Matt Taibbi: Ripping Off Young America: The College-Loan Scandal

[SheilaT]

23. What I'm trying to point out is that

vast numbers of young people get degrees in fields that have absolutely no job or earning potential. They need to be thinking ahead in the first place and get the minor or the second major in something that does lead to employment. I'm not saying never take something not vocational, I'm saying never lose sight of the need to earn a living.

I'd be the first to point out that a deplorable lack of knowledge of history is in large part what's wrong with a lot of things in this country. And I've taken business courses as an undergraduate and know that a lot of what's wrong with business degrees is that the program teaches essentially that all jobs are fungible and that if you can run one business you can run any other business. In my experience that's so false it would be laughable except the scary part is that most people running this country, or running hedge funds, or running buy-out companies, actually believe that.

And unless you forget how to read at age thirty, you can always go back and read about the Middle Ages or the life cycle of bees. Really.