Friday, February 29, 2008

Tom Sowell on Higher Education

By Richard Vedder

With the death in the last year of both Milton Friedman and Bill Buckley, I cannot think of anyone of a conservative/libertarian bent who writes as articulately and persuasively as Thomas Sowell of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University.

Tom is a good friend and a great economist, but he also had a long interest in higher education. His book Inside Higher Education is an important critique of universities and what they do. In a new video series sponsored by the National Review, Sowell says universities are run by and for their employees more than for their students. See his video.

Tom also shows skepticism about the elite universities claiming great benefits for their students, and shows doubt about claims that students are paying only a modest portion of the educational costs. See his National Review analysis here.

Tom is one of those rare academics (including yours truly) who does not believe all the propaganda of the colleges at face value. I commend you to his new television presentations, just as I have to his many great books.

11 comments:

capeman said...

Tom Sowell, is he the guy who left UCLA at 50 and went off to the Hoover Institution to take potshots at the cushy life of academics?

More hackwork from the dyspeptic right. No wonder people are tuning out the right.

gbu28mod11 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
capeman said...

Ah, a fine mode of argument, I disparage someone who happens to be black, that makes me a racist pig. You sound exactly like the poisonous diversity crowd infesting the universities. I'm afraid the racist pig-hide shoe is on the other foot.

Thanks for the bio info on Sowell. Yes, he did leave UCLA at 50 to go off to a cushy life at Hoover and take potshots at academics. Thanks for confirming my recollection.

gbu28mod11 said...

See sciencedoc on youTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-kSZsvBY-A&NR=1

Cut, Paste, Watch

gbu28mod11 said...

sciencedork says, "Yes, he did leave UCLA at 50 to go off to a cushy life at Hoover and take potshots at academics."

My question is; what do we call what sciencedork does? How about a damned hypocrite! (For starters)

Why don't you go play with new razor blades? But not for what you're snorting. Get it?

Steganography said...

THE SCIENCEDOCS NETWORK

Welcome to ScienceDocs! We are an integrated network of scientists and professionals dedicated to providing the highest quality research support services in the world. When the internet is besieged with low cost, low quality editing, translation and statistical services using unknown individuals from unknown locations, we are known for dependable, consistent work, our deep specialization and our absolute dedication to our clients. As a company we work daily with the NIH, we are a trusted partner of Elsevier and we are a research collaborating institution. Whether you require our services to assist you in your publication efforts, communication or are looking to us as your partner, you have my promise that at the core of ScienceDocs is unparalleled talent and that you can trust us to provide you with unparalleled service.

---Charles Replogle, CEO

capeman said...

To my fans: you should know that sciencedoc is simply my screen name here, I picked it haphazardly when registering. If somebody else has that name on the web, it's pure coincidence, though I suppose not surprising. I don't have anything on youtube, and I'm not connected with any company that contains the term "sciencedoc". So they get neither credit nor blame for anything I say here.

gbu28mod11 said...

Please send your comments about sciencedoc to:

replogle@sciencedocs.com

gbu28mod11 said...

sciencedork says, "Ah, a fine mode of argument, I disparage someone who happens to be black, that makes me a racist pig. You sound exactly like the poisonous diversity crowd infesting the universities."

Oh I agree. But you should consider knowing what you are talking about before making your nonsensical remarks. And you took the bait and turned around and disparaged me.

So what you have proven time and time again is that not only are you lacking in intelligence and communication skills; but you have also proven just how easy it is to maliciously label people, make hurtful, unmitigated hateful remarks, derogatory statements, and just generally be a miserable hateful person.

You take exception to what others say, but you have no problem doing the very thing you seem to find so very distasteful. Our country is very polarized at this time, and you are working very hard to keep it that way.

Where you get the temerity to lecture others and then sit back and contradict what you preach is beyond me.

The intent of this blog is to address the issues of rising costs and stagnant efficiency in higher education, with special emphasis on the United States.

You have nothing to offer except for insight into how a sick mind works.

capeman said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
gbu28mod11 said...

Would it make more sense if you did the following?

1. Click on "sciencedoc" and it takes you to url:

http://www.blogger.com/
profile/00327687293859434403


2. Click on "mountainman" and it takes you to url:

http://www.blogger.com/
profile/00327687293859434403

But not to worry "mountainman", you'll get the hang of it. What with all this being new to you and all.