General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Stripping away the distracting BS, this is what it all boils down to. (In my opinion.) [View all]frazzled
(18,402 posts)We talk about a college education in terms of its ability to get people the best paying jobs. I get it that, with education costs rising, this becomes more of an issue than it was in my generation. But sheesh, whatever happened to simply wanting to explore one's interests or become a well-rounded person, or pursue scholastic endeavors?
The culture wars killed our national commitment to the arts: they're the enemy, because they might cause people to think differently or question authority. Now, the arts are apparently just about how much some Wall Street parvenu (on his way to prison) just paid x-millions for a painting. It's in the business pages.
These, of course, are questions for the already comfortable. For the poor, they're not even in the picture. But maybe that's why the poor are so hopeless now. In earlier times, we didn't think we'd need to be rich to be happy, just comfortable with some interesting work to do and someone to love. Now, the goal is so way beyond the vision of the poor, it seems completely unattainable.
Oh well, these things come and go. I await the next enlightenment ... in which we seek the pleasures of learning, love, and community. Botox and million-dollar housewives may just look like part of the dark ages.