Thursday, February 17, 2011

Education does not equal better

NOT EVERYONE CAN BE A DOCTOR. NEITHER SHOULD THEY BE

We're all brought up with the notion that education is the way out of poverty. Or restated, the reason why people are impoverished is lack of education.

This is not correct. Not everyone can be an engineer, doctor, lawyer, scientist, businessman, etc. The menial work must be performed by someone in the economy. Windows and carpets must be cleaned, farms farmed, shelves stocked, grass cut, food served, groceries checked out, oil changed and tires rotated, etc.

There must be people there to fill the lower and middle class jobs. We can live without an IT manager or a stock broker. We can't live without a farmer or someone who can replace the tire on the side of the road. Imagine you are stranded on a boat and you have a stock broker, an IT manager, a farmer, and construction handyman alongside you. Who would be most valuable once the boat hit an island and survival was crucial?

An economy is sound only if people at the lowest levels get paid enough to eat and live off of. The jobs for lawyers, stock brokers, middle management.. That's just icing.

So who cares how educated that farmer is. Or the person with the vegetable cart. Or the guy providing camel rides. They must be paid enough so they can live a dignified life.

If everyone went to college, it would only produce an oversupply of "educated people" the economy cannot absorb. Imagine if tomorrow, everyone graduated a doctor. Would you think there would be a massive pool of unemployed doctors.

Just look at all the unemployed people in the US. There's lots of skilled and experienced people in IT, engineering, sales, management, etc.

Education does not determine if you will have a job and a good job. The system will.

School and college are worthless. Do what Benjamin Franklin did. Tinker around until you find something you like doing. Then specialize. And keep learning and learning. Self learning is the best there is no replacement. You WILL succeed on your own terms. Don't be a generalist, be a specialist.

So my theory of a civil war is coming true. The younger generations do not have good prospects. There's no way for them to gain dignity by establishing a home, a car, a retirement. The younger generations will rebel against the entrenched older generations who have their stake invested in the current system.

[Youtube] Egypt's unemployed youth (2008)

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