Are there too many educated intellectuals in the world?

[Woodznutz]

Not 'usually' for most people, but it often does take a crisis.

Sadly, often even a crisis isn't enough to change people.

 

[The Sage of Main Street]

And we need way over half of the labor force very highly educated.

No more than the University of Alabama needs half its male student body to be highly skilled at playing football

 

[The Sage of Main Street]

In certain situations, yes; but I think there’s a lot that can be gained by truly open-minded observation and conversation.

Conversation with Ventriloquists' Dummies?

 

[The Sage of Main Street]

Sadly, often even a crisis isn't enough to change people.

Such as 9/11

 

[Woodznutz]

Such as 9/11

I was thinking more of drug overdoses.

 

[westwall]

Are people with big college educations a good thing? I ask this because I have recently been thinking about a book I read in 2009. The book is Intellectuals and Society by Dr. Thomas Sowell. Sowell is a black American so that book should have carried a lot more weight than it did especially in these postmodern times. But Sowell’s work, concise, clear and relevant to our time, was treated in academic circles like a diatribe released by what actor, singer and black activist Harry Belafonte, would call an “Uncle Tom” houseslave. Personally, I was impressed by Sowell’s breathtaking intelligence and his influence on my thinking was real and lasting. I have the 2009 edition; it was revised in 2012.

The reason I bring this to light is because of something I noticed years ago that seemed weird. Does anyone remember April Glaspie? Glaspie was George H.W. Bush’s Ambassador to Iraq in 1990. Bush dispatched her to Iraq to find out why Saddam Husein was massing troops along Kuwait’s border. Glaspie had what most would call a big college education, and she used that education to secure a position as an expert in Arab affairs.

When she got there Saddam told her he was considering taking over Kuwait and he wanted to know what the US would do if he invaded. Glaspie’s highly educated response was dumbfounding. She told Hussien that that the US “has no opinion on Arab/Arab affairs”. Now Saddam was not an English speaker and Glaspie knew that or at least with all her education she should have known that.

Glaspie returned to the US and Saddam promptly invaded Kuwait on what he interpreted as an ok by the US to take over that country. I know this happened because I saw it happen. One of the major points in Sowell’s book is that intellectuals, particularly highly educated intellectuals like Glaspie, do a lot of damage to society but are never held accountable. Bush and Glaspie are not just responsible for the Gulf War but in all likelihood the Arab Spring that followed. It seemed weird that Bush the elder was pontificating about Kuwait’s invasion as something that “cannot stand” when he and Glaspie brought it about. I saw that happen and neither one of them was ever held accountable for their disastrous incompetence.

Both Bush and Glaspie should have gone to the gallows for their ineptitude because it led to the attack on the World Trade Center years later after George Bush attacked Iraq to rescue his father’s image with the false flag of weapons of mass destruction which were never found. If Saddam ever had any WMD’s he probably got them through secret channels from the US anyway because Iraq was very useful to the US as a counterbalance to Iran which took US hostages.

Now that I think about it Sowell’s book makes a lot of sense and I am going to read it again.

April Glaspie - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

No, there are too many educated idiots in the world.

 

[initforme]

And we need way over half of the labor force very highly educated.

If youbdisagree you are for regulating wages to keep them low. Anti american.

 

[Woodznutz]

In certain situations, yes; but I think there’s a lot that can be gained by truly open-minded observation and conversation.

People usually see only what they are looking for.

 

[justoffal]

Are people with big college educations a good thing? I ask this because I have recently been thinking about a book I read in 2009. The book is Intellectuals and Society by Dr. Thomas Sowell. Sowell is a black American so that book should have carried a lot more weight than it did especially in these postmodern times. But Sowell’s work, concise, clear and relevant to our time, was treated in academic circles like a diatribe released by what actor, singer and black activist Harry Belafonte, would call an “Uncle Tom” houseslave. Personally, I was impressed by Sowell’s breathtaking intelligence and his influence on my thinking was real and lasting. I have the 2009 edition; it was revised in 2012.

The reason I bring this to light is because of something I noticed years ago that seemed weird. Does anyone remember April Glaspie? Glaspie was George H.W. Bush’s Ambassador to Iraq in 1990. Bush dispatched her to Iraq to find out why Saddam Husein was massing troops along Kuwait’s border. Glaspie had what most would call a big college education, and she used that education to secure a position as an expert in Arab affairs.

When she got there Saddam told her he was considering taking over Kuwait and he wanted to know what the US would do if he invaded. Glaspie’s highly educated response was dumbfounding. She told Hussien that that the US “has no opinion on Arab/Arab affairs”. Now Saddam was not an English speaker and Glaspie knew that or at least with all her education she should have known that.

Glaspie returned to the US and Saddam promptly invaded Kuwait on what he interpreted as an ok by the US to take over that country. I know this happened because I saw it happen. One of the major points in Sowell’s book is that intellectuals, particularly highly educated intellectuals like Glaspie, do a lot of damage to society but are never held accountable. Bush and Glaspie are not just responsible for the Gulf War but in all likelihood the Arab Spring that followed. It seemed weird that Bush the elder was pontificating about Kuwait’s invasion as something that “cannot stand” when he and Glaspie brought it about. I saw that happen and neither one of them was ever held accountable for their disastrous incompetence.

Both Bush and Glaspie should have gone to the gallows for their ineptitude because it led to the attack on the World Trade Center years later after George Bush attacked Iraq to rescue his father’s image with the false flag of weapons of mass destruction which were never found. If Saddam ever had any WMD’s he probably got them through secret channels from the US anyway because Iraq was very useful to the US as a counterbalance to Iran which took US hostages.

Now that I think about it Sowell’s book makes a lot of sense and I am going to read it again.

April Glaspie - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Sowell is one of the premier intellects of our age.
Is thinking is so clear and concise that one can hardly argue with anything he says if you sit and listen to the entirety of it.

He has a rare ability to see the big picture.

 

[Woodznutz]

If youbdisagree you are for regulating wages to keep them low. Anti american.

Many businesses depend on low wage workers. Many agricultural enterprises exist only because of low wage workers. What is anti-American is hiring immigrants, who send $Billions out of the country in remittances.

 

[initforme]

Many businesses depend on low wage workers. Many agricultural enterprises exist only because of low wage workers. What is anti-American is hiring immigrants, who send $Billions out of the country in remittances.

Agreed. But if we are going to hire citizens to do the work then its a must to raise the wages bigly. Time to start paying people for working.

 

[John Edgar Slow Horses]

Many businesses depend on low wage workers. Many agricultural enterprises exist only because of low wage workers. What is anti-American is hiring immigrants, who send $Billions out of the country in remittances.

so you want to collapse the agri and hospitality businesses.

And don't pretend you support labor. Not ever.

 

[John Edgar Slow Horses]

Agreed. But if we are going to hire citizens to do the work then its a must to raise the wages bigly. Time to start paying people for working.

Big Business is not your friend.

 

[initforme]

Big Business is not your friend.

Nope. They just want a work force.

 

[John Edgar Slow Horses]

As low paid a work force as possible.

 

[initforme]

As low paid a work force as possible.

That has to change. Some how, some way.

 

[Woodznutz]

Agreed. But if we are going to hire citizens to do the work then its a must to raise the wages bigly. Time to start paying people for working.

Newsom raised fast food worker pay to $20/hr. Look what happened.

 

[Woodznutz]

That has to change. Some how, some way.

I started out with low pay, others can too. Too many have the "I want it all and I want it now!" attitude. Let 'em suffer for awhile and get their heads straight.

 

[Woodznutz]

so you want to collapse the agri and hospitality businesses.

And don't pretend you support labor. Not ever.

I support skilled labor.

 

[citygator]

The OP's argument that the more educated you are the worse off you are, and we as a society are? Only a culture warrior spouting lies would buy into that.

More education means:

1. Higher Lifetime Earnings & Economic Mobility

• On average, bachelor’s degree holders earn roughly 56–86% more than high school grads, translating to nearly $1 million more over a lifetime
• Economic returns remain strong even considering the cost of tuition—with internal rates of return around 14–16%, far above typical stock (7%) or bond (3%) returns Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
• For individuals from low‑income backgrounds, a four‑year degree makes it 3× more likely to reach the top income quintile, and prevents downward mobility for those born in middle or top tiers

2. Improved Health & Longevity

• Each additional year of education lowers mortality risk by ~2%, and completing tertiary education reduces risk by ~34%—equivalent to lifelong healthy diet and avoiding heavy drinking or smoking The Guardian.
• One more year of schooling is estimated to raise life expectancy by 0.18‑0.6 years. In present‑value terms, health gains alone can add $13,500–44,000 to the return on education
• People with higher education typically report lower rates of chronic illness, healthier behaviors, and better health literacy and care access

3. Greater Life Satisfaction & Happiness

• Studies show college graduates report higher life satisfaction, likely due to greater job meaning, security, and autonomy
• Long-term benefits of college—such as confidence, broader perspectives, social networks—also support mental well‑being and adaptability

4. Better Employment Outcomes & Job Security

• College grads have lower unemployment rates (around ~4%) compared to ~9–12% for those with only high school education
• They receive more employer benefits, such as health insurance and retirement plans, and face less risk of job loss

5. Stronger Social, Civic & Community Engagement

• College-educated individuals vote, volunteer, and engage civically at much higher rates—turnout ~75% vs ~52%, volunteer rates nearly double
• They are also 3.5× less likely to live in poverty and 5× less likely to be imprisoned APLU.

6. Broader Public & Societal Benefits

• Education contributes to public safety improvements, with higher schooling levels linked to reduced crime, lower incarceration, and decreased dependence on public assistance
• College-educated people contribute far more in taxes—an average bachelor's recipient contributes $381,000 more in lifetime taxes than they use in services

7. Expanded Skills & Personal Growth

• In addition to domain knowledge, college cultivates critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, and adaptability—skills valuable across careers
• A college education fosters networks—peers, mentors, professors—which often lead to new opportunities and personal enrichment

LINKS

https://www.myplainview.com/news/education/article/regional-universities-public-good-20796609.php?

https://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/research-summaries/education-earnings.html?

https://www.newyorkfed.org/medialibrary/media/research/current_issues/ci20-3.pdf?

https://www.ucop.edu/institutional-research-academic-planning/_files/vod-personal-well-being-brief.pdf?

https://www.luminafoundation.org/files/resources/its-not-just-the-money.pdf

How do college graduates benefit society at large? - APLU

Key Takeaways Nearly 70 percent of bachelor’s degree holders earn their diplomas from public universities and public university graduates play a central role in enhancing their communities.1 Although the public often emphasizes the benefits of a college degree to graduates themselves, the...

www.aplu.org