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| No double standards |
My son did quite well in (liberal-ish) high school, was accepted to a good college. He noted that high school did nothing to prepare him to think/perform on a college level. Fortunately his roommate was a solid student from a culture that is quite demanding of students, and was an excellent example. My son had a steep learning curve his first year, but was able to pull it off. "Liberty lies in the hearts of men and women. When it dies there, no constitution, no law, no court can save it....While it lies there, it needs no constitution, no law, no court to save it" - Judge Learned Hand, May 1944 | |||
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My youngest son went to Ohio Northern for business. An expensive college compared to a state school. We saw the head of the business section of the college at the gun show one day. Turns out he is really conservative. True though, my son has a huge college debt to pay back, he did get some grants. NRA Life Endowment member Tri-State Gun collectors Life Member | |||
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I have seen no demonstrable evidence that a service academy produces better officers than ROTC. As to being selective, there are bad apples any way you slice society. | |||
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The article is just pandering to its base. Of course people are immediately going to point out all the extreme examples that they see in the news. However, what you don't see is everyone else actually there to get an education and not acting like an ass-hat. I know I'm just a sample of one but college is nothing like what is portrayed in the media. | |||
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Be Careful What You Wish For... |
There are more college graduates than there are available jobs today in most fields. And more graduates are pumped out every year. I know this having spent more time than most in the academic setting and watching the post-graduate placement dance up close. Not to mention you have tons of people being told college is the only option if you want to be successful, despite most of them having no business being there. And the universities pass them through because it keeps the student loan money rolling in. The liberal arts have been taken over completely by the enemy. It's fun to laugh and joke about basket weaving and interdisciplinary studies until you realize that the basic foundations of critical and analytical thought are contained in these fields (English, history, even psychology). STEM remains a conservative holdout for the most part, but even they are currently under attack. The American college system is in bad shape and getting worse every day. To pretend otherwise is to ignore the obvious. Want to fix the system? First and foremost, get rid of the liberal brainwashers. Second, limit enrollment and limit student loans. Most of the people in college shouldn't be. Third, limit athletic spending for any university accepting federal money. ____________________________________________________________ Georgeair: "...looking around my house this morning, it's not easily defended for long by two people in the event of real anarchy. The entryways might be slick for the latecomers though...." | |||
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| I believe in the principle of Due Process  |
Those aren’t exactly responses to what Kurt said. For example he didn’t say “Robots will replace lawyers.” He said, “In fifteen years, robots will probably be doing most of what lawyers do today, and most of them will probably wear better suits.” I don’t think he, or I or you expect to see a Solicitor General powered by Intel then or ever. Kurt didn’t say, or imply, “can every officer.” He said not even the service academies are performing up to the mark needed or expected, but not “Those places take anyone (not seelctive [sic] at all), and don't teach them anything about warfare.” He is critical of how the educational system is currently operating. We spend too much treasure casting fake pearls before real swine. (I think it is good advice to join the service right out of high school for a great many. After an enlistment, the training, the GI Bill, the thanks of a grateful nation, and all you will have seen and done and learned, if you chose to, going to college can be an entirely different experience. I think it is good advice for quite a few to not worry about college at all.) Plus, humor is often produced by exaggeration, which Kurt often employs. Luckily, I have enough willpower to control the driving ambition that rages within me. When you had the votes, we did things your way. Now, we have the votes and you will be doing things our way. This lesson in political reality from Lyndon B. Johnson "Some things are apparent. Where government moves in, community retreats, civil society disintegrates and our ability to control our own destiny atrophies. The result is: families under siege; war in the streets; unapologetic expropriation of property; the precipitous decline of the rule of law; the rapid rise of corruption; the loss of civility and the triumph of deceit. The result is a debased, debauched culture which finds moral depravity entertaining and virtue contemptible." - Justice Janice Rogers Brown | |||
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| Stop Talking, Start Doing |
Not a day goes by that I regret going to college and getting by degree. Not a chance in hell. _______________ Mind. Over. Matter. | |||
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If you don’t mind me asking, what decade did you attend college? | |||
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| It's not you, it's me.  |
Ha! I couldn’t imagine the difficulties I’d have if I didn’t have a college degree. I feel sorry for the poor shlubs that don’t have one. Bottom line is that it opens so many more doors that are just closed to those that dont have a bachelors or masters. Sure, back in the old days you could get by with hard work. My dad came from the Ukraine as a baby, fleeing the Nazis during world war 2. His dad was killed by the Germans as he fought in the Russian army. He was brought up by his single mom. He never went to college...He eventually became a director of a very large Pharmaceutical company...he retired very, very wealthy. His priority for his 3 sons was making absolutey sure they all went to college in his dime. He recognized the value of a degree. His story simply isn’t very possible anymore. In no way is my father’s American dream story common. Just like these millionaire ditch diggers. Also, adding these generalities that all colleges and colleges produce non-thinking liberal drones is bullshit as well. To succeed nowadays, a college degree is almost essential. That’s truth. I used to teach high school at a low income blue collar charter school in philly. Mostly white kids btw. The admin pushed college on these kids and flaunted their 98% rate of kids who graduated going to college. It looked good on paper. A lot of these kids dropped out of college after 2 years with debt. College just wasn’t for Many of these kids, the military or a trade school would have been a better option. I bumped heads with admin over this as well. Sure, college isn’t for everyone, but I life is hard enough without a degree. During my life, I’ve switched through several careers, all made easier by the college degrees I have. I also thank my dad for paying for my college and allowing me to graduate with no debt. It’s a wonderful thing. Btw, my wife is still paying her loans off...I think she has $50,000 grand left. That sucks. Btw, I have a bee era, business degree and then got my MBA. This allowed me to basically do whatever I want...from teaching high school, to selling pharmaceuticals, which is what I do now. Sorry for rambling. Been up for the past week with a newborn. | |||
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| Stop Talking, Start Doing |
2000s. _______________ Mind. Over. Matter. | |||
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| I believe in the principle of Due Process |
As with just about every aspect of human existence there are individual experiences with college which are consistent with what we hope was the original purpose and benefit of the experience. The complaint is not that college is never a good idea for anyone but too often a waste of time and money, with too little effort, a place holder until economics and societal norms make joining the work force more attractive, if not mandatory, that a great many are struggling to attend who really have no business doing so, derive little or no benefit, and end up burdened with a mountain of debt. When I graduated 50 years ago, tuition at University of Texas was $50 per semester. Scholarships were available, but not plentiful, and almost always on merit, academic or athletic, etc. Loans were not available ordinarily. I remember one of my activities as a Students Association lobbiest was pitching ideas about student loans to the Legislature when it was in session. Now tuition is nearly $6000 per semester, an increase far, far above the impact of mere inflation, and it seems to me one of the drivers of that increase has been the ubiquity of student loans backed by the federal government, on the supply side, and driven by the notion that every child should go to college and that only money stood in their way of the opportunity of earning a degree. To realize that dubious proposition, degree programs, and instruction, must be vastly different than 50 years ago. The requirement then was that any graduate of an accredited Texas high school could be admitted to UT. This resulted in so many clearly underqualified and ill motivated students that the flunk rate was enormous. There were 5 core courses, 3 of which a student had to complete and pass no matter what the major was. Everyone had a chance, but it separated the clowns from the cowboys. Those who did poorly in high school were very likely to do poorly at UT. Those who did well in high school could do well at UT, provided the lure of the big city, bright lights and pretty girls didn’t distract unduly. Quite a few were sent home to pursue other opportunities. It wasn’t that the material was so incomprehensible, the workload so crushing, but for many it was being on your own, having to take care of yourself, make your own choices, no parental or other supervision, “take care of business” that was the challenge. Luckily, I have enough willpower to control the driving ambition that rages within me. When you had the votes, we did things your way. Now, we have the votes and you will be doing things our way. This lesson in political reality from Lyndon B. Johnson "Some things are apparent. Where government moves in, community retreats, civil society disintegrates and our ability to control our own destiny atrophies. The result is: families under siege; war in the streets; unapologetic expropriation of property; the precipitous decline of the rule of law; the rapid rise of corruption; the loss of civility and the triumph of deceit. The result is a debased, debauched culture which finds moral depravity entertaining and virtue contemptible." - Justice Janice Rogers Brown | |||
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safe & sound |
Due to brainwashing. People have been told they must have them so they do. Once they have them and are in positions of power they believe that everybody else must have one too. I can't help but notice that many of the employers who require a degree want to see evidence of the degree. They aren't actually administering a test to see evidence of intelligence or actual knowledge.  I've heard that colleges are giving degrees to athletes who are still reading and writing at a grade school level. But I'm sure that person would be a better hire than a guy with a high school diploma who's four times as intelligent because "degree". Again, I'm not talking about every single occupation out there. But there sure seem to be a lot that require a college degree where most of the non college graduates I know would run circles around those who work there. | |||
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| Too old to run, too mean to quit! |
This is a complete bulls eye! I saw the beginnings of this back in 1977 when I was graduating college. Had 3 classes (required) in my final semester all listed as taught by "professor" such and such. Spent the entire semester without seeing a damned one of them. All 3 taught by graduate assistants. The stack of text books for that last semester was about 18 inches tall. And not a damned one of them was mentioned, or needed, for the courses. BUT!!!!!!!!! They were written by those 3 "professors". All fucking 3 of them were too busy doing highly paid "research" on overseas trips. I used 3 months of GI bill payments just to buy books that were not used. And it has been all downhill since then. But, to be fair, today it is not limited to colleges! About 12 years ago my oldest grandson was in his last year of high school. Circumstances led to his mom going to see the math "teacher". In short, grandson had been skipping school. Told his mom it did no good to go to that math class as the teacher COULD NOT SPEAK ENGLISH. Daughter went to see the teacher, sat in the class. Grandson was correct. The Asian teacher could not speak understandable English. And for the benefit of the folks back home, it has only gotten worse. One of the "favorite" classes during the last semester of my under grad program was (ready for this?) THE PSYCHOLOGY OF DEATH! Elk There has never been an occasion where a people gave up their weapons in the interest of peace that didn't end in their massacre. (Louis L'Amour) "To compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves and abhors, is sinful and tyrannical. " -Thomas Jefferson "America is great because she is good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great." Alexis de Tocqueville FBHO!!! The Idaho Elk Hunter | |||
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| His diet consists of black coffee, and sarcasm.  |
A college degree is necessary for most professions (engineers, doctors, to name a couple), others like military commissioned officers, not necessary for trades. Frankly, we could use more trades. How many times have people complained they can't find a good mechanic? | |||
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| Conveniently located directly above the center of the Earth  |
"Sure, college isn’t for everyone, but I life is hard enough without a degree. During my life, I’ve switched through several careers, all made easier by the college degrees I have." agree; and largely agree with JAllen, as we seem to share the same year of college graduation; I was fortunate the $ costs were modest enough my 3 part time jobs were (barely) adequate to pay for the experience, along with a couple of grants, uh....'scholarships'.... And those classes I took were essential, not for a direct trade/job/qualification of essential skills. **************~~~~~~~~~~ "I've been on this rock too long to bother with these liars any more." ~SIGforum advisor~ "When the pain of staying the same outweighs the pain of change, then change will come."~~sigmonkey | |||
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| I believe in the principle of Due Process |
I had part time jobs, played in a dance band, took a full load of classes every semester, played in the Longhorn Band, and was a drilling Navy Reservist. I think I went on 3 or 4 dates those 4 years. Finance was not only my major, but my constant worry and challenge. It wasn’t the degree, particularly, or wouldn’t have been, without the skills and discipline behind it. The degree was the shorthand assurance that I had accomplished something valuable, worthwhile, not merely able to check that box on the form. Luckily, I have enough willpower to control the driving ambition that rages within me. When you had the votes, we did things your way. Now, we have the votes and you will be doing things our way. This lesson in political reality from Lyndon B. Johnson "Some things are apparent. Where government moves in, community retreats, civil society disintegrates and our ability to control our own destiny atrophies. The result is: families under siege; war in the streets; unapologetic expropriation of property; the precipitous decline of the rule of law; the rapid rise of corruption; the loss of civility and the triumph of deceit. The result is a debased, debauched culture which finds moral depravity entertaining and virtue contemptible." - Justice Janice Rogers Brown | |||
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| No double standards |
That needs a repeat. "Liberty lies in the hearts of men and women. When it dies there, no constitution, no law, no court can save it....While it lies there, it needs no constitution, no law, no court to save it" - Judge Learned Hand, May 1944 | |||
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| safe & sound |
Has anybody ever done a study on this? Take SAT scores for example. Many take the SAT prior to college. How would somebody taking the same test at the conclusion of college, or 10 years after college score? The scores should increase, right? | |||
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| I believe in the principle of Due Process |
Not necessarily. The purpose of college isn’t to increase basic skills. The purpose of SAT is to evaluate whether one has adequate basic skills to succeed at college level studies. Many of us didn’t have much room to increase. A few have no room at all. Luckily, I have enough willpower to control the driving ambition that rages within me. When you had the votes, we did things your way. Now, we have the votes and you will be doing things our way. This lesson in political reality from Lyndon B. Johnson "Some things are apparent. Where government moves in, community retreats, civil society disintegrates and our ability to control our own destiny atrophies. The result is: families under siege; war in the streets; unapologetic expropriation of property; the precipitous decline of the rule of law; the rapid rise of corruption; the loss of civility and the triumph of deceit. The result is a debased, debauched culture which finds moral depravity entertaining and virtue contemptible." - Justice Janice Rogers Brown | |||
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| Member |
Is this guy being ironic? According to his linkedin page he received a BA from University of California SD in.....Communications and Political Science......Maybe I have the wrong Kurt Schlichter? | |||
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