I have been a critic of "academic credentials" for decades. Liberals use them in place of actual intelligence. There are so many "social justice adjustments" made by Universities like UC Berkley and Harvard right now that the degrees have become watered down - yet liberals tout them and weaponize them. As a CEO of companies I founded in CA, I always said if I were to choose between a high school graduate from Nebraska who knows science and math versus most degrees from UC Berkley, I would hire the Nebraska candidate every time BECAUSE they would know how to "think".
Not so long ago, certain bearded humans declared themselves touched by God, and given special abilities to tell the rest of us how to live our lives, or else! We finally shook off that monster, but some people still think royalty exists with antique anointing and special abilities. Now we have a foolish class of badly educated academics who adopt titles, and God knows perhaps grow beards. Ignore them.
Aside from illuminating a pervasive cancer in the body politic, Williams mentions a truth not well understood by conservatives when he writes, "The progressive mentality is also bipartisan. There are precious few politicians of any party at any level that consistently and intelligently resist deference to administrators and “experts.” Progressivism has flourished since about 1935 mainly because there was no opposition from Republicans or conservatives. Fritz
As a young conservative BFA candidate in the early 1980's, I soon realized I didn't want to spend a lifetime currying favor with the elitist art & croissants crowd. I then leapt from the pan into the fire by switching to education, thinking I'd teach English and art. What a joke! A BA in Education was by far the shortest degree plan my state university offered--I think it was a mere 120 hours or so. I couldn't stifle my gag reflex longer than one semester before escaping Academia for an actual paying career in retail management. Then and now, I'm appalled at what passes for intellectualism among these credentialed elites. I used to describe myself as "degree equivalent," but I think more highly of myself now.
Excellent analysis, Ryan. The public health establishment is a custom-made weapon of the Progressive movement, and its camouflage is perfect. Few of my colleagues in medicine understand that public health is actually a function of government primarily, and of medicine only secondarily. The institution's transformation from microbe hunters to social justice warriors, gun grabbers, and wokescolds over the last 75 years is mindboggling.
I have been a critic of "academic credentials" for decades. Liberals use them in place of actual intelligence. There are so many "social justice adjustments" made by Universities like UC Berkley and Harvard right now that the degrees have become watered down - yet liberals tout them and weaponize them. As a CEO of companies I founded in CA, I always said if I were to choose between a high school graduate from Nebraska who knows science and math versus most degrees from UC Berkley, I would hire the Nebraska candidate every time BECAUSE they would know how to "think".
Not so long ago, certain bearded humans declared themselves touched by God, and given special abilities to tell the rest of us how to live our lives, or else! We finally shook off that monster, but some people still think royalty exists with antique anointing and special abilities. Now we have a foolish class of badly educated academics who adopt titles, and God knows perhaps grow beards. Ignore them.
Aside from illuminating a pervasive cancer in the body politic, Williams mentions a truth not well understood by conservatives when he writes, "The progressive mentality is also bipartisan. There are precious few politicians of any party at any level that consistently and intelligently resist deference to administrators and “experts.” Progressivism has flourished since about 1935 mainly because there was no opposition from Republicans or conservatives. Fritz
MacIntyre nailed it with the culture of "managers and therapists".
As a young conservative BFA candidate in the early 1980's, I soon realized I didn't want to spend a lifetime currying favor with the elitist art & croissants crowd. I then leapt from the pan into the fire by switching to education, thinking I'd teach English and art. What a joke! A BA in Education was by far the shortest degree plan my state university offered--I think it was a mere 120 hours or so. I couldn't stifle my gag reflex longer than one semester before escaping Academia for an actual paying career in retail management. Then and now, I'm appalled at what passes for intellectualism among these credentialed elites. I used to describe myself as "degree equivalent," but I think more highly of myself now.
Excellent analysis, Ryan. The public health establishment is a custom-made weapon of the Progressive movement, and its camouflage is perfect. Few of my colleagues in medicine understand that public health is actually a function of government primarily, and of medicine only secondarily. The institution's transformation from microbe hunters to social justice warriors, gun grabbers, and wokescolds over the last 75 years is mindboggling.