only has so many tax dollars, and studying Shakespeare in university is not a priority.

[dvtv75]

So if the government stops wasteful funding of those fields considered to be not profitable, then these problems will be fixed?

[conanbatt]

It depends on what the people demand of government. Subsidy on higher education is another way to increase the wealth gap.

[cpursley]

> There are still people in the US without access to clean water.

[citation needed]

[grzm]

Here are two, the first having been reported on this past summer.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flint_water_crisis

http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2014/08/12/even-in-the-u...

[enraged_camel]

Have you been living under a rock or something?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flint_water_crisis