Posted on 01/04/2012 1:23:06 PM PST by SeekAndFind
I absolutely love the second sentence in the last paragraph. Beautifully stated.
To copy something I heard long time ago: you perhaps have mistaken me for someone who gives a damn. I really don’t care what goes on in colleges (well, I don’t like the teaching of America as a worthless place by some professors) or how students do or don’t benefit. I have no children and thus no dog in that fight.
I just am bemused by the constant blather of some Freepers who are convinced that they—and only they—know what people should study: ENGINEERING.
At this point in my life (old age) I just hope that this country holds together. It would be a shame for 237 years of war, strife, democracy, constitutional government and other ideals that men and women have stood for to go under.
And so can becoming a professional athlete.
For the vast majority of kids, neither pursuit makes economic sense. For the small minorities of kids who have the drive and passion to become the best in those fields, yes, they can (and probably will) cash in.
The difference is that the taxpayers aren’t on the hook for HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS of student debt that won’t be repaid for athletic kids who can’t get a job.
When I see kids with artsy-fartsy degrees who are in debt over $100K... and I have a pretty good handle on what their field pays the average/median/exceptional graduate... I can predict quite safely that the next debt-inflated bubble to pop will be the education bubble and ground zero of that explosion will be liberal arts and artsy-fartsy degrees.
Re: your second point: One of the reasons why conservatives are hostile to the arts is NEA. Others are CPB, PBS, public funded art exhibits, museums and so on that make it their mission to offend the sensibilities of the public.
The following quite nicely captures the attitude of public servants and “the arts:”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvNw0P5ZMbA
GEORGE: I don’t know what’cha had to tell her that for. You put me in a very difficult position, Marine Biologist! I'm very uncomfortable with this whole thing.JERRY: You know with all do respect I would think it's right up your alley.
GEORGE: Well it's not up my alley! It's one thing if I make it up. I know what I'm doin, I know my alleys! You got me in the Galapagos Islands livin' with the turtles, I don't know where the hell I am.
JERRY: Well you came in the other day with all that whale stuff, the squeaking and the squealing and…
GEORGE: Look, why couldn't you make me an architect? You know I always wanted to pretend that I was an architect.
That’s really wonderful. I’m glad you were both able to make it.
That’s not architecture, those are tasks incidental to architecture
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And my point is...ARCHITECTS are incidental to architecture! Hence the unemployment rate.
You may be describing the OWS movement.
ART VANDALAY!
Except there is a little blip called virtually NO CONSTRUCTION going on and no capital to available to get construction going. Architects being out of work are the leading indicator that the construction industry is not coming back soon.
However, I will agree with you in one way ... that there was/is a glut of architects even before the construction bust.
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