this post was submitted on 05 Oct 2024
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Work Reform

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[–] pdxfed@lemmy.world 34 points 1 month ago

Good news lads, you're not "working class" if you have a college degree according to the rubric.

What 1960s bullshit is this? People with degrees might earn more but many are cuffed and strangled by loan debt. There is a Far Side I believe that has a panhandler and various folks passing him on the street with "net worth" bubbles over all of them and the panhandler is far ahead as he has no debt. Yes, it can work out that you finally get your college paid off and then have accelerated earnings, but the timeline has massively increased or even made indefinitely unachievable as MBAs started running institutions that formerly focused on education instead turned to egotistical expansion projects and luxurioxation of student experiences.

In a country where "at will" is the standard employment arrangement in 44/50 states, where layoffs have and increasingly do happen regularly with no notice, where there is anemic unemployment in most states that kicks citizens when they're down...why the hell would anyone want to go to college and sign a multi decade, non-dismissable in bankruptcy debt contract? The same for housing. How are you supposed to feel confident in a 30-year mortgage when you get laid off ever 5-10 years?

I will completely agree, those who do not go to college often have even worse jobs, more physically brutal and dangerous jobs, but fuck.

We're all working class if we have to work. Degree or not.