Guccifer casts out Hillary

[Hammerskjold]

Sanders says, "We have got to make sure that every qualified American in this country who wants to go to college can go to college -- regardless of income ..."

What do he mean by "qualified"? Why do they need to go to college? I'd say what we need to do is ensure that all high school graduates have an opportunity to find employment and pursue their dreams. Since when is it the governments job to dole out dream insurance? But, if you really want to go to college, then you work hard and get good grades. Then, you study hard and get really high ACT and SAT scores. Then, you get lot's of scholarships, to supplement your student loans. In other words, you need to work really hard to get to college, while in college, then work hard after college to pay for it. Opportunity yes, free ride no. The American Dream to me is a level playing field where everyone can pull themselves up, not queue up for an expensive government sponsored elevator.

Hmm, there might be a difference, or change over time of definitions of college and universities here. I remember there was a point in time when college was where you go if you want to learn a trade, or a trades like field, in order to get a job related to what you studied. University had a more academic, both hard and soft sciences and research fields, but there was no explicit guarantee of a job coming out.

Nowadays it seems tomaytoe tomahtoe, with more colleges aiming to have more 4-5 years university-like programs, and universities wanting to become more like colleges trying to entice people to enroll with hints of, "you NEED a uni diploma to even get an interview these days!".

And that's the best case scenarios I've seen. Worst is a diploma mill, churning out students who don't even have a basic grasp on how to verify their beliefs, and how to check their "facts". Example: someone who fancies themselves a poli-sci buff, yet can not check where, and how far back the origin of the term "politically correct" actually goes. Well maybe that is too much hard work, and work is an uncouth, 4 letter word to some folks.

In any case, while I can agree if you're saying that high school in general can use a lot of improvement. The circumstances where someone can say, get a stable, good paying manufacturing job with just a HS diploma looks severely reduced. Unless you mean HS should be geared so students can handle how to function at least at a moderate level in society, then yes sure, I also certainly agree with that idea. And maybe stop with the practice of failing students upward, because that is just passing the buck and shortchanging the student, and potentially society in the long run. What I'm saying is the devil is in the details, as always.

Looking at my own local area, the prediction I've heard is something like in 10 years (maybe sooner) there will be a labor vacuum in the trades. Trades people will be retiring, there are still not enough new blood to refill the ranks, and high schools with a trade program\facilities are either getting cut or severely reduced. (Vicious cycle). Which is kinda nuts, considering you can't really outsource someone like a carpenter or a plumber.