Cutting Off Nose Isn’t Partisan – It’s Stupid

To cut off your nose to spite your face isn’t partisan – unless you are so poorly educated that you don’t believe you are cutting off your nose. That’s where we are. There are large swaths of American society who don’t have the tools – usually provided by education – to decide for themselves. They […]

Trust in Universities – About the Same as the Police

This is according to a new poll. Here are the numbers:

Piketty on “Diffusion of Knowledge”

Today’s Financial Times has a review of Thomas Piketty’s new book. I commented by pointing out that Piketty views knowledge and educational systems to be of tantamount importance, but I worry he doesn’t see the problem. Here is my comment. I hope the new book addresses what, in his previous book, Prof. Piketty points out […]

Fed Chair Tells Congress to Blame the Education System

See https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/02/15/powell-labor-force/ where I gave an explanation. he problem with the educational system isn’t easy to see – unless you are on the inside. Then it is clear. Our system of higher education has become corrupted and that is what has disrupted the whole system. I’ll explain further down, but first, here is Bill Gross, […]

David Brooks on Education

David Brooks is on to something https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/13/opinion/scandinavia-education.html, but we need to start with basics. I commented, Did you say we need to change how we “educate” everyone? I didn’t know we did. And that’s a problem. Here is Jefferson on why it’s a problem. “…Preach…a crusade against ignorance…improve the law for educating the common people. […]

Which of These Schools Truly Educates Students? Which Fits David Riesman’s (1980) Observations?

The following is from the lead article in Washington University’s 2012 School of Arts and Sciences (A & S) Magazine. The article is about “…How Arts and Sciences faculty encourage new science students to stay the course…”. “[Prof. X] brought a new way of teaching to campus…. To create a deeper level of understanding, not […]

What the Times Editorial Board Misses, But Jefferson Didn’t

The NY Times published this excellent editorial, but missed one important item that is destructive to our democracy. Here is the link, followed by my comment. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/01/opinion/sunday/trump-tape-fundraiser.html You write that there are “a pair of intertwined developments…that have magnified the influence of money…” Thomas Jefferson would add one more – the development that, without which, […]

Francis Fukuyama Misses a Point

I posted this comment on his op-ed. (https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/01/24/why-red-blue-america-cant-hear-each-other-anymore/?arc404=true) A critical factor, one not missed by Thomas Jefferson, is left out of this analysis. All I have space to do here is quote Jefferson – and point out that of the 26 least educated states (See wallethub.com/edu/e/most-educated-states/31075/) all but Nevada and New Mexico went for Trump.  […]

NY Times Op-Ed Misses Big Difference

My comment on the Op-Ed (https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/20/opinion/impeachment-trump-nixon.html#commentsContainer ) is below. The authors left off the most important difference. Here is Thomas Jefferson on that difference. “…Preach…a crusade against ignorance…improve the law for educating the common people…the people alone can protect us against…evil…kings, priests and nobles…will rise up among us if we leave the people in ignorance…” […]