Indoctrination of the Nation

Here's an interesting viewpoint on the system of 'higher education' in America, titled, aptly, "$40,000 numbskulls".

The article really hammers on the fact that American college graduates have their time wasted on meaningless indocrination rather than education...

Young America's Foundation and Accuracy in Academia publish lists of courses like these, at many other colleges, that are nothing less than student indoctrination through academic dishonesty.

Parents are paying an average tuition of $21,000, and at some colleges over $40,000, to have their children exposed to anti-Americanism and academic nonsense.

Well, I'm one of those $40,000+ (now $45,000+ a year) college students and I have to say that, well, some of this holds truth. Yes, there are a lot of stupid throw-away courses such as the article-mentioned "Sex, Drugs, and Rock 'n' Roll in Ancient Egypt." You had your choice between "Ancient Athletics" or "Alpine Archaelogy" and thats just the "A" list of courses. Hell, you could have gone with "Women in French Cinema", more correctly termed by students as "French Porn." That's what 45,000 greenbacks will buy you - a French Porn class.

On the other hand, parents should help their kids pick a school where they will take what is interesting and helpful. Yes, a kid is on his/her own in college but that doesn't mean parents shouldn't have a say - lord knows they're paying enough to merit one.

The article also goes on to hammer on college graduates knowledge of American history and the principles of American society...

A survey conducted by the Center for Survey Research and Analysis at the University of Connecticut gave 81 percent of the seniors a D or F in their knowledge of American history. The students could not identify Valley Forge, or words from the Gettysburg Address, or even the basic principles of the U.S. Constitution. A survey released by the McCormick Tribune Freedom Museum found that American adults could more readily identify Simpson cartoon characters than name freedoms guaranteed in the First Amendment.

I'm not surprised, are you? However, I do agree, that is nothing short of horrifying. And people are surprised when our administration can bulldoze our civil and private rights. Of course they can, who's going to stand up to defend them? The guy who doesn't know the Constitution or the gal who's completey mis-referncing the Declaration of Independence? You have your veritable pick of the litter of people completely oblivious to what our great nation was, is, and could be.

I just hope that, as the article suggests - the private funders and trustees of the universities get involved and draw some battle lines.

And this is the next great generation of Americans? As our King Homer would say, "D'oh!"