[sliverstorm]

The universe doesn't owe you K-12 education, and neither does society, but society has decided it is worth the expense to have a populace that knows how to read, write, and do arithmetic- skills that most people simply did not have two hundred years ago.

[ahomescu1]

You don't need 12 years of education to learn reading, writing and arithmetic. K-12 does teach a lot more, but most students seem unwilling/unable/disinterested in more than the basic stuff (in my experience). Do we really want to throw money at educating people who aren't interested?

[javert]

It's wrong to think that without publicly-subsidized education, most people would not get any education.

[saraid216]

But will all people who can be educated get education?

[maxharris]

Will all people who can benefit from a romantic relationship find their ideal mate? Will everyone (regardless of who they are, where they are, and what else they're doing) that wants an ice cream sandwich have one?

This is boil-the-ocean, god's-eye-view thinking. Moral ideals cooked up in this style are unreal and utterly unachievable as practical goals.