It's ludicrous to believe that those at the academy generally have any better ideas or abilities to move the nation and the world forward than other individuals in society do. I say this from the perspective of someone who spent 18 years after high school attaining and advancing my education and training in my profession.
We have made celebrities of politicians, and oracles of those in academia. Big, big mistake. There are smart people with great ideas in every walk of life, and people with limited vision and bad ideas peppered throughout academia and government.
There needs to be a revolution in education that provides a real leveling of the playing field, eradicates the elite designations, and motivates a wider spectrum of people to achieve. Online education, with national standards that can be tested for and certified, is one way to get beyond the 40-60K / year costs that many students are getting soaked for. If someone who self-educates online scores as well or higher than someone who spent 4 years and a fortune at Harvard, so be it.
So be it.
BTTT