Axios must think it's onto something new here … after all, it's the Right's "growing skepticism" of higher education. Conservatives have been skeptical for a long time about the myth that you must attend college to succeed. Learn a trade, make good money, and live free of college debt. I remember when Al Gore was running for president and promised he'd make it so every American student would attend college. Guess what? Not every student is geared for college. It's not for everyone. All of the talk about making it "free" won't help kids who can't read after graduating high school.
But now there's a Republican war on college, and it's being spearheaded by both Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis. We'd argue just the opposite for DeSantis … he's turning New College from a place where hippies can glide through with a gender studies degree to an actual institution of higher learning. He's determined to make it a respectable institution (and being demonized for it).
Former President Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, the two GOP presidential frontrunners, have both promised a crackdown on colleges should they occupy the White House — a stark reflection of the right's growing skepticism of higher education.https://t.co/KpL5gR2Uxo
— Axios (@axios) July 29, 2023
OK, let's hear it. Caitlin Owens writes:
Between the lines: Some Republican complaints about colleges are related to broader concern about "wokeness" and free speech. But others hint at deeper questions about the value of college, and how to ensure a degree comes with an appropriate economic return.
Driving the news: In a video posted on his website last week, Trump pledged to "fire the radical Left accreditors" and hire new ones "who will impose real standards on colleges."
Some of those standards would include "protecting free speech," "removing all Marxist diversity, equity, and inclusion bureaucrats," and "implementing college entrance and exit exams to prove that students are actually learning and getting their money's worth."
Last month, DeSantis sued the Biden administration over the college accreditation system, alleging it's unconstitutional, Inside Higher Ed reports. Students who receive federal aid must attend an accredited college or university.
You'd think will all of the young people complaining that they can't get a job with their college degree that the Democrats would have an interest as well. Instead, they want to forgive college debt and leave it at that.
"a crackdown on colleges"
— mallen2023 (@mallen202311572) July 29, 2023
You mean reforming the college loan scam.
Higher "education" is turning out some real losers that won't help our country be successful.
— Informalib🔍 (@Informalib) July 29, 2023
Too many have gotten a pass to get in, including legacy admissions.
You mean war on communist and Marxist indoctrination? Yeah fixed it for you Axios
— Teksus Meskin (@Teklobo1) July 29, 2023
Or a reflection of Americans being fed up with being fleeced by colleges.
— LouC_2 (@LouC_2) July 29, 2023
The use of politically descriptive terms like "right" or "liberal" in journalism continues to irritate the shit out of me. https://t.co/td16AiAewE
— Blame Big Government (@BlameBigGovt) July 29, 2023
Instead of an in-depth reporting on the unamerican propaganda that is pushed in colleges and having a discussion about it, it's the GOP that is bad. You may like to have Marxist ideas pushed in college. A lot of people don't - but the media doesn't want the discussion. https://t.co/yvu5nYvxcD
— Ruth Peterson (@RuthAPeterson) July 29, 2023
Again, why doesn't Biden talk to all of these members of Gen Z who are still paying off student loans and can't find a full-time job? Why are their degrees useless in the job market? Haven't the schools failed them? They paid a lot of money to attend college — shouldn't there be some benefit?
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