Henry Rollins: Education is the End of Disaster Capitalism | Big Think

Henry Rollins: Education is the End of Disaster Capitalism
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Henry Rollins says "let’s make college tuition either free or really low and if you have a country full of whip-crack smart people you have a country the rest of the world will fear."
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HENRY ROLLINS:
Henry Rollins is an American singer-songwriter, spoken word artist, writer, comedian,publisher, actor, and radio DJ. After performing for the short-lived Washington D.C.-based band State of Alert in 1980, Rollins fronted the California hardcore punk band Black Flag from August 1981 until mid-1986. Following the band's breakup, Rollins soon established the record label and publishing company 2.13.61 to release his spoken word albums, as well as forming the Rollins Band, which toured with a number of lineups from 1987 until 2003, and during 2006. Since Black Flag, Rollins has embarked on projects covering a variety of media. He has hosted numerous radio shows, such as Harmony in My Head on Indie 103, and television shows such as The Henry Rollins Show, MTV's 120 Minutes, and Jackass. He had a recurring dramatic role in the second season of Sons of Anarchy and has also had roles in several films. Rollins has also campaigned for various political causes in the United States, including promoting LGBT rights, World Hunger Relief, and an end to war in particular, and tours overseas with the United Service Organizations to entertain American troops.
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TRANSCRIPT:
Henry Rollins: The biggest cause of debt in this country besides mortgages, student debt because there are no jobs out there for these people who trusted their country to be there for them. They basically did that exercise where you fall backwards and you workmates catch you. They jumped out of the 40th floor window with that student loan and America went that looks like that hurt. Suck it up Caroline. Get a job. Don’t be a leech. So would I advise a young person looking at their senior year in high school to become a freshman in college the year after? That is a damn good question. How long will it be until America fiscally turns itself around to where the risk of the investment on that student loan to get a person through four years of college? Will that person get a job where paying off that loan and getting a house and affording a family, will that be a possibility? In the present America it doesn’t look like it is.
When will that turnaround? When will that get better? When will be okay for someone to go I'm going to college? I don’t know. I don’t get to push those rocks around, but as it is now there are a lot of really qualified people who are doing jobs fathoms below their ability level. We are wasting people’s time who put considerable amounts of energy, time and their youth into hitting those books when they wanted to go off doing every else as a young person **** want to do. They hit the books. They did what they were told. They paid and paid and they’re parents paid and they’re not getting the promise of America because those jobs went away and the people who could be in charge of the jobs that went away went away. So people who could be in upper management there is an upper manager, but he is in Beijing. He is in Phnom Penh. He is in Bangkok. Those jobs went away to please stockholders and so it does not matter how you shift the tax burden around that much. There are no jobs in this country. There is just until major industries come back you got what you got and so when you say get a job okay, to get a job your way I'll have to get three of them. I'll work at the hamburger place until evening.
There is a great story. I'm sure it’s kind of a folktale. Some guy told it to me. A guy goes into his building ever day and he sees the custodian, morning, morning, same guy in the green suit with a broom. He sees him on the way out. One night the guy stays late and he is working late, big deadline. He leaves at like one in the morning. He sees the same guy in the security officer’s outfit, the janitor guy, some building, different uniform. So he goes what do you have a new job. He goes no, this is my other job. The guy goes down to the locker, gets a dinner break, puts on the other uniform and walks through the rooms he was sweeping five hours before and that’s where a lot of Americans are at...
Read the full transcript at bigthink.com/videos/henry-rollins-education-is-the-end-of-disaster-capitalism

[@bigthink]

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[@gumundurbenediktsson8379]

Big Think shut the fuck up

[@NGH99999]

"… you have a country that's undercutting itself … they're after the cheap, quick high … they're after the grift." Bullseye, Henry.

[@magnuskallas]

Many conflicting theories here... Tesla wanted to build a blaster that would end all wars - make war useless. Colt, before him, wanted to grant freedom to everyone. Then a British man, who invented first rotating barrel machine gun said the same against WW1, then the man who invented the nuclear bomb said the same thing... In 2022, let's look at China, or even Russia, anyone interested spending their life in this commie regime? Go ahead! ... Now, speaking about other "values". Truth is, the amount of people running away from slavery from the exact countries does mess up organic economy and culture of the receiving countries. You know, who receives? A slut. Does China care about anything? Think about it, Henry.

[@DaniCatt]

Rollins for pres

[@augmentedkeys5971]

What makes you think that we need a president?

[@MaddesG1]

He'd destroy the other runners

[@HollyMoore-wo2mh]

@@MaddesG1 PLEASE say you're kidding..... please.

[@totesmagotes3688]

He couldn’t do worse than what we’ve got now…

[@atalantiesoterica4061]

Listening to Henry Rollins talk about life is like a firework show of goosebumps all over your body.

[@koricthegreat4047]

If we had more education. There'd be less stupid comments on KZbin.

[@subraxas]

Yeah, and among others, there would also be less comments with wrong punctuation, as in your instance. :-D

[@Lowlandlord]

@@subraxas Beat me to it.

[@subraxas]

:-)

[@jacobgriesmer9470]

Colleges omit a lot of vital information as well. No talks about the real human rights record of the US, COINTELPRO, depleted uranium use, the crimes and unilateral actions of Israel in the US, etc.

[@MetalxMasters]

comments on youtube are the least of our countries problems

[@JordanBarclay]

I love how this video inspired me on a personal level to go to college and educate myself despite the title and the obvious financial struggles that lie ahead.

[@DocFlamingo]

A) You didn't need to go to college to educate yourself. B) You're not going to get an education in college to start with. You may as well join the Moonies and call that an education.

[@smaevie]

Doc Flamingo; a man who definitely did not go to college OR educate himself 😅

[@DeezN1892]

@@DocFlamingo Depends on what he did...

[@DocFlamingo]

@@smaevie Not sure how you come to that conclusion but okay, if it makes you feel superior that's what matters I guess.

[@allenbauer3640]

@@DocFlamingo he has another video where he states he got lucky as shit, and got the job after he applied for it, which means the others did not get it. It would be interesting to see what happened to the others who didn't get it, and how their lives played out. as he stated. He got lucky to get the gig. Yes, without an education, america does not especially reward those with a high school education, and what you need to survive, and get an education. It's still pretty cool to advance your career.

[@Chompingsharks]

Henry Rollins is a great person and one of my favorite performers..

[@STaSHZILLA420]

"Suck it up, Caroline!"

[@Villaintrader12]

Long story short for the dummies who cannot understand his message is, "Make college more accessible for all whether by making it free or very cheap". I am a student myself and cannot tell you how the loans and knowing that when I finish college I might not have a job drives me crazy.

[@jessvagnar4957]

+Ricardo Morales Didn't you think all the way through that before you started? I'm not for free college, although it's current price is "too damn high" as some may say. That being said, colleges either need to be free in regulation or the government should directly implement spending and cost measures, no half assing this government/free market crap, either or. Example and point, our health care system. Either or, both doesn't work.

[@mmdnso]

If you knew you probably wouldn't get a job in your field why would you get a degree?

[@jessvagnar4957]

***** Read a book. It'll save you $32,000

[@marcusholtzheimer9316]

Ricardo Morales sounds like you didn't think this investment through very well. You choose this

[@tedzimmerly]

College is expensive because governmental involvement made the $$$ flow too freely. Once it's "free" it will really get expensive.....

[@damong4520]

I would vote for Henry in a heartbeat, the man has ethics and morals, works hard expects nothing for free.

[@extendedpinky]

Nay now he thinks education should be free and it should.

[@saftovooey4569]

He's literally a socialist.

[@Leo-mr1qz]

I'm STILL paying off my graduate degree, and I'm in my 40's! I work part-time as a substitute teacher when my children are in school to be able to be home when they are home, and to keep up on my household duties. My job basically pays my loan fees each month. I believe family is more important than driving a fancier car. I do agree that higher education doesn't take the average bear to a fantastic job and to wonderful advantages like it did in the 1960's. Although, the skills have changed. You can't be a Liberal Studies major anymore and jump into teaching or upper management. If you go to school to aquire the specific skills that you need for the particular job, then you have a better chance in being prosperous. Times change. We all have to assimilate to those changes or you don't survive as you wish to.

[@Psychonauticus6]

I dropped out of high school and haven't been to college. Instead, I dove under the hood of every broken down car I could find and figured out real quick that I thrive there. Some people discover new particles, some people run Fortune 500 companies, some people sell real estate. I swing a wrench. I'm a self-taught mechanic. When something breaks, I figure out how to fix it myself and I'm smart enough to know how to get paid for it. I've got friends I'd call "educated"; college degrees, some of em' paid big for it. They hit the books, did their time and got the promise of a great future. They know jack-nothing about their cars but hey, at least they got that little piece of paper that supposedly entitles them to 20% more cash in their pockets. Most of them are still working the same shit jobs they worked to get through college and they're still getting paid the same shit wage. And they're miserable. Educated and miserable. They can't afford a house because of the crushing weight of the debt the accumulated in school. I may not be "educated" but I'm skilled, I have experience and more importantly than that, I'm happy. A lot of people might look at my background and say I'm one of the failures, one of the kids who couldn't hack it in school. They don't realize I found my American Dream. I work for myself. I don't have a crushing debt, but I do have a roof over my head, food in my fridge, running water and working lights. Anyone can make it in America if you're tenacious enough, if you're willing to work outside the "traditional" route if need be and if you're willing to put in the time working shit jobs if you have to. Not everyone will make it however, that's important to realize. We can't all be winners but goddamn it at least try, try and if you have to, try a thousand more times. Keep fighting until you fall down and go boom.

[@uglycasanova79]

Psychonauticus6 good thing you didn't become a pretentious dick... Oh wait. Nevermind

[@angelaclark4296]

Psychonauticus6 100 percent right I have no degree I make high end furniture I earn 70k , sleep under paid for roof every night.

[@manictiger]

@uglycasanova79 There seems to be two types of people, right now: 1. 'Pretentious dicks' who don't fear losing and so win win win. 2. 'Humble', whiny, depressed losers who never do anything to win, ever. Fuck the perma-poor. I've hard my share of hardships, but I got out of it because I didn't accept defeat. You become perma-poor when you accept defeat. I have no pity for them. Self-inflicted wounds.

[@woodyfive0]

Agreed I got a grade 9 got into oil and gas now earn 100k a year. Did some shit work over the years but got a sweet gig now.

[@manictiger]

@John Brighton Repeatability and scalability are both important. Repeating minimum wage is useless, but averaging 3% ROI a week is very useful.

[@mrtoodamngoodtoyou]

A laser, Henry?

[@cheponis]

Example. Point is, smart educated folks will avoid conflict; peacefully resolve it; or, if absolutely necessary, will neutralize aggression.

[@hertzollner]

a "laser"

[@DocFlamingo]

@@cheponis Education and indoctrination are not the same thing and all that's on tap in schools these days is the latter.

[@theGhoulman]

Henry knows his stuff. It's not that we need more Henrys, we have loads of them. It's that more people need to hear him, and them. I listen to this guy, who isn't educated or has any credentials professionally or academically and yet when I hear him speak it sounds like Naomi Klein, Paul Krugman, Robert Reich, etc. I'm always impressed at this guys insight. That's why I'm here. :)

[@redneckzen]

While some of this is true, part of the problem is that "going to college" is a scam that's been sold to us in the country for years. Not everyone is meant to go to college. Not everyone WANTS to go to college, but they do -- and they get worthless degrees -- because they either think they're supposed to or their parents/teachers/guidance counselor tell them they're supposed to. I wanted to be major in history in college. My professor, thank god, said, Great! Where are you gonna get a job doing history? I went a different direction, but I still took history courses. There are great jobs out there that require vo-tech training or journeyman training; plumbing, construction, welding, electrical, etc. I've worked with agencies that are begging for good employees, but they can't get them. Young applicants lack motivation and discipline and social skills. College kids think they should start at the top (dont' yell at me, this is what I'm told by the agencies). Henry's history shows him to be an exception. He's crazier'en hell, but he works hard and never turns down a job offer. That's the difference. Great discussion, love these interviews!

[@jdangerz]

yeah not worthless

[@cjohnson3836]

+redneckzen Its not a scam but the issue is far more complex than you seem to think. 1) Education is the best thing a nation can do to secure its stability, we all benefit by an educated populace. Period. Non debatable. A country where janitors are educated like physicists is a nation to fear. That doesn't mean they all need to become physicists, but that option should be made available, to everyone, at no personal cost beyond the shared contribution we would pay as citizens. And if they decide to be a janitor, they get treated like humans, because they're doing a job you didn't want and that has value. 2) It is true that education is the best predictor for future socioeconomic standing. The problem is, what came first? Education or pay? Its a race. People were able to get more pay because they had a qualification that provided security to an employer. And over time people realize this. So they're like, I need to do this too. That, combined with the loss of jobs, created an environment of intense competition that we have now. Now, its no longer, I want to push my economic ceiling so I'll go to college. Now its, I need a degree to even have a chance because everyone else does too. In other words, the problem is degree inflation. Degree inflation is the problem. And if you shift all those people over to vocational training, you do absolutely nothing to fix the problem because there are not enough jobs and you have done nothing to change the competition, you've only funneled it into a different direction. 3) Education is NOT a commodity. It is not a business and should have never been treated like one. You go to university because you wish to become a more educated person. You go to expand your potential. You do not go to college because you think it will end with job placement. That is where the lie begins. A degree is not, and should never be about getting a job. The sooner people realize this fact, the better off we'll all be. You'll have less conservatives clamoring to cut every program they disagree with because it won't end in job placement. You'll also have less students wasting time because they felt a job was the goal. Win-win. But you still make that education available. Because that makes for intelligent voters. Intelligent, responsible people. We all benefit.

[@cjohnson3836]

***** Germany has a far different culture. They protect their manufacturing and trade. They still have guilds. Their people are willing to pay more for a hand crafted table. We do not have this here. Trade school is not a viable solution in the US. It does nothing to fix the problem,

[@ragnaroksora8129]

how is that a scam. in the end it's your choose.

[@neverstopaskingwhy1934]

ya i think we shouldn't make college free for all degree but more cheaper for those who are needed in society according to society need

[@starlight7499]

I don't know this man but I can feel he is talking from the bottom of his heart .

[@mynewchannel69]

This video is so true. Education is really important, but for so many people (including myself) it just isn't an affordable option.

[@KrisRoadruck]

the problem with this video is it assumes that going to college makes you smart. That is not the case. Smart people are smart. Smart people who go to college are educated. Dumb people who go to college are still dumb. Most of the folks that got degrees and can't get jobs most likely A) picked a rather worthless degree (I can't tell you how many people I know with a degree in liberal arts or philosophy) and/or B) didn't do all that well in college. Remember having a degree doesn't mean you got A's or really understood the material. It doesn't mean you are a self starter. It doesn't mean you have solid people skills or amazing problem solving abilities. It just means you put in the time and paid the bill. Go find me some out of work engineering majors or computer science majors who did well in college. Go on, I'll wait.

[@MichaelDavis-tz4sd]

No, but it shows that you're willing to commit to something and to finish it. Additionally, many large companies won't even look at you without a degree. I'm not saying that this is always the case but for nontechnical jobs at fortune 500 companies, it is pretty close. Not everyone is an engineer or has the ability (and luck) to make a successful startup. For the other 99%, a degree is still essential. How long that will remain the case I don't know.

[@MichaelDavis-tz4sd]

Maybe I should have watched the video before commenting. You're 100% right. Lol.

[@DanielCallis]

In the UK university has become a way for new adults to carry on living like a teenager for a few more years instead of getting a job. I say this as someone who did this myself and I did pretty bad with my degree. Then again I was fairly disengaged with all the material on my course, which combined with a student loan, a new city full of places to drink and being single led to 3 years of partying. I'm amazed I left with a 2.2 if I'm honest. Doesn't help that schools are judged on how many people go on to further education/good universities and therefore want every tom dick and harry to go there. If schools were assessed via a mandatory survey sent out to all students 10 years after they leave asking what tax bracket they are earning in they would soon be telling students to drop the camera and pick up a tool box instead. People in the real world don't care what a piece of paper says, what they care about is your work ethic and ability to lean/do the job in question.

[@boyinapeatbog]

I live in Australia so the situation might be a little different, but I graduated with a radiography degree. There'll always be a need for radiographers in the health industry, they're an essential part of modern medicine. I graduated with distinction, having achieved a GPA in the top 10th percentile of my cohort, I attended multiple clinical placements, after each of which I received pretty stellar reviews, so my practical ability and people skills are certainly up to par. I graduated at the end of 2012, and I still haven't secured a job. My degree wasn't worthless, I did well, I understood the source material. I tick pretty much every box you just listed. the health employment system is fairly nepotic here, but aside from that, why is it I don't have a job? The answer is quite simple: there aren't enough of them.

[@Falcon500xw]

Fletchersaurus Same here, although I did not achieve quite the same merit as you! I'm an engineer. Moved to Europe. There are engineering jobs in Australia, but not in my field of specialisation. Not as a graduate. Everyone wants experience there, but no one is willing to pay up and provide it. The market is choking itself...

[@orgonsolo6291]

You playing G.I Joe would be too hilarious. :D

[@BOBBYGITRPLYR]

Live the American dream! I have a degree and never helped me get a job. I now work for myself.

[@Knaeben]

My degrees are completely worthless too. Almost all of them are. The whole thing is a joke.

[@suzeeveronica]

Henry's passion in understanding in truth is so sexy. I love this man.

[@Pr3ct]

Working with you hands is not a bad thing. Go get a job as a helper with a carpenter, plumber or electrician. You get paid to learn. And if you have a modicum of intelligence and are able to not abuse substances, you can end up owning your own business. One thing Henry does not mention is that European countries test the bejesus out of their students and those without college potential are directed towards technical or vocational schools. No sense in beating you in the head with Algebra if you are never going to understand it or use it.

[@Pr3ct]

edit: your

[@Mandilore89]

This reminds me of what I'm SICK of. "Don't waste your time with [this job], go and work [list usual blue collar job here] if you want to be somebody!". I have utmost respects for carpenters, plumbers, and electricians but if that's what everyone else did in the "perfect world", then what about the other jobs outside of the blue collar realm that STILL need to get done? I'm tired of people devaluing other jobs just because they aren't on the Republican Appreciation list.

[@Pr3ct]

Or go take an English class or two and learn to compose a correct sentence.

[@Mandilore89]

Pr3ct Look who's talking Mr. Run-On Sentence.

[@DragonTigerBoss]

Mandilore That was not a run-on sentence, but a sentence that was only arguably missing a comma, said this guy 4 months later. Also, what's with the superfluous capitalization?

[@markwordship694]

Some of the worlds best writers are beloved because of the simplicity of their prose.

[@marculmer9790]

It has been said a thousand time here, but I have to say it again: Run for President, Henry, seriously, you got the guts, the attitude, the wisdom and the intelligence America needs!! Love your work!

[@boydegg]

It sounded so smart and rational until he started talking about making lasers to burn his enemies in their sleep.

[@eddiegibbs2539]

I think he's over exagurating to put the enphisis in his wording.

[@Coopsickle]

I think henry rollins might be my hero

[@scattabrayne]

Henry Rollins, I love you man! I really hope to meet you someday

[@drflexenstein3537]

It’s aggravating how accurate this all is.

[@thedreamweaver6514]

Education and Experience go hand in hand in creating a well rounded individual! The education system should always have an internship program to give educated people the experience they need!

[@SpicyTricialicious]

When is Henry Rollins going to run for President?

[@aciddevil]

10 years later....and its still hasn't turned around....and it definitely won't in any foreseeable future..... Love this guy, and his words. This country is suppressing the shit out of fearless people like him.

[@ReformationDesigns]

Thank you for sharing this.

[@FuzzyDan]

Jesus, this was eight years ago and it’s only gotten worse.

[@HSR107]

Would I advise a senior in high school to become a freshman in college the year after. Well, that depends. Does this young person have a clear vision of what career they want and does this career REQUIRE a college degree for STATE LICENSING? If so, then yes. But if this young person is not privileged enough to get a mostly "free ride" through his or her parents, scholarships, and grants then my yes would come with a caveat. Go to LOCAL community college for your core classes. Transfer to a LOCAL state university to complete your degree. Live with your parents and WORK, preferably in a related field, while studying. Only take classes you can afford WITHOUT taking on debt, or at least minimizing the debt you do take on. If your chosen career does not require a degree then forget college. It is a waste of time and money, Study on your own. Develop skills in the work place. Start your own business. And if you think the previous paragraph isn't possible or practical, then the odds are a college degree won't help you too much either.

[@hurrderr6985]

you should probably take a look at henry rollins on education ending disaster capitalism... it's part of the same session

[@rolandhawken6628]

hurrderr Yes and it is misguided nonsense.

[@hurrderr6985]

actually where I live approached that method and everyone is better off for it, don't give yourself a +1 with pride there, you don't know what you're talking about

[@rolandhawken6628]

hurrderr I am not giving myself anything, it is just an opinion, if you think education is the answer to the worlds problems you are in my opinion wrong especially if the motive is based on patriotism, which my friend is a virtue of the vicious. You have to ask yourself first . What are you trying to achieve? This man want smart people to build lasers so his beloved country won't get invaded ,and doctors lots of doctors , which happen to be the biggest educated idiots that there are.

[@hurrderr6985]

okay and why should I listen to a know-nothing like you exactly? you're damn right you didn't give yourself a +1 that post, embarrassed on two fronts ;)

[@bullred9498]

My uncle went to school at a north Iowa community college for 2 years back in the late 70s and it wasn't even $1000, now he lives down south and makes 6 figures, hard work and taking advantage of the opportunities thrown at you go a long way

[@buddyinfobiz]

I cannot find the videos from the anual assembly, if you? can help me to find them i`ll be very gratefull. Thanks "EssayThinker"

[@HighLighterlines]

I like this video, ignorance is our biggest threat.

[@bckfire5279]

I love this guy. Love his music. And great job in sons of anarchy.

[@cmullig2571]

he's just incredibly smart and correct. Love you brother. wish you and kurt would have been in a band.

[@piehound]

this vid exactly describes my college experience in 1972. except i attended a tuition free four year college and got my BA. but American business wasn't there for me. all i could get was dead-end low level jobs.

[@TheJohnGway]

I wish Henry ran for president instead of Trump.

[@jeremynelson5311]

Rollins is too smart for that

[@Novelboy2112]

+Jeremy Nelson And the electorate is too dumb. You gotta reach to find an electorate this dumb, but America will never let ya down.

[@mantistoboggan5171]

rollins wouldn'r go republican.

[@marcusgorvin175]

He isn't a republican, he stands for just about the opposite of trump.

[@acs197]

That would have been awesome!

[@Anson120]

Mathematics is the key. The jobs are where the math is.

[@Helicopterpilot16]

thanks because I dropped math. it was torment.

[@justmessi1474]

Why is so many people can NOT understand Maths, like is there some kind of blockade wall that keeps you puzzled to death or what

[@Helicopterpilot16]

It's the way that it's tought. without being applied to anything.

[@jeonginnielvr]

This should be broadcasted on every TV, better than MSM.

[@jessiefox3739]

So true :( My biggest regret, as far as being an American is concerned, are all of those years that I spent in college studying my ass off in order to became a colossal waste of life. My dad went to Harvard and my mom went to Yale so skipping out on 12 years of college was not an option for me.

[@bravenewfilms]

This is so great! Henry Rollins is amazing. We did some videos with him on our channel! (check out Prison Profiteers)

[@The_Accuser]

Brave New Films Yes it is. Only too many Wall Street trolls littering the communication.

[@birdbraINCorporated]

it doesnt matter how you shift the tax burden around? cmon henry

[@trifecta9810]

I thought you were going to say something like "do what you love, and do it with all of you"... that's what I would say.

[@chaddoan4659]

I think Mr. Rollins is partially right with what he's saying here but I also believe a very large portion of the problem is with the education system. We tell high school students you must go to a university to be successful which has never been true and when they get there they meet with an adviser and sit through an orientation were they are told it doesn't matter what you study as long as you get a degree and the more of them you get the more successful you will be and the students come out of school with a ridiculous amount of debt and a masters degree in pottery or gender studies or marine biology and can't find a job. Our education system has lost it's focus.

[@brianowens889]

Haha speaks to me exactly. I started as a law major and after a semester of feeling the debt associated am deciding to go to college for 1 year and become a plumber due to employability and to avoid 100+ grand of debt. Doesn't make any sense.

[@JadedMax]

You sir are a genius! Get paid while learning. (I'm a sparky)

[@luislptigres]

You can always go back later to pursue your true passion, good luck!

[@Odiex27]

So there's no jobs, and the answer is to make tuition free or really low. So we flood the job market (that has no jobs) with educated candidates and those jobs will somehow appear because no one will mess with an educated country. I appreciate the passion, and I mean that sincerely. But who is making these promises Henry says were reneged on? I wasn't made that kind of promise when I was in school. Oh I was told I could be what I wanted, but I was also told that if I wanted to make a living that I'd have to find a lucrative field and educate myself accordingly. I'm not rich, but I'm getting by. I also didn't pay anywhere near $40,000 for tuition even accounting for inflation. And I damn sure am not shaking a fist at America for not giving me something it never owed me. I have more dignity than that. If you want to be mad, get mad at whoever made these students false promises rather than preparing them to make a living. And you know what? We can't all be doctors, lawyers, and engineers. We NEED tradesmen. We need skilled plumbers, electricians, mechanics and builders just as much, if not more than the other fields. We've told kids that only failures get those jobs, when the truth is many of them could make a really good living doing those things. We need to stop selling the college degree as the golden ticket when there isn't a job market to cash them all in.

[@jonathanmccarthy897]

Educated people create jobs.

[@Odiex27]

Jonathan McCarthy How? With what resources? Are they all going to start businesses? If they can't handle a student loan, they sure as hell aren't going to get a business loan.

[@jonathanmccarthy897]

Cant handle a student loan??? $40000 a year is a hell of a thing to try and "handle" don't you think.

[@Odiex27]

I have to point out that you completely dodged my question. To address your point, someone smart enough to get into a school that costs $40,000 per year, is smart enough to check the viability of the job market in their field of study. No one has ever been guaranteed a job based on the acquisition of college degree. It is not a golden ticket, and it was never meant to be. If they took the loan of their own choice, they are responsible for it. Now tell me how these educated people are going to create jobs with no experience and no resources.

[@jonathanmccarthy897]

Ok...fair point...so whats your solution then?.. surly you don't suggest people try to enter the job market with no skills at all....if nothing else a degree shows a company that the person is a committed worker....and a company will not have the resources to train a person up from scratch.

[@johndecoteau629]

best video i have seen on the big think so far! kudos!

[@ineedmondayoff]

Being an entrepreneur is a big part of collage. Intellectual capital is key. Sometimes you must create opportunity.

[@sparkymahoney4343]

Unless you're doing a STEM degree then you are WASTING your money. Get a trade - they pay amazingly well, much better than most college degrees. Find something you love and become self-employed. Live a simpler life. Forget materialism and focus on the spiritual. No to free education because most people will be wasting tax dollars on degrees in shit like Elizabethan poetry. If you want to study it, bully for you, but not on my dime. And while you have to love Hank's optimism, it's unrealistic. Most people that are smart enough to do STEM degrees do them. But America and most Americans are too focused on shallow and material things. And that's how the system works. Remember after 9/11 when Dubya came on TV and told everyone to go shopping? Without conspicuous consumption America is over.

[@azsli2]

not necessarily. My brother got 2 trade degrees from a business school. He finished and they said he needs "Experience" over and over.

[@sparkymahoney4343]

Trade, dumbski! Carpenter, Electrician, Plumber, et al. those are all considered trades.

[@azsli2]

yes he was Hvac and electrical. TRADES you learn at a BUSINESS school

[@sparkymahoney4343]

You go to a Trades school for a trade you fucking moron. Jesus, how fucking stupid are you?

[@awaretenacious]

What's wrong with funding the study of poetry?

[@joeblues2000]

Laser!!! I am ready!! Let's do it!!

[@spartanmovingcompany4895]

+Joseph Claytor lol

[@tergelfilms]

henry rollins is also my hero

[@Burba222]

I graduated with a BS degree when this video was published and went unemployed for a year and now just started working for a little above minimum wage while I'm still attempting to get a good paying job. (I work security)

[@kristinabathory8870]

This is why Henry should run for president.

[@theactualcanadian8300]

446 politicians disliked this

[@michaelwalker5102]

I worked two jobs while in college... and yes, a business dude would often buy lunch from me at noon,... and I'd be his server at a different place for dinner...

[@rafaelhannah8411]

4:29 rollins for president. not just the laser that was awesome hes a hella smart dude

[@WalterLiddy]

He really starts to go off the rails toward the end there. A giant laser weapon? What? His great idea is nuclear deterrence, the sequel? And no, 3 doctors per apartment floor is not a good idea. They'd be doing nothing most of the time. It's a waste of resources. He's not as looney as Jesse Ventura, but his claims not to be a conspiracy nut are dubious.

[@ThatsMrPencilneck2U]

+WalterLiddy It's called "hyperbole."

[@CheapSushi]

Clearly higher education didn't work for you.

[@Lodewijk113]

I like Henry, but totally disagree with him here. The end result of a job after college has never been promised to anyone. The mistakes that have been made, are in the attitudes that everyone is special, and gets a trophy simply for trying. High school guidance counselors have spent decades telling EVERY kid that crosses their path, that they'll be a shit loser without a degree, even if it's in such an employment rich industry that has a huge market for someone with a liberal arts or gender studies degree. Instead of doing their jobs and evaluating and steering some kids towards the trades, where they can make good money, have a marketable skill set, and never spend a day on the unemployment line. Part of the reason those historically abundant jobs have dried up, is because the competition for such jobs skyrocketed as the sheer numbers of college participants grew larger and larger.

[@h.w.2860]

You can back to Feudalism since you are so complicit to live as a peasant. Let someone else be a doctor or at least make a enough to not live paycheck to paycheck. You have fun working at Best Buy since you feel that having goals is too PC for you.

[@Lodewijk113]

Typical......That's just what I'm talking about. In your eyes, learning a trade equates to working at Best Buy. Me being a Mechanical Building Engineer for 70K a year is the same as running a cash register or stocking shelves at an electronics store. Plumbers, Electricians, HVAC Technicians, Auto Mechanics etc. are all admirable careers, that can provide a lifetime of security and compensation. People can comfortably support a family, have nice things, and sock away some money for retirement. They also don't require a degree and 20 years worth of debt to attain. Steering some kids into the trades is doing them a favor, and there's still plenty of "goals" to be had. It's attitudes like yours, dipshit, that make people feel as though they should be ashamed of their profession if it's didn't come with a sheepskin and a mountain of debt.....until you need someone to fix your car, wire up your new home addition, or get your AC cranking again in the heat of summer, then they're your best buddies.

[@caronja70]

What H.W. is probably trying to say is, that all this hard work ethic of for example, selling yourself, marketing your products and trying to make the best out of your profits isn't really looking long-term, like Henry Rollins was pointing out. The problem today isn't, that we lack engineers, technology experts, plumbers and so on, but rather, that we cannot put their skill to just and noble use. It isn't just about fixing your car, building homes and inventing new devices that seemingly make our everyday life easier. These are just a set of basic prepositions, that merely make human existence tolerable. And just that. The people of today must put these devices into a context: WHY do we think they are useful? HOW can they make life easier for EVERYONE? Lets be honest, there is a lot of unjust and corrupt use of technology today, from investing into military weaponry, to just recklessly using technology all over the place, examples being iphones and smartphones, propelling is into an ideological field of media, news and all in all, trivial information (this however, can be relative). Of course, we need engineers. We need people with practical, technical skill. But what we need even more is a way, so that their inventions actually make life easier for all of us in the long run. Like building technology that can work instead of people, so that they can have time and resources to educate themselves in really different fields of human thinking, not just ''practically'' oriented ones. This is where it also becomes apparent, that the mass inequality and unhealthy competition of today's society aren't really adding much good to what was mentioned. And also, being a humanities student, I can't agree that our market is exactly flourishing. Quite on the opposite, arts and humanities students are the ones that usually can't get a job very soon after finishing their degree and usually end up being employed only part-time. They aren't in an exactly stable position, so to speak. Because their degrees are ''useless''? Or because, nobody today has time to reflect upon what they are saying and continue to exist under the law of injustice and exploitation? To each his own, I guess.

[@ookland81]

This is the second of your videos. I have to say you are 100% on the money in both videos. Thanks for thinking outside the square.

[@davemanningreviews]

I got a student loan back in the 90s, but back then you could walk out your front door and get a job anywhere and it usually paid well. Even before I transferred to a university, I was able to cook at a restaurant, afford a one bedroom apartment, car, etc and go to community college. After the 90s, everything went downhill quickly and those opportunities for younger people disappeared. I'm gen x and feel that my generation and younger def got screwed while the boomers whined and complained and were handed everything on a silver platter..and they still are total screw ups.

[@Antonio18677]

Yes now we are like Ancient Rome and will fall so bad we die

[@raggledaggle721]

Can everyone just shut up with their opinions, and start reading into critique's on capitalism; how it historically came into being, what it is relative to other modes of production, what it tens to produce, how it functions, how our consciousness is a product of it etc. Or else we'll just keep living in a spiral, generation for generation.

[@da324]

This country doesn't run on capitalism, we have crony capitalism, BIG difference. When you have multi billion dollar companies buying politicians who pass favorable legislation to help them get more powerful, well, that's anything but capitalism.

[@nyahhbinghi]

"Educated people aren't finding jobs so we need more education. Also capitalism kills."

[@jeepmanxj]

Yeah, it's because everyone is going after the exact same job positions with the exact same hand me a degrees. Education is important, capability and experience is critical though.

[@HollyMoore-wo2mh]

@@jeepmanxj All these comments show me is that common sense is dead. Oh and that people want them handed a degree.

[@jeepmanxj]

@@HollyMoore-wo2mh education is important and should be freely available to everyone. The problem is everyone packing in the same couple degrees and expecting that degree to be the stand out.

[@HollyMoore-wo2mh]

@@jeepmanxj That's exactly it. Gender studies ...women studies are used for WHAT? Answering the phone at the front desk?

[@jeepmanxj]

@@HollyMoore-wo2mh no, specifically things like business degrees. Go push your psychotic crap elsewhere.

[@scottswift8153]

how can you not love this dude

[@phylwx]

Most govts worldwide bend their laws to the will of companies. Thats as free as market gets.

[@dinomyte0899]

It's so interesting to read the comments here. Seems to me that many are missing his point. Education is important; college is important because it helps create thinkers. The problem is that our country prioritizes cheap labor and outsourcing. College is expensive and it shouldn't be. Of course, you don't need college to be a great thinker but academia is a fantastic platform for engaging intellectual pursuits. Some people in the comments talk about how useless the liberal arts are... useless why? Because you can't monetize it? Rollins is speaking, primarily, of the problem of disaster capitalism.

[@KevZen2000]

Capitalism rewards education, as it gives you more power to compete in the marketplace, versus socialism. In socialism you have more taxes, regulations, etc. to compete with, and it makes it harder for new competitors to enter the market. A skilled laborer in a Free Market can invent a new technological break to increase their wealth by a selling their product to those who want it, and the wealth of the general population, as their technology makes products cheaper, more available, and more efficient as those who bought the product, can produce it easier. The problem in America, is we subsidize the part of education that has little to no economic value, which is why college student cannot payback their student loans in many cases. A PhD in philosophy has less demand, then a specialized worker who works in making the technology and services people want to pay for, such as smartphones, computers, laptops, gasoline, medical technology, medicine, etc.

[@AnnBoylen]

KevZen2000 Education rewards capitalism more than the other way around. An educated populace makes it easier for the rick to profit and use that populace to evade taxation. There are entire firms filled with smart people with Ph.D's that think about how to screw the public out of the taxes the rich companies and executives make.

[@KevZen2000]

Ann Boylen I know that if you have the right connections, have enough money, having the right tax professional, and intelligence you can bypass taxes without a lot of work. I have worked as a consultant for years, and believe me taxes can be avoided, such as writing off the various "business" expenses, car repairs and maintenance, insurance, mileage, tools, clothing, etc. This is a reason why I try to get a 1099 when seeking employment with an employer. It is more profitable to pay for the taxes yourself, then to have an employer to do it. Believe it gets me more jobs, and it saves me 100s to 1000s in taxes every year. The beauty is even poor people can do this, and it does not require a lot of money, time, etc. to do it. Whatever you cannot do yourself, you can hire a person for a reasonable rate. The goal is to pay as little taxes a possible without being audited by the Government. Believe me you do not need a PhD to figure this stuff out, just an average intelligence, and the ability to research the available tax cuts. With Capitalism those who can provide the best service, at the best price they will become successful, unless there are limited to entering the market, such as regulations, licensing cost, certification requirements, patents, taxation, etc. Education is one of the biggest factors in success with Capitalism. Remember America is by far no way a free market, it has many limitations on the market, which enables a fewer group of people to gain most of the wealth.

[@AnnBoylen]

KevZen2000 Like I said

[@BADLUX]

I could listen to Henry talk all day and just nod my head. Then break out the Black Flag/Rollins Band tunes and nod my head faster :)

[@redneckurbantransplant5931]

Henry, bless your soul. You need to rethink your world view. I always thought you to be a sharp dude. This makes me question what I thought.

[@kernalbert4939]

Lay it out. What's your issue?

[@hossrex]

It's fascinating to me that people can look at an indifferent government that doesn't care about its constituents, and assume that creating more of that government will create a better world. It's fairly self destructive.

[@williamjameslehy1341]

The simplistic ideology of American style right-libertarians falls to pieces when you point out that 'government' is not some monolithic, neatly quantifiable thing. Wanting better schools does not mean you must also want more prisons and more military spending.

[@Ausbos5]

I would agree with this.. But as I am finding...is that many of the top tech companies who own massive amounts of capital and destroying basic parts of life outside of Silicon Valley (retail, communication, schools to name a few) are deeply invested in AI. That means the machines who have access to the most data (amazon, facebook, google) will have the best machines. The proposition of inequality will seems certain. College students should not invest in college, they should invest in these companies in the future. I am sure it will be okay for the next 4-6 years.. but this whole Neoliberal game is great until It destroys the very thing we love, freedom and capitalism. Just do more research, much love.

[@sjewitt22]

like corporations will look after us.

[@Counter-Intuitive]

Actually the countries that have the highest success rate of college and are considered the most intelligent are left leaning Democratic Socialist type countries. The difference is their government works for the people and reallocated their taxes back to their constituents for things like low cost/free college and universal healthcare. Unfortunately in America our politicians do the bidding of big corporations. They're becoming useless as the free market capitalism increases and people's live incrementally becomes worse

[@americanslime]

Government is only indifferent when it doesn't represent the people like it's supposed to. That happens when big business exerts too much control over it. That's only possible when government regulation is so weak that it's easy for it to be controlled by corporations. You don't want a powerful few ruling over you? Great. Government is the only way you can protect yourself from that. But they've managed to convince you that if you disempower the only institution that can protect you, you'll somehow be free. The only difference between a corporate monopoly and a government is that governments let you vote.

[@superbroadcaster]

Yes we need cheaper tuition, quit regulating college costs and revenue!

[@aogmedia7692]

This reminds me of a friend i went to high school with. He went to college to be a rocket scientist and after graduation, couldn't find a job. He works at taco bell... sad shit

[@luislptigres]

what did he study?

[@warzoned1]

Henry is one of the few people who has been able to "get" the national security component to the student debt crisis. And it is a crisis that isn't going away anytime soon.

[@andycaldwell4828]

Some of what he's saying is good, but overall he's economically ignorant.

[@ezcondition]

+Andy Caldwell so fucking true.

[@da324]

Shane D, no you're fucking brainwashed. Why do you think the education system sucks? It's because the government doesn't want smart, educated people who can think for themselves. If the kids were taught to be critical thinkers, we wouldn't have a government, because anyone with two brain cells understands that government isn't the answer to anything, well, unless you want to be a slave.

[@GardenBound]

Free college for all.

[@da324]

Where does the money come from if it's free?

[@Hirnlego999]

@@da324 Silly question, smarter people will create a better country in many ways Free healthcare for all too, US citizens pay more than anyone else because of the profit motive which shouldn't even be part of the equation

[@da324]

@Hirnlego999 Yea, in today's world, asking a logical question is now considered "silly!"

[@Hirnlego999]

​@@da324 Fairly sure you should have had it figured out in 6 years. It's not exactly logical, it's the same as saying "I have no clue". Is wealth a problem these days? Do we lack money? Has the GDP gone up for decades? Is for profit motive making things more expensive? Yes. Does it it exclude many brilliant minds from studying? Hell yeah

[@da324]

@@Hirnlego999 I figured out when I was a kid many decades ago that nothing is free.

[@fanjicks6237]

"they wanted to go off doing every else as a young person is wont to do"

[@westword6558]

the problem is the cost of college skyrocketed since the government got involved guaranteeing everyone a loan . colleges can basically name there price and they do

[@stavros5626]

"Lets have 3 doctors per floor" Lol Cuba has the best doctors/population ratio. Oh the disgrace

[@marcusgorvin175]

We can have good health care and not be Cuba.

[@stavros5626]

Marcus Gorvin no you cant. it is not in the super rich interest to do.

[@marcusgorvin175]

It will be one day.

[@chescokun]

+Marcus Gorvin not anytime soon.

[@Kendall2001]

Jeff Jones wrote: "Henry, when will you start investing in our college students? Why don't you donate your income to help some needy students? You are worth millions, Henry. Those college students could really use it! Have you started any scholarships? You sold your house for $1 million. I'm sure you helped a few people attend college for free with all that money. After all, it's for our future! What? You didn't? I thought you were thinking 500 years ahead? Of course not. You talk a lot, but you don't do it." You leech! Henry does donate part of his income to help needy people; it's called paying taxes. He pays more money in taxes than you do so he is contributing more than you to helping the needy. Then there is also the money he may donate to charity. What makes you feel that you're entitled to the money Henry Rollins worked so hard to earn? He doesn't even have a college degree but you want him to buy you one. What is so exceptional about you that you feel you entitled to receiving tens of thousands of dollars from Henry Rollins as a gift? He may very well donate some of his income to charity but you don't know if he does or not because it's none of your business! You should be glad that he cares enough about young people that he's making videos to inspire them. That's a major contribution he's made to young people. What have you contributed to young people and needy students?

[@mojanglova]

U ok hun

[@paulsweet6235]

why should he? he's worked for it. he's giving advice. moron

[@KennyKendall2001]

@@ubik_3786 What dysfunctional system are you referring to? Rollins doesn't have a college degree but he should have to pay for someone he doesn't even know to go to college?

[@milesbiermaier932]

Thank you. Could not have said it any better.

[@PotatoGunsRule]

I think all music should be free and concerts should be free. Imagine what a great world it would be! Something tells me Rollins wouldn't be for free concerts. Free college? Is basic education "free?" No, people who make a lot of money pay for it via this thing called "taxes." How successful is this free thing called "basic education?" Not very good, comparing America to other countries. Which is odd since USA spends more money on education (via taxes) than most all of the world. People in congress send their kids to private schools. Geeze, I wonder why? Making college free will drive its value through the floor. American colleges already practice a great degree of grade inflation (I know this first hand, having had a dean order me to pass students that were failing) so if it was free, there would be even more. Further, a college degree isn't the best thing for every student now, as those with technical skills often make much, much more and don't have to resort to min wage jobs when there isn't a job market for a liberal arts degree. Rollins was an interesting singer, although his songs were never that popular. His socialist ideas are even less so.

[@PotatoGunsRule]

+Todd Starbuck Please explain how it is a "straw man" argument.

[@PotatoGunsRule]

+Todd Starbuck I made a comparison that I feel is legit. I think you want free things, not understanding how dangerous that is for the nation, for liberty, and for your own future. I think you are wrong in your counter argument but thanks for being civil about it.

[@S3CR3TL3V3LZ]

+PotatoGunsRule Your feelings as an appeal to your own emotion. Free education is never, ever in any way dangerous. I have never lost anything by reading free information online, I've never lost out by the fact I can store libraries into a hand held drive that I would never be able to finish without devoting a decade to reading it through. Canada and Australia both have aspects of socialist ideas, free info and free healthcare- based on subsidies so the doctors still get paid and everyone can get treated, works. You can still always go private, nothing is preventing that. So if quality is a specific concern you can do that instead. Most of the people with degrees in my country, got them for free. Totally. For. Free. Not subsidized, or supported or based on income, it was just out and out free. It was not 'driven through the floor' until they *changed* that. NOW everyone is piling onto the debt inducers and that is creating a flood of overqualified macdonalds workers. Technical skills are important, but you know another place that does an overemphasis on technical skills in a non free education market? Singapore, one of the least free nations on earth. No counter culture, ultra restrictive and mostly fucked up in all the ways that a nation with sterile progress can consider itself. As for liberty, free things makes it accessible, there are some very simple freedoms based on free access to free things. Besides, the way you put it. People are paying *twice*, once for tax, then for the fee. That is not liberty. That is *plutocracy.* As for spending being equated with effective use of that money, that's just stupid. Plenty of places make excellent education and economy without spending a 9th of the cash the US pays toward failed infrastructure. People in congress would send their kids to private schools, seeing as they know what they keep from the public sector anyway. The people with the money make the rules and the rules screw the people without money. Plenty of people are doing good stuff for freedom in the world via inventing. That is one half of it. Eben Moglen and his initiative to make privacy entrenched internet that doesn't let the ISP keep all your info is a great start. It's all very much like an internet connection. You pay your (small) fee/or put in effort if you know how to do your server from scratch. Pick your use and take what you can from it. Some people spend it on cat videos, some take every damn moment to study the hell out of C++ and get programming savvy. That is FREE. Free as far as being *allowed*, free as far as you pay your *contribution* (which is the cost of all freedom) and then you have the access. But not everyone uses it. Then you get people who put themselves into a position via nepotism or inheritance, who didn't earn their way there but retain the structure, and they get to make choices that, unfortunately effect more than they have any right to. All music was done for free once by the way. Artists will perform. Rollins said about this exact topic in fact *"I tell them I would rather be heard than paid"* So there's your answer. Holy shit! People giving things away because they can afford some of that surplus effort is not "socialism" It's called *sharing* you inalienable human right hating fuck.

[@Skullkan6]

+PotatoGunsRule You sound like a pissed off college professor who wants to hold on desperately to his mansion.

[@S3CR3TL3V3LZ]

Skullkan6 If I had mansion or some stupid luxury car I would burn it to the ground. Just because. Okay that's a lie, I'd sell it then use the money for things that are good and matter. People got to stop buying shit with money they don't have for reasons they just regret. Debt isn't a responsibility but people sure do act like it is the only way to prove they can be responsible don't they?

[@Digital0.0]

Life becomes pointless in Amarica.

[@Carnutzjoe]

Young people get the wrong degrees. Chemical, Electrical, mechanical engineering are where the money is. If that's not for you go for a skilled trade. Welders, pipe fitters, electricians and technicians make a good amount without the huge debt. Too many young people get the degrees for careers where there is little demand. He's right about debt.

[@RobotShlomo]

So we don't need people like teachers, doctors, and nurses? Because people still need their kids educated, and we're still going to get sick.

[@Carnutzjoe]

Re: robot... Yes we do need teachers, doctors, etc... I'm just saying there is a real shortage of skilled labor and engineers.

[@RobotShlomo]

Here's the other part of the problem; Years ago as my parents often have told me, if you were hired by a company then that company would train you. Now they expect you to be trained as soon as you step into that position. Where is someone going to get those very specific skills if they can't afford the the training? Nobody has the equipment in their basement to acquire these skills, and these diploma mills like Lincoln Tech are expensive, and they don't really teach you anything relevant anymore. Even community college is getting out of reach for many people, especially if they're juggling work and family.

[@MrLuke6386]

RobotShlomo I don't know if you failed to elaborate on the points you were making, or you have an incomplete understanding of what the job markets used to be like. You say that a company would train you to do a job in the past. Do you honestly believe that applied to engineers, architects, lawyers, doctors, or any other job that required skilled labor from the onset? Low skill jobs did and still do provide on the job training, jobs such as plumbers, construction, etc. The only real difference today is that there has been a shift away from manufacturing jobs.

[@seamuslight2472]

Carnutzjoe Kids spend 4 years studying psychology, women's lit, and art criticism, and then wonder why they can't find a job.

[@nubzz]

A college education is the new equivalent of a high school diploma when everyone can go. Good job making something worth less by making it available to everyone so they can work at mcdonalds but say "I went to college for this".

[@rednelson7599]

why can't there be more people like him in the world?

[@discojelly]

Because, there is a whole community of folks called conservatives who have made it their mission statement to sink this man's idea of what could help America. This was from 10 years ago...and things have somewhat worsened. Now in present day 2023, add in "college kids are a threat to our nation", political pundits calling this kind of advice "Radical leftist" and conservative cowboy guy doing his podcast soapbox from inside his truck for likes and shares, and what Henry Rollins is talking about has now become the "enemy ", not just something we call can disagree on. I will tell you this as a 48 year with an Art degree who now owns his own photography company and is a small business person, Education is important as a whole for a nation. Tucker Carlton might say otherwise, but then again, he gets paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to say how stupid we are cause we have degrees.

[@mortenmibelli1007]

Please! I think most of you commenters didn't notice or forgot the beginning of the problem! He states that student debt is a major problem for people taking an education and they will probably never be able to pay it back! Not because they don't work hard or they take a stupid degree; but because capitalism drives companies to countries with lower wages and where people can be exploited. Leaving no jobs to pay off the student debt. Invest in education. Invest in the people trying to make a change for the larger population and don't scare them off before trying by putting them in forever debt. On the other side if you are so lucky as to make it to the top, please don't keep it all for yourself - let others get the opportunity to go to the top as well :D Go for the long investment istead of the "quick buck" Thank you :)

[@caffeinatedinsanity2324]

Capitalism =/= corporatism. And corporatism IS the issue in the US. Canada works on the capitalist principle, but the difference is that the government puts more investment in education compared to the US who invests in the army and in the business lobbies. The problem comes from the schools that can't repay themselves and are forced to put people in debt BECAUSE they can't touch a government investment, which has NOTHING to do with capitalism. Investing in education is in FACT a capitalist decision. Just a good one.

[@chubbyninja842]

The problem with the American job market is the government has over taxed and over regulated just about every industry within our borders. The government has made it unprofitable to do business here, and we've blamed the business or leaving. If we want the business back, give them a reason to come back! Let them do what they do. If they do it well, leave them alone. If they do it poorly, let them suffer for their own failures. If they cause harm, take them to court and don't give them any breaks. The free market is the ultimate regulator, and the biggest problem we have with that right now is that most people have been fooled into believing we have a free market, and that the market is the reason things have gone bad. No. Not at all. We DO NOT have a free market. We have a highly FASCIST economy, ruled and regulated at every turn by the government, which hampers the market's ability to self correct by the basic principles of supply and demand.

[@j2y2k3]

I think the economy makes most sense when you look at it as a command economy.

[@Barsiel]

FINALLY SOMENE UNDERSTANDS! (Talking about ZombieTex)

[@Ralkall]

ZombieTex Absolute bullshit. If anything, government has been removing regulation for the past 40 years. Corporations moved jobs oversees to reduce costs to boost their earnings for stockholders. Business is unprofitable? Corporate earnings have skyrocketed in the past three decades. All while wages have been stagnant and inequality is the highest its been since the Gilded Age. The problem with the job market is corporate greed. Also, government regulation is put in place to protect the American public against harmful activities of corporations, such as marketing dangerous drugs, putting carcinogenic substances in our food, or committing financial fraud.

[@chubbyninja842]

Ralkall If that was true, why as the registry of codes only gotten larger exponentially over the past 40 years? Yes, some regulations have been repealed ... and they're very eager to shove that in your face so you won't see that for every 1 regulation they repeal, they replace with 10 new ones. The reason these corporations can get away with all these shenanigans is not because of deregulation ... but rather because of REGULATION. In exchange for obeying a handful of regulations, the very companies who are subject to the regulations get a seat at the table of writing the regulations ... and they give themselves all sorts of blanket immunities and limits to liability only made possible through the power of government regulation. In a free market all participants in the market are always fully accountable for all actions and damages. There is no such thing as "limited liability" in a truly free market. If causing harm caused a business to lose money, they wouldn't do it. Because of government protections, business can cause harm and there's nothing anyone can do about it.

[@Ralkall]

ZombieTex I don't disagree with you that corporations have a huge influence on shaping new regulation. However, U.S. regulation is scandalously lax in some areas. For example, the U.S. allows GMOs, ractopamine and arsenic tainted meat, BVO drinks, potassium bromate bread, BHA and BHT preservatives, rBGH milk, antibiotic filled livestock, BPA cans, and other food additives. These are banned in dozens of countries because of links to cancer and other long term damage to the human body. Big Agriculture has lobbied Congress to keep these substances legal because it cuts costs, thereby increasing their earnings and stock price. As for deregulation, nowhere has it been more harmful than in the financial industry. Big banks have lobbied Congress to remove regulation so they can mindlessly gamble as they please. When the Housing bubble collapsed, these banks were up to their eyeballs in toxic assets, and had to run to the government for help to escape bankruptcy. In either case, corporations use their influence (read: money) on Capitol Hill to boost their already high profits, at the expense of the American people.

[@jeepmanxj]

I understand his thoughts but my experience is different. I need someone for management, even floor supervision. We will have 70 applicants for 1 job. All are about the same age, have the same degree, from the same handful of colleges. We have 20 jobs working a trade skill like machining, we get 2 applicants. The jobs are only $5-10k a year different pay, yet nobody wants to work, everyone wants to be a sit on their ass in an office playing on the internet all day. If you just hand everyone a degree it devalues it. The market is flooded with business degrees, computer science degrees, and to a lesser extent engineering degrees. I face this all the time when I have to tell some hopeful kid that their 100k degree is the same 100k degree all the other applicants had, and send them on their way. I've even gone as far as to offer them trade jobs, train them with pay that is competitive to what their desired job was just to be laughed at.

[@HollyMoore-wo2mh]

Please keep telling people that.

[@jeepmanxj]

@@HollyMoore-wo2mh the truth?

[@HollyMoore-wo2mh]

@@jeepmanxj YES. The truth. Do they think this man does this out of the goodness of his heart? Then THEY are the delusional ones. Of COURSE he's making money on this -you know CAPITALISM.

[@indianboobs80085]

an absolute icon. what is going on with the stitches(?) on his left temple?

[@MrDavid2012]

Sounds like Henry is gonna vote Bernie Sanders 2016 (:

[@geraldhoff7362]

Good thing Bernie was cheated out of running for President by his own party.

[@da324]

He sure was and many of his supporters still voted for Hillary, can you say, stupid?

[@dyingphenix7908]

@NMEofNWO Well let me help you out: one carried out the act, the other one was the wife of someone who carried out the act. I'm not a democrat (I'm anarchist), I just think this is a double standard of epic proportions. If conservatives are going to get pissed off about Bill, they have to get pissed off about Donnie Boy.

[@GagGod]

I didn't know Henry Rollins was an economist? (Sarcasm). Yea Europe's model is nice, let's become Greece. I hear there is great job opportunities there. It's like he read Naomi Klein's book and now he's thinks he is a policy advisor. Why this video got 5,217 likes is beyond me, just spouting the same fallacies perpetuated by politicians and a misinformed public. You want the jobs back? Unlike Henry Rollins claim that the way we are taxed doesn't matter, it does. Reduce the corporate income tax (which is the highest in the industrialized world) and reduce income tax for all income levels. Cut back govt spending. Then we would see an increase in job opportunities, a rise in real income, and greater economic growth.

[@cjaygrove]

Umm Greece is a horrible example. Try the Scandinavian countries, they are more adequate comparisons to US standards. I mean when comparing yourself to someone else don't choose the one legged, mentally challenged guy. That's kinda what you did with the whole Greece thing. That country has a myriad of very serious issues for many different reasons including their history and their location (east Europe has gotten the short end of the stick especially with all the wars and whatnot).

[@PSIponies]

That's because the Greeks excel at finding ways to be lazy and not pay their taxes. Give it another go with a real country.

[@newperve]

cjaygrove "Try the Scandinavian countries, they are more adequate comparisons to US standards." Notice how they're actually fairly high on the index of economic freedom?

[@CheapSushi]

The solution is always less government and more corporatism, isn't it? Because unlike a government, which has a bigger responsibility towards longevity and its citizens, a corporation doesn't. Thus obviously corporations that traditionally value the short term gains for shareholders and board have a better interest in so called "job opportunities, real incomes and economic growth".

[@GrecoCalabrese]

Lt. Daffy Im Greek and I can tell you that Greeks not paying taxes had nothing to do with the crisis. There was a huge amount of public sector jobs that replaced the private sector for decades and when the government couldn't borrow more to pay them the economy showed its true level. The other EU countries knew this and decided to take the resources instead. As for scandanavian countries they are now taking massive loans to pay for millions of arabs to live off welfare. So just wait and see what happens in 20 years.

[@mm-ol9rq]

did my University education in Germany - cost me about $ 250 per year in administrative fees, that's it. Taxes are a bit higher once you get a job after. But you have a chance to get your education without being in debt for the next 20 years

[@yeahwhatever1184]

Rollins for president 2020

[@dmfc593]

The idea of America is not European at all in nature. I like Rollins for the most part but he has paid too much attention to the rhetoric rather than the reality.

[@tonykplayter8019]

how?

[@dmfc593]

How is it not European in nature? You mean other than it was specifically designed to not be European in nature? In his book Democracy in America Alexis de Tocqueville coined the term "American Exceptionalism". What he wrote that made America exceptional is instead of like England where men of rank were gone to, and unlike France where the government was gone to, when Americans wanted something done in their society they went to their neighbors. In this manner society flourished creating roads, inns, churches, hospitals; anything a government created in Europe Americans created with their neighbors.

[@dmfc593]

It has only been since the early 20th century that euro-centrism has taken hold and it is not a coincidence that the government since has been the most corrupt in the world. Grafting collectivist beliefs on to an individualist society can lead to nothing but corruption.

[@rolandhawken6628]

What do you mean when you say, Where of rank were gone to .? What does gone to represent?

[@dmfc593]

Men of rank, Lords, Kings ect.

[@meedily]

If you want to see insight, watch Jordan B Peterson. He's an actual genius.

[@Knaeben]

You are joking, right? lol

[@luislptigres]

I do not see how they relate. However, yeah peterson is a good way to start.

[@Hirnlego999]

Peterson says nobody is really an atheist. And he's an academic, in psychology. He figured out a way to make money about something he lied about. And he is never really clear on his thoughts even though he preaches this He also says Raskolnikov is the perfect atheist, misremembers the book despite supposedly liking Dostoevsky. Meh, find better heroes He was embarrassing when he spoke about religion with Matt Dillahunty

[@isaiahgray3057]

Go to an in-state community college for the first 2 years and apply for grants so you get free tuition. Get to university and continue to get grants and/or work while going to school to pay for any tuition that isn't covered. If you must go to an out of state $40k/year university then don't be shocked by your student loan debt at the end of it all.

[@gaptoofgranny]

I went to post secondary the next year after I went to high school. That was in 2000. Fourteen years later, I'm still in massive debt and nothing to show for it. Not even the job I trained for because the school I went to set me up with a practicum sweeping warehouse floors. I feel disappointed, I feel used, and I feel betrayed because of that. They can chase me til the day I die and they won't ever see a cent. I don't care if it screws up my credit because they screwed up my future.