Rush Limbaugh hates education

[JB3]

Someone that I know at my alma mater posted a quite interesting op-ed piece written by a history professor there, excoriating Rush Limbaugh for a miniature rant he went on the other day about Classical studies being useless. Long and short of it: Limbaugh is disparaging the very thing that the founding fathers held dear, and had they believed what he believes, our nation would be a very different place. (if it even would have existed) Birzer is quite brilliant (even though he was scary as hell to have as a professor), and its interesting to read someone in academia rip Limbaugh from head to toe over his anti-intellectualism. You also get an insight into the divisions between conservatives and the 'screaming' politics of Limbaugh and others.

Again, I ask, what is Mr. Limbaugh’s conservatism? To conserve? To conserve what? If we don’t recognize the continuity of the liberal arts from Socrates to Cicero to St. Augustine to St. Thomas More to John Adams, we are a lost people indeed.

And, perhaps, if we fail to remember such things, we deserve to remain lost.

http://www.catholicvote.org/discuss/index.php?p=22461

(personally, I could do without the references to God and religion, but the point Birzer is making is not dependent on them. Also keep in mind this was posted at a Catholic website, so the references are catered to that audience.)

 

[bike10]

Rush Limbaugh show us your high school diploma.

 

[rareboy]

The illiterate and the ignorant have always attacked education and learning.

It is because they know they are too stupid or too lazy.

And the most cynical know that education leads to liberalism and that a plutocracy relies on having a huge under-educated peasant class.

Isn't it about time for Limbaugh to have a major stroke or heart attack?

 

[palemale]

Most of the conservative, Republican base wants to conserve stupidity and ignorance.

 

[Jack Springer]

I listened to Limbaugh that day - I rarely do anymore.

He was making the point that not everyone needs or should go to college. He didn't see college as a fit for him.

He also talked about how the cost of education is so high because of salaries of professors and wondered why the occupy protestors were not angry at them regarding their high college bills.

Do you think everyone needs to go to college?

 

[rareboy]

Really????

The high cost of professor's salaries on a per student basis?

Really?????

That is what OWS protesters and students should be concerned about?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professors_in_the_United_States#Salary

This guy still has a chip on his shoulder that with all of his money and influence, intelligent people simply look down their nose at him.

It is shit like this though that clearly demonstrates that the guy doesn't do any research, or that he has no problem lying to the bottom dwellers who listen to him.

 

[Pangelboy]

It's in Limbaugh's best interest to continue to demagogue in this way. Aren't the "liberal elites" one of the neo-conservative movement's enemies? I don't think he believes half the crap he says, but he knows that it gets him ratings and allows him to cater to a particular audience.

Now, if Limbaugh was making the point that too many people are being told they MUST go to college, instead of attacking Liberal Arts, then he might have a small point. In the end, whether or not everyone should go to college is moot, because the fact of the matter is that to start a career in most sectors you need to go to college.

Most jobs and careers that didn't require a post-secondary education have been shipped overseas, reduced in number, automated, etc. So what do you expect HS grads to do to earn a reasonable living? And raising tuition costs and the current job market are destroying that.

He also talked about how the cost of education is so high because of salaries of professors and wondered why the occupy protestors were not angry at them regarding their high college bills.

I hope he didn't stop there. There's the bulging administration, reduction in government subsidies, government/private loan guarantees, increase in enrollment, and the list goes on....

But it's easy to hate on those "west/east cost ivy league liberal educators", so I guess that's all Limbaugh touched on.

 

[nycguydowntown]

Most of the conservative, Republican base wants to conserve stupidity and ignorance.

Exactly--because it's worked for 30 years to control the morons in this country who continue to work hard and financially stagnate and then listen to the fat rich fuck and go and vote the way he tells them to.

 

[Kulindahr]

He had a good thing going until he asked what classical studies is. From there on it was a wonderful display of crass ignorance -- he doesn't know what classical studies is, he doesn't know what the classics are, he doesn't have a clue about majors at universities....

He used to do his homework. Now he just blathers.

 

[hotatlboi]

Rush hates a lot of things. The man is a cauldron full to the brim with hate.

 

[TX-Beau]

well of course he hates education - that deprives him of audience.

Critical thinking and all that...

 

[JB3]

He also talked about how the cost of education is so high because of salaries of professors and wondered why the occupy protestors were not angry at them regarding their high college bills.

You think professors are too highly paid? The average professor, without tenure, makes LESS than a less qualified public teacher. At the university where I got my teaching certificate, they were having great difficulty finding music education professors because there was a significant difference (close to $20,000) in pay between the public schools and the university. If the teacher has a Ph.D. they are better off sticking in the public schools because they make a lot more money.

Do you think everyone needs to go to college?

College isn't for everyone. But those without a college degree only make 75% of what those that have one do. In many jobs where no college degree used to be required, candidates without one are finding it hard to get hired.

 

[TX-Beau]

Yeah well people with degrees are finding it hard to get hired.

Rush would just say that's your own damn fault.

if you can't afford your illegal Oxycontin, you must be a lazy fuck.

 

[JB3]

Yeah well people with degrees are finding it hard to get hired.

Rush would just say that's your own damn fault.

if you can't afford your illegal Oxycontin, you must be a lazy fuck.

And those without one are finding it even more difficult.

 

[Just_Believe18]

Hear, hear, JB3!

 

[TX-Beau]

And those without one are finding it even more difficult.

Maybe yes, maybe no - there are two mechanics in my family that have no problem finding jobs while several of my friends from graduate school are still without work.

It's not so simple as some kind of competition of college verses other out there.

Why are you implying that it would be?

 

[JB3]

Maybe yes, maybe no - there are two mechanics in my family that have no problem finding jobs while several of my friends from graduate school are still without work.

It's not so simple as some kind of competition of college verses other out there.

Why are you implying that it would be?

You're talking about something different. People (like mechanics) that can be trained without any degree are not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about retail management jobs, where a college degree is now an expectation. Or office jobs. Or anything similar. A lot of places won't even look at your application if you don't have a degree of some sort.

 

[TX-Beau]

So your entire point is restricted to things like "retail management?"

I'm not talking about "something different" you were talking about jobs and if you can't get one with your degree that means what?

Where did those jobs go?

Rush for all his bluster is not at fault for that.

(I am not defending the assohole in any way whatsoever)

 

[Kulindahr]

Rush hates a lot of things. The man is a cauldron full to the brim with hate.

Pompous, self-righteous hate, to be more specific.

You think professors are too highly paid? The average professor, without tenure, makes LESS than a less qualified public teacher. At the university where I got my teaching certificate, they were having great difficulty finding music education professors because there was a significant difference (close to $20,000) in pay between the public schools and the university. If the teacher has a Ph.D. they are better off sticking in the public schools because they make a lot more money.



College isn't for everyone. But those without a college degree only make 75% of what those that have one do. In many jobs where no college degree used to be required, candidates without one are finding it hard to get hired.

The difference here isn't so broad, but probationary (probably not the right word) professors do get less than public school teacher. Untenured get a bit less.

I heard that one department got an inspiration. Apparently being department head brought a raise that didn't go away if you stopped being department head. So the faculty in that department started rotating the department chair. Pretty slick.

Maybe yes, maybe no - there are two mechanics in my family that have no problem finding jobs while several of my friends from graduate school are still without work.

It's not so simple as some kind of competition of college verses other out there.

Why are you implying that it would be?

There are, according to a recent news report on our local Fox station, which they probably picked up from a Reuters article I saw, 3.4 million jobs in the U.S. that aren't filled. They aren't filled because when people like Clinton started the push for everyone going to college, enrollment at technical schools plunged. So here we are in an economy with an abundance of labor... and no one qualified to take an immense number of jobs that are going begging.

One factory owner explained how that hurt: they lacked like four techs for a process, which meant they had to lay off technical people for associated processes. Their production was reduced because of it, so they had to lay off eight trained but not technical employees. With those employees gone, another dozen or so jobs were eliminated as well. So for the lack of four techs, twenty jobs were lost.

I suspect that's high, but if the ordinary situation is only a quarter of that, filling all the technical jobs in the country would produce a total of 14.2 million jobs.

Some companies are banding together to ask Congress to pass a law allowing people with technical skills needed by U.S. companies to get immediate green cards. It's easy to see why.

 

[JB3]

So your entire point is restricted to things like "retail management?"

I'm not talking about "something different" you were talking about jobs and if you can't get one with your degree that means what?

Where did those jobs go?

Rush for all his bluster is not at fault for that.

(I am not defending the assohole in any way whatsoever)

I don't think you're quite understanding what I'm talking about. No, my point is not restricted to things like 'retail management'. Its excludes jobs that require training but no expectation of a degree. (like mechanics, or plumbers, etc.) The threshold of jobs requiring degrees has dramatically risen, making it very nearly impossible for those without one to get work.