Santorum, college, and--look, kitty!
I came thiiiis close (I'm holding my hand up with my index finger and thumb about half-an-inch away from completing an "okay" sign) to attempting a full-throttle rant about the latest idiocy coming from Rick Santorum and the teabaggers, this time over Santorum advancing the idea that making college more accessible is bad because, apparently, giving people the opportunity to be better-informed increases the odds they'll end up (shudder) liberals. I dunno, seems to me that this is the ultimate critique of Rick Santorum and the teabagger movement coming from the 'baggers themselves: basically, "You have to be ignorant to believe what we do," is what they're saying here.
You'd think that would be enough to settle it.
The thing is: sure, a liberal arts or bachelor of science degree isn't really for everyone and there's certainly an argument that America needs more diversity of skills. But that's not really the same as saying "college isn't for everyone"; it's complicated, but there are at least two problems with that statement: first, that there's just no logical reason someone who isn't BA/BS-bound can't learn a skilled trade at a two-year college; second, that the role of college has changed in American society, and it isn't just about an education, but also about keeping young adults out of a labor pool that no longer has room for them for an extra couple of years (i.e. college has in fact taken on a babysitting role and become an extension of high school; you don't have to like it, but until you're ready to bring back the private pension programs that allowed people to retire--even from blue collar jobs--in their 50s and/or expand Social Security, sorry, you're just gonna have to suck it up).
The above is sort of cogent and unelaborated on, because the problem with elaborating on it and the reason I don't want to write some kind of epic post on the subject is that at some point the rank anti-intellectualism of the 'baggers (not to mention the apparent hypocrisy of Santorum) ultimately leads down a rabbit hole of incoherence. The real, final, inevitable response to the 'baggers ends up being, "Whaaaaa--but whaaaaat the--gahhhhh--fubbleblaaaaaaaah" followed by having to use a tire jack to lift your lower jaw. (Proposal: assuming ethical waivers and NIH clearances can be secured, medical scientists doing research on strokes, epilepsy and similar cerebral electrochemical malfunctions could show interviews with teabaggers to healthy test subjects in order to trigger similar symptoms which might be cured with the latest promising treatment du jour.)
So we're just going to drop it there and close with a video of a cat teaching a human sign language. All'y'all try and have a good Sunday, okay?
You'd think that would be enough to settle it.
The thing is: sure, a liberal arts or bachelor of science degree isn't really for everyone and there's certainly an argument that America needs more diversity of skills. But that's not really the same as saying "college isn't for everyone"; it's complicated, but there are at least two problems with that statement: first, that there's just no logical reason someone who isn't BA/BS-bound can't learn a skilled trade at a two-year college; second, that the role of college has changed in American society, and it isn't just about an education, but also about keeping young adults out of a labor pool that no longer has room for them for an extra couple of years (i.e. college has in fact taken on a babysitting role and become an extension of high school; you don't have to like it, but until you're ready to bring back the private pension programs that allowed people to retire--even from blue collar jobs--in their 50s and/or expand Social Security, sorry, you're just gonna have to suck it up).
The above is sort of cogent and unelaborated on, because the problem with elaborating on it and the reason I don't want to write some kind of epic post on the subject is that at some point the rank anti-intellectualism of the 'baggers (not to mention the apparent hypocrisy of Santorum) ultimately leads down a rabbit hole of incoherence. The real, final, inevitable response to the 'baggers ends up being, "Whaaaaa--but whaaaaat the--gahhhhh--fubbleblaaaaaaaah" followed by having to use a tire jack to lift your lower jaw. (Proposal: assuming ethical waivers and NIH clearances can be secured, medical scientists doing research on strokes, epilepsy and similar cerebral electrochemical malfunctions could show interviews with teabaggers to healthy test subjects in order to trigger similar symptoms which might be cured with the latest promising treatment du jour.)
So we're just going to drop it there and close with a video of a cat teaching a human sign language. All'y'all try and have a good Sunday, okay?
Comments
The only time in his life he has been left speechless is when a teabagger told him his liberal arts BA had trained him to be a liberal.
But the more he opens his mouth to spews out nonsense and obviously stupid points, the more I like it. He's self-identifying as a hate-filled bigot for all those with the perception to see it. He's providing a great contrast for the voters.