Comment by lurk2

> Untrue.

You know these people exist. Try asking them where the money is going to come from to finance this education and see if more than 10% of them can explain it to you.

> "Free" has a specific meaning in English

You’ve made a few allusions to the idea that the people pushing back on this reading of the word “free” speak English as a second language when there’s been no indication that this is true; it’s just something you’re saying to imply that these people are less intelligent than you. I would again encourage you to read the site guidelines. Posting like this is contrary to the spirit of the forum.

> Whereas a fluent English speaker of sound mind understands that "free" refers to the price in a transaction.

The price for whom? If a parent pays for their child’s education, it would be very uncommon for the child to say that his education was “free.”

Similarly, state-funded education is free to the college student. It’s not free for taxpayers who don’t attend the college. They are a party to the transaction because they are the ones paying for it.