RE: This is what religious conservatives does.
September 12, 2019 at 5:12 pm
(This post was last modified: September 12, 2019 at 5:16 pm by EgoDeath.)
We've seen concepts like this pushed by the right a number of times; I look back on Mike Rowe and his cry for high school aged students to ditch their dreams and get a job in one of the trades. Granted, while there are some good trade jobs, there's a lot of nonsense out there too. I can't tell you how many people I know working some construction or landscaping job who are struggling to get by, struggling to even pay their bills, and yet they're busting their ass and breaking their back on a daily basis. Does knowing a trade guarantee you a good job? Obviously not.
Granted, there is some evidence that a certificate in a skilled trade, like being an electrician for example, can set the stage for you to get a higher paying job than many Americans, later in your career. However, the same is true for some college degrees as well. Mike Rowe's suggestion to "ditch your dreams" and get into the trades simply isn't necessarily any better advice than "go to college, get a good degree." The one huge downside to college is the student loans. So if your issue is with being in debt, then sure, maybe a profession in a skilled trade is good for you. But seeing as how the average head of the household under 35 in America is something like $85,000 in debt... it seems like we don't really care about debt here.
After all, we all spend money we don't have. Well, I don't, but I would argue that the vast majority of Americans do. Want a car? Put it on the card. Want a house? Put it on the card. New washing machine? Card. So on and so forth.
The fact is, the claim that young people don't want to work is complete nonsense. Corporations are the ones who have lost their sense of loyalty, not employees. Companies today want to pay you as little as possible, work you as many hours as you can and don't you dare fucking complain about it. Such is the nature of business I suppose. Pensions don't even exist anymore. A company will keep you on as a temp for years on end, claiming they're on a "hiring freeze," if they can manage it. And they still expect you to be a good little boy or girl and keep quiet.
So, in my opinion, why not seek higher education? You should always have something that makes a company need you more than you need them. In fact, if you can manage having a useful degree of some kind, plus maybe a certification to run CNC machines or a CDL-A so you can drive truck, then great. The more things you have that make you a valuable, desirable employee, the better.
The idea that people should ditch the idea of higher education for a "real job" seems to come from this assumption that young people (meaning anyone younger than whoever is espousing this idea) are lazy. It's this idea that you should buckle down, put your boots on, go to work and get your hands dirty for ten hours a day. And to be honest, it's nonsense. We as Americans should be promoting higher education, not speaking out against it. I don't think this is some attempt at dumbing down America, though it could be that too. Who fucking knows with these nutbags. Telling people to "ditch their dreams" and become a roofer is fucking insane.
Granted, there is some evidence that a certificate in a skilled trade, like being an electrician for example, can set the stage for you to get a higher paying job than many Americans, later in your career. However, the same is true for some college degrees as well. Mike Rowe's suggestion to "ditch your dreams" and get into the trades simply isn't necessarily any better advice than "go to college, get a good degree." The one huge downside to college is the student loans. So if your issue is with being in debt, then sure, maybe a profession in a skilled trade is good for you. But seeing as how the average head of the household under 35 in America is something like $85,000 in debt... it seems like we don't really care about debt here.
After all, we all spend money we don't have. Well, I don't, but I would argue that the vast majority of Americans do. Want a car? Put it on the card. Want a house? Put it on the card. New washing machine? Card. So on and so forth.
The fact is, the claim that young people don't want to work is complete nonsense. Corporations are the ones who have lost their sense of loyalty, not employees. Companies today want to pay you as little as possible, work you as many hours as you can and don't you dare fucking complain about it. Such is the nature of business I suppose. Pensions don't even exist anymore. A company will keep you on as a temp for years on end, claiming they're on a "hiring freeze," if they can manage it. And they still expect you to be a good little boy or girl and keep quiet.
So, in my opinion, why not seek higher education? You should always have something that makes a company need you more than you need them. In fact, if you can manage having a useful degree of some kind, plus maybe a certification to run CNC machines or a CDL-A so you can drive truck, then great. The more things you have that make you a valuable, desirable employee, the better.
The idea that people should ditch the idea of higher education for a "real job" seems to come from this assumption that young people (meaning anyone younger than whoever is espousing this idea) are lazy. It's this idea that you should buckle down, put your boots on, go to work and get your hands dirty for ten hours a day. And to be honest, it's nonsense. We as Americans should be promoting higher education, not speaking out against it. I don't think this is some attempt at dumbing down America, though it could be that too. Who fucking knows with these nutbags. Telling people to "ditch their dreams" and become a roofer is fucking insane.
If you're frightened of dying, and you're holding on, you'll see devils tearing your life away. But if you've made your peace, then the devils are really angels, freeing you from the Earth.
