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12/01/17
17:21
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Originally posted by picastoc
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I was at university before Whitlam came to power and university was free. It was not an initiative of Whitlam's. However, a much smaller proportion of the student population ever aspired to go there - places were only given to the very top performing students. Many others took cadetships and office work, etc and there was always plenty of those jobs available. I reckon that people who enjoy being creative and physical work get lots of job satisfaction and a pity university is talked up over and above these hands-on jobs.
If there is diminishing returns to the value of education, then part of the explanation is that one may end of spending many thousands of dollars and end up struggling to find a job at the end of the day. I think there is a lot of unhappiness and cynicism about life in general now, much as you have argued. I know of academics who have left their jobs as they find the standards have fallen so much, that they have no job satisfaction. English standards are also a problem with students whose first language is not English.
I doubt whether people are happier because of readily disposable marriages and the children suffer too. I have a nephew who is just over 40 and in a day or two (literally) about to enter his third marriage. He and his ex-wives have seven children between them. That is a dreadful outcome of marriage on demand. Overall lots of the basics have disappeared, some of these things we took for granted or thought they could be improved on. Sadly, that has not happened.
Now we have Julie Bishop caught out spending taxpayers money to attend a Polo match. Where do we look to for high principles of behaviour? Not in our politicians, that is for sure. Nothing to see of value in either of the two major parties, indeed quite the opposite.
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It's nice to have met you Picastoc. I find the bemouthing on these sites disturbing
Note - bemouthing, invented through a discussion with my sister, about the pace of words are being invented through combinations of 2 separate words. Belittling and bad mouthing. (Please don't bemouth me about inventing bemouthing)