[Info-vax] IBM Layoffs (quite a bit off topic)

[David Froble]

brendan welch wrote:
> This may sound strange coming from a former school teacher,
> but I see a relation here.
> 
> We are constantly politically assailed about the necessity
> of (high priced) education,  but please note:

Knowledge and education is not a bad thing.

> 1) There are simply too many educated people.  Thousands
> laid off from IBM (and previously especially from the
> financial community) are competing with kids who will
> be paid much less.
> 
> 2) My recent experience, maybe just local to me, has been
> that many or most graduates end up in an entirely different
> field than what they studied in.  Why?

A story.  When my son was getting ready to go to college, he asked, what 
am I studying to learn to do?  For what kind of job?  My reply was "You 
are not going to college to learn any job.  You are going to learn 
things you don't yet know about the world you live in."  After a half 
dozen changes in majors, he finally found something that captured his 
attention.  He really liked studying paleontology.  Looking at old 
fossels and such.

What's he doing now?  He's a reactor operator at a nuclear power station.

Two things I've learned.

1) There aren't always jobs doing what we enjoy.
2) Don't make your hobby a job, you'll lose it as something you like.

> 3) Repeating what was mentioned earlier,  the price !!!
> I am overwhelmed to hear that the amount of student debt
> in this country exceeds the general debt on credit cards.
> 
> 

That is one of the things that is hurting the country.  It's my 
understanding that in many European countries people can proceed with as 
much education as they can handle.  It's paid for by the government as 
an investment in the country's future.  Sure sounds smart to me.  Maybe 
too smart for some to embrace.

It's all the same.  Either pay for everyone's education now with higher 
taxes, which all will repay through their taxes when they are employed, 
or, they pay back the banks (with profits for the bailed out banks) 
later.  My opinion, screw the banks.