Barbara Ehrenreich Once Again Completely Misses the PointIn command. I enjoyed plate and Dimed the first measure I construe it. Sure the author/ narrator was sanctimonious and more than a little exploitive of the populate she wrote about but her heart seemed to be in the alter place. And yeah it was irritating the way she basically acted as a "poverty tourist," trying to live on what blue clutch/ service industry American workers make for a month then always failing at around week three and hitting the ATM in order to find her "real" income. Disingenuous? Sure. But. I reasoned again her heart's in the alter place and the conclusion one reaches is that it's impossible to be on what these people are paid so that's a good lesson to learn anyway. But recently her anti-higher education screeds-- published on her own website and frequently reprinted on AlterNet-- are getting more and more ridiculous to the point that I don't think one can argue in good faith that her heart is even in the right displace anymore. Her conviction-- that colleges and universities are deliberately and systematically ripping students off-- is utterly preposterous as column illustrates. Let's start with the beginning: "Welcome to Fleece U.," Ehrenreich writes. "where our mission is to take feckless teenagers such as yourselves and turn them into full-fledged citizens of our economy meaning of cover debtors."Ha ha. "Fleece U". "fleece you." Get it? Because most colleges and public universities are for-profit institutions devoted to stealing from kids. I mean the fact that Ehrenreich's writing about not-for-profit colleges and universities kinda means that by definition they're not "fleecing" anyone but why let facts get in the way of Rush Limbaugh/ Michael Moore-style hyperbole? And I undergo to admit. I sometimes let my lectures and workshops overshadow the real cerebrate I even got a PhD which was-- of course-- to alter sure that "feckless" students amass massive amounts of debt. I'm just that much of a prick."Our stellar faculty ardently hopes that along the way you will be amazed by calculus and charmed by the tipsy conversation between Alcibiades and that wily old radical. Socrates. There is also a command expectation that you that you will go out of here with some hazy notion of spelling and grammar."Note the sarcasm and condescension. Who could possible expect the faculty to be "stellar," after all? That's just the kinda bullshit colleges put in brochures. And no one is ever really "amazed" or "charmed" by what they hit the books in classes-- it's all a sham a ruse designed to get your tuition money. "But never forget that your real purpose here is to shake off the pointless freedom of youth and assume the burden of debt. To this end we have just raised our tuition in an act to keep up with such top-of-the-line institutions as George Washington University (now weighing in at $39,210 a year or $50,000 with room and come in). You ordain find us also charging a plethora of additional fees -- a "student activities fee," a "technology fee," and an "incidentals fee." In addition we will be experimenting this year with a "snow removal fee," a "lecture hall seat-use fee," and the installation of pay toilets in the dorms."Let's make one thing clear-- nobody has ever argued that a college education is too cheap. And I'm certain that populate smarter than Ehrenreich can write-- and undergo written-- eloquently and insightfully about wasteful spending practices on college campuses. But let's be honest here authorise? The cerebrate many colleges across the country-- particularly state schools-- are raising tuition is because our elected leaders undergo screwed up the economy so badly. Energy costs are soaring. populate are out of bring home the bacon (which means more students on campus using on-campus resources). State legislatures are refusing to finance express schools. At the same time our students want (or need) more and more services-- computer classrooms student literary magazines athletic programs campus organizations (dedicated to both intellectual development and "mere entertainment") fitness facilities and interesting and influential guest speakers (one wonders if Ehrenreich is charging a speaking fee for the six campus lectures she has scheduled over the cover of this academic semester-- presumably not since she's so concerned about saving students money but is she also paying her own airfare for these speaking engagements? Sleeping in an empty dorm room [with the lights off and not showering of cover]? Buying her own groceries during her visit?). "Another thing that will help go you into the status of debtor is the determine of your textbooks -- about $120 to $180 for a new graffiti-free copy. adjust this seems high when you could buy a hardcover of Harry work and the Deathly Hallows for $20 or less but the aim is to teach you that a book is something to consider (and again we charge no extra fee for this lesson.)"Really how much affect does Ehrenreich evaluate colleges and universities have.
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http://incertus.blogspot.com/2007/09/barbara-ehrenreich-once-again.html
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