THE ROBERT W. WHITAKER ARCHIVE

The Oxford and Cambridge tradition of forcing students (and their teachers) to rigorously defend everything they do and say is a matter that is central to the cause of freedom.

Of course, the British government for the past two generations has done everything it can to interfere and dampen the traditions of Oxford and Cambridge because continuing the traditions of freedom is the last thing the government and the academics want.

People today do not realize that the whole system was different before WWII. There weren't any "required courses" and "distribution requirements" in the liberal arts colleges.

Liberal Arts degrees were conferred on the basis of examinations, in the interests of real standards. In contrast, unlike today, anybody who could pay the tuition could gain admittance to a professional school.

Today, the entire rigor is in the professional schools because that is where your ticket gets punched for entry into the rackets. But the professional schools have slowly slid downward in standards precisely because of the rackets and their self-interested business agendas. A lot of important fundamentals have been lost to agendas related to how the professional schools are funded.

Robert Whitaker has done some great posts on interrogation, fascinating stuff. But today, in general, few are aware how interested tyranny is in burying the culture where your opinions and actions are expected to be able to withstand genuine interrogation.

For several generations all mainstream political debate has been carried out on a phony basis. Debates where the candidates' positions are subject to true interrogatories are not allowed. Proof of the tyranny we suffer.

There is one rule governing everything in our universities, our courts, our legislatures, and in our executive administrations, NO REAL ACCOUNTIBILTY is permitted for any of the participants in the game. Accordingly, no one is expected to have to defend him or herself against a genuine interrogation.

This is a major reason why people become mentally sloppy in a tyranny. Everything is based upon your status and organizational rank and the medals that have been pinned on you.

In our universities, most "graduates" don't even realize that mutual and skilled interrogations should be the pillar of what real education is. Mommy Professor hates the notion that she should be subject to interrogation from her students, and conversely, her students hate the notion that their fat-assed opinions should be subject real inquiry.

In our current system, both parties have an excuse for avoiding the issue.

All of that is off the table in our system. In fact, it is mostly off the table in the Ox-Bridge system too.

Save that last post by Dave for posterity. There is nothing to liberalism its a shell game with phony players. If you don't believe me ask a liberal a set of questions and see how fast they become dictatorial, its amazing. And to imagine at AR they play by the "rules" and wonder why they don't get anywhere.

I don't have a university education, but this stuff is very upsetting. This is something from someone who is a Directer of Medical Education Research and Evaluation. "Portfolios are being used increasingly in medical education with cclcm's portfolio system for competency-based assessment as a model at the national level.... "As an outcome of the working group, a white paper was developed and used as a starting point for ..a Invitaional Conference on Portfolios and Physician Learning Systems co-convened by the AAMC and ACGME. These professional organiztions aim to develope an electronic portfolio infrastructure to document learner experiences across the continuum-beginning in medical school and continuing into practice." ....

I can't argue, but it sounds like doctors are being trained the kindergarten way.

Do any of you remember that thirty years ago you could get a job as an industrial chemist with only a high school diploma?

Of course, you had to pass a basic competency exam but after that all else was learned "on the job".

Nowadays, that same position requires a degree in "Chemical Engineering", preferably at the "masters" level.

Go to the Vatican. Look at St. Peter's basilica.

Designed and built by men with no formal schooling. Still standing, isn't it?

Compare the music of Bach,(no formal education), with John Cale (a music degree).

The story of Ignaz Semmelweis had a far different moral for the intellectual establishment than the conclusion that is drawn by Bob.

The modern education establishment is and was consciously designed to prevent another Semmelweis

from rocking the boat.

That's why we never went beyond the moon.

By the late seventies and early eighties, all the rocket scientists were educated with degrees in rocket science.

The whole education system isn't about knowledge and progress, it's about maintaining the status quo.

They are parasites.

Full of bullshit.

I don't care if they are online, or liberal or conservative or trade schools or community colleges or first tier Ivy League.

They are parasites.

Full of bullshit.