You make my point. Something has gone wrong with our society.
Once upon a time, a HS diploma really meant you were well educated. Does it mean that today?
Once upon a time, a college degree meant that you were destined to be one of the top dogs in our society. Does it mean that today?
Once upon a time, a graduate degree meant that you were an egghead. Today, it's the criteria for an entry-level job.
Inflation, taxes, housing costs, energy costs -- our society is broken. There are those who shrug and say, "So? Kids sponge off their parents until they are in their 30s. No big deal." But I think we need to step back and say "What the hell happened to our country?"
My answer: Too much Progressivism; not enough traditional American support for limited government.
You have good points, however, do note that the world has changed since the 50s. Why it's even changed since the 90s (I don't remember having any need to have a telephone when growing up and the internet came when I was just about finishing school)
Let's take your points one by one:
- Once upon a time, a HS diploma really meant you were well educated. Does it mean that today? --> Of course not. This is because
- High-school has been dumbed down
- Even if HS was at the same levels as the 50s, the facts are that one needs to spend more time to be an engineer, doctor, financial analyst, etc. etc. -- college is important (not for everyone --see point 3 below) and a masters can be very important for some careers
- The false attempt to get everyone to get to college -- only 20% of the population has an IQ > 120, and mostly only they (with some exceptions -- the hard-working ones) can really use college. At lot of the others, say the bottom 50% of the population should not be going to college. But who's going to tell them. Net result you have a number of degree holders in history of art who find that they can't get jobs
- Once upon a time, a college degree meant that you were destined to be one of the top dogs in our society. Does it mean that today? -- yes, for engineers and it was that was until 2008 for lawyers and until malpractise lawsuits took off, it was that way for doctors. The rise of the "sue-sue" culture has killed this off. The rise of the "TV culture" has enforced the image that to be smart is not "cool" (smart=nerd in TV-land). This ties in to the points I said above
- Once upon a time, a graduate degree meant that you were an egghead. Today's, it's the criteria for an entry-level job. Agreed -- and this is due to my point about 20-at most 50% or so of the college-age population only needing college.
- Inflation, taxes, housing costs, energy costs -- this comes from the welfare expansion years of the 50s and 60s. The problem is that once started it is like a drug -- difficult to give up.<
- Too much Progressivism; not enough traditional American support for limited government. --> Spot on, 100% accurate