I don't think capitalism's to blame, since western Europe is just as capitalist as the USA.
That's highly debatable. Joe Stiglitz and Michael Hudson would disagree for starters. Capitalism has lost a lot of its meaning since 1929. And I think every experiment since 1929, experiments that shift economies back to the laissez-faire capitalist model, will always end in disaster. It seems the faster they implement the neoliberalism the faster the economy goes down the pike.
You're, of course, at some point going to explain the above within the context of a disdain for rationalism in the USA, right?
No country ever attained greatness by having an economy of shop keepers, entertainers and famous athletes alone. I think it all went wrong with the Stalinization of economic theory in the 1970s-80s as George has described of the Chicago School for the Neconservative cause to Rescuscitate laissez-faire Kapitalism from the Grave. It doesnt work any better today than it did in 1929. They have to start investing in people not things and not wars of aggresion. It's gone to hell in a handbasket.
"Investing in people" sounds good, but it's a term that isn't essentially any different from what Jacoby calls "junk thought." In whom would you invest when folks aren't curious or interested?
"Investing in people" sounds good, but it's a term that isn't essentially any different from what Jacoby calls "junk thought." In whom would you invest when folks aren't curious or interested?
Are you serious? How do you know they are not interested? Why is it that only those who can afford to pay or are willing to go into massive personal indebtedness can be considered interested? The former Soviet Union is said to have produced tge largest number of people with advanced university degrees than any other region in the world last century. There were no tuition fees or commodification of learning in the Soviet Union.
[url=http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=16237]The Higher Education Fiscal Crisis Protects the Wealthy[/url]
Higher education has been cut in twenty-eight states in the 2009-10 school year and further, even more drastic cuts, are likely in the years ahead. California State University (CSU) system is planning to reduce enrollments by 40,000 students in the fall of 2010. The CSU Trustees have imposed steep tuition hikes and forced faculty and staff to take non-paid furlough days equal to 10% of salaries.
Are you saying you have no idea where money could be spent in either the US or Canada on PSE? What about the the money that has been removed from post-secondary and never mind new funding?
Are you serious? How do you know they are not interested? Why is it that only those who can afford to pay or are willing to go into massive personal indebtedness can be considered interested?
You're missing the point. I'm not talking about university education.
Have you read The Age of Unreason? Susan Jacoby doesn't talk about university education much either.
She does mention universities a number of times but very little about rising costs of education or student loan debts or that which was once free at University of California now comes only at a premium for those who have the money to pay.
"I think there are two ways in which people are controlled. First of all, frighten people, and secondly demoralise them...an educated healthy and confident nation is harder to govern" - Sir Tony Benn
Less healthy and less confident people are more easily controlled by the plutocracy. There is a method to their madness, and political liberals in the states are also to blame for the state of affairs. Our political liberals sold Canadians out to the same interests many of their counterparts in the US have over the last 30-35 years.
[url=http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/panelists/susan_jacoby/2009/0..., Racism And American Unreason[/url]
Jacoby makes sense in the WP piece above. I agree with her. America is a madhouse in general. And they still have that capitalist baggage to thank for a lot of their issues today, slavery, which engrained racism in the American psyche for generations. I've witnessed racism in the Northern States and among self-described liberals, too. Meanwhile the kids who are protesting university tuition hikes understand full well why they are paying more and who's been on the receiving end of state socialism for the rich since the meltdown of an anti-intellectual bass-ackwards dregalated rightwing financial system designed to destroy civilized society.
Jacoby warned that her book wouldn't have a typically American happy ending. Her only suggestions were that we reduce TV time and read more, and that it's the duty of parents to set the example. Throwing money at educational institutions that will regurgitate it as a downward-spiralling continuation of boosting students' self-esteem rather than their knowledge is not an answer.
She also took a swipe at university Humanities departments that encourage pop culture studies while eschewing the works of classical thinkers and writers. As someone who saw colleagues in grad school get away with writing Master's theses on Madonna, I agree with her.
