The educated are disgusting

[Torie]

I had a friend tell me once that American politics is just a struggle between two the business elite and the academic elite, both of which demonize the other stir up a following and trick everyone into voting for the because of how terrible the other elites are.

I'm not a moderate extremist like him, but I think it's a pretty accurate description.

Most political fights are undergirded by competing elites. It seems rather obvious when you think about it. The elites have the resources and the smarts and the connections to agitate effectively in the public square, and hone their message to try to gather enough adherents to their cause to have their way.

[Torie]

I have this point of view, that if you can afford it, college is all about honing your intellectual skills, and knowledge, on a wide range of subjects, and thinking about what kind of person you want to be, and to be better able to savor that which one cannot savor very well without such knowledge. I once read a book about this guy who went back to Columbia University at age 50 to retake a Western Civilization course. The professor said the course was really all about the students, and exposing them to texts which would help them think more about their values, what kind of role models in the texts appealed to them, and so forth. He said in that sense, it was a very selfish course, and all about them and for them,  and he was right. The same with a good humanities literature course.

To learn a trade, you then take specialized courses in graduate school.  Yes, I know, it's a luxury these days, particularly given the scandalously high tuition rates (if I were POTUS I would focus on just how and why that all happened, and what if anything government can do about it, to give students a lot more bang for their buck).

After 3 years of college, I had but two real skills: I could think pretty logically, and had the ability to read complex texts rather rapidly with a high rate of comprehension. And I honed my writing skills, which were already pretty good, because I went to an elite and very demanding private grammar school, where starting at about the 3rd grade, we had to write essays every week, week in and week out, and by 5th grade more than one a week, in more than one course (starting in 5th grade, we had teachers who specialized in different fields).

And all of the above made it much easier for me to understand and excel at  finance and economics, when I went to Business School (yes I was near the top of my class), and I think a much better lawyer than I otherwise would be after I got my JD. The more complex stuff was, the more of an advantage I had over the opposition.

Life is not only about money, it is about how to live the good and satisfying life, which gives it meaning and joy, and having a broad based liberal arts education really assists in that. And it gives one more strength to endure the down drafts, which will pop up in your life. From that there is no escape. None. And some of the lows  can be excruciating painful and sad and stressful. But you have a good cry, and move on to just deal with it as best you can.

[Torie]

Torie, you realize you are describing exactly class privilege exactly, and nothing more.

Yes, probably, but it is by far the best way for parents with the dough to spend it. That is why I am of the opinion that the "privileged" should open their wallets for their kids to take a long educational ride (assuming it is productive and they perform), and then you close the wallet, never to open it again (except maybe for a down payment on a first house or something), unless your kid has serious problems beyond their control, like mental illness or something.

Most of my money will be going to charity or into a foundation, or both. I need to begin to think about that more seriously. I really don't spend that much money on myself. It bores me, and does nothing for me.

You do know by now, that all your attempts to get under my skin are just an epic fail don't you opebo?