Thomas Sowell: Ivy League Baton Twirling

One of the sad and dangerous signs of our times is how many people are enthralled by words, without bothering to look at the realities behind those words.

One of those words that many people seldom look behind is “education.” But education can cover anything from courses on nuclear physics to courses on baton twirling….

- Thomas Sowell, Real Clear Politics (May 10, 2011)

The average American voter today is regularly treated to shallow news reporting and unquestioning “puff pieces” that neither require nor inspire critical thinking.

Words are spoken.  Stories are read.  And here we sit, taking it all in.

In a new article titled The ‘Education’ Mantra, posted in Real Clear Politics, Thomas Sowell traces this passivity to what has become the norm in many of our country’s colleges and universities:  an emphasis on “soft” education, rather than more serious subjects that groom students to become more - not less - productive in society.

In reading this article, you’ll see that, once again, Sowell has written a salient and thoughtful editorial that is worth sharing far and wide - readily addressing the impact of these curricular changes in higher education in the United States and across the world.

An excerpt from The ‘Education’ Mantra:

Many Third World countries have turned out so many people with diplomas, but without meaningful skills, that “the educated unemployed” became a cliche among people who study such countries. This has not only become a personal problem for those individuals who have been educated, or half-educated, without acquiring any ability to fulfill their rising expectations, it has become a major economic and political problem for these countries.

Such people have proven to be ideal targets for demagogues promoting polarization and strife. We in the United States are still in the early stages of that process. But you need only visit campuses where whole departments feature soft courses preaching a sense of victimhood and resentment, and see the consequences in racial and ethnic polarization on campus.

There are too many other soft courses that allow students to spend years in college without becoming educated in any real sense.

We don’t need more government “investment” to produce more of such “education.” Lofty words like “investment” should not blind us to the ugly reality of political porkbarrel spending.

Thomas Sowell is one this country’s most brilliant - and logical - economic minds.  His ability to link political policy with “kitchen table” issues like commodity pricing, social relations, and, yes, education, is simply unparalleled.

Indeed, it might go a long way toward re-instituting “hard” education if Sowell’s body of work were among required reading in the core curriculum of every university.  As it is, anyone who’s serious about understanding the holistic impact of economic policy in our society would do well to follow Mr. Sowell’s writings.

- tdc

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*Photo via wn.com