There are currently 43 million people with outstanding student loans totaling $1.6 trillion. I said people because many borrowers are no longer students, and the chances are excellent that these same people are not working. There is a good chance these people wasted thousands of dollars on an education and degree with no future. The ROI on the money they borrowed is poor… very poor.
We have made a grave mistake with the current generation. We pushed the majority of Millennials and Gen-X to go to college. We preached the lie that the only way to a future of prosperity and security was to obtain a college degree. We could not have been more wrong. We neglected and downplayed the trades, which will be a decision that will haunt us for years. If you do not believe me, try to get a plumber, electrician, carpenter, or mechanic. Good luck.
Enter Mike Rowe. I have been a fan of Mike’s for some time. He is not just a celebrity who hosted a TV series for ratings and cash. He had a mission. That mission was to shine a light on the jobs and workers that make America run. He highlighted jobs that none of us think about, but our lives would be far more difficult if people did not do them. Rowe pushed the importance of the trades, and the joke was on most college students or graduates. The tradesmen that Mike highlighted were making six figures doing honest work with their hands and their minds. Those who chose a course different from four years of college made serious money without the six-figure student loan debt.
Mike not only talks the talk, but he backs it up with action. Mike has a foundation, the Mike Rowe Works Foundation. Established in 2008, Mike’s foundation has awarded over $5 million in scholarships to deserving students to help them achieve their dream to become a licensed tradesman. That is $5 million well-invested dollars.
America is lending money it doesn’t have to kids who can’t pay it back to train them for jobs that no longer exist. That’s nuts.” – Mike Rowe.
Mike gets it. Not everyone needs to go to college, and he is promoting a desirable alternative. The trades will always be necessary and provide a good living for those men and women who want to work hard and perform services that will always be in demand. Mike is not a hero but a realist. He has spent time with people who make a living getting their hands dirty.
The younger generation has not failed us. We have failed them. We thought we could create a better economy and society by seeing every one of our children holding a degree in their hands throwing a mortarboard and tassel into the air. The problem is that the scenario satisfied our need to see our children succeed, but it did not put them in place to seize the opportunities in front of them.
There is a wide range of options we all face looking into the future. Some will become brain surgeons, and some will clean up the operating room. Both are integral to the surgery performed, but not everyone is created to fill both positions. The person whose life is moving on due to the miracle performed by the surgeon in the white coat cannot thank the surgeon enough. Nobody ever thinks about the person in the white coat who cleans up after the miracle.
Different levels of study go into each job, but they are both essential, just like the center fielder batting cleanup and the catcher batting ninth. We have different dreams of the place our children will fill. We forgot that there might be glory for the surgeon, but there is dignity for the person pushing the mop. Both are essential to the team.
It is my sincere desire to provide readers of this site with the best unbiased information available, and a forum where it can be discussed openly, as our Founders intended. But it is not easy nor inexpensive to do so, especially when those who wish to prevent us from making the truth known, attack us without mercy on all fronts on a daily basis. So each time you visit the site, I would ask that you consider the value that you receive and have received from The Burning Platform and the community of which you are a vital part. I can't do it all alone, and I need your help and support to keep it alive. Please consider contributing an amount commensurate to the value that you receive from this site and community, or even by becoming a sustaining supporter through periodic contributions. [Burning Platform LLC - PO Box 1520 Kulpsville, PA 19443] or Paypal
-----------------------------------------------------
To donate via Stripe, click here.
-----------------------------------------------------
Use promo code ILMF2, and save up to 66% on all MyPillow purchases. (The Burning Platform benefits when you use this promo code.)
1. What happens when you recklessly print massive amounts of currency? Each unit of currency loses value.
2.What happens when you send everyone to college to get a diploma? Each diploma is decreased in value.
3. What happens when you send everyone to college with loans; thus saddling each graduate with enormous debt? You further devalue the diploma to the point where many are worse off than they would have been with no college.
4. What happens when you do #’s 1, 2, & 3 at the same time? You cripple a nation.
None of this was unforeseeable, and it brings into question the education (and intelligence) of those individuals (mostly parents) who didn’t understand this perfectly predictable outcome.
#5. And let in millions of uneducated to devalue labor.
Get’s better, who in there right mind wishes to create wealth by actually working only to have it confiscated through taxation to be spent on things that undermine there own prosperity ?
Good news is that it’s harder to send kids to gubmint skoools. Either the sskools are disrupted or not open or there are no drivers for their busses. Hopefully this will lead to many more homeschoolers.
and say every day your thanks for being able to home school! here in europe in many countries it’s flat out forbidden.
Hide them in your basement and home school them surreptitiously.
I hear Europeans are good at that…
And what isn’t nuts in the world these days?
More fear mongering.
Plumbers are not in short supply and a college degree is worthwhile.
Your a MORON, and obviously dont work in the construction industry…….
I suppose you’re a plumber lmao
I presume you a fucking moron
Your lack of any originality, confirms you don’t have a college degree and quite possibly are a high school dropout.
The people arguing against college, are always and i mean 100% of the time, those that dont have a degree.
A classic example of sour grapes.
Rule number 1 never argue with morons. Have a great day.
Where did you get these stats from??? Wheres the beef?!?!?
I know plenty of people with diploma’s and a few MA’s that advocate a trade instead of college or university. Lets see what your borrowed money in gender studies gets you… btw, I’ll have a #8 with fries please…
A trade gives you a job right away, ur making money, good money. And, if you don’t like that trade you can easily transition to ANOTHER trade without losing an income.
But, I’d be interested in looking at your data proving 100% that those advocating for trades are degree free…
Oh and BTW, I have a cert in Marine Operations and Intermodal Transportation, does that count?? And, I’m waiting on the gas fitter today to show up… at $150/hr and I’m getting a deal because he’s an old neighbour friend.
Start calling a trade for quotes.
Any trade.
See what we charge.
Too spendy for you?
Do it yourself…
Too spendy? Its just money. Professionals focus on results and the money is not an issue.
The trades are always scraping and money is an issue for that crowd.
Get a degree.
Got one.
Mechanical Engineer. 20 years.
I can line up lots of “professionals” living paycheck to paycheck.
Hell most of the doctors in the country are lying through their face about the vax just so they won’t lose their job.
Most of the folks I know in the trades aren’t ‘scraping’.
But YMMV.
I work trades because I don’t have the office ‘bravado’.
I work outside, and stay tanned and fit, and make my own hours.
None of the office politically correct bullshit.
And when I get a douchebag inspector that tells me my plan mods need an engineers stamp, I go to the truck and stamp the plans.
Where I’m at, they don’t have enough plumbers, mechanics, framers, finish carpenters, or electricians. Forget trying to get a certified welder.
I was on vacation in Hawaii in 2019, and through casual conversation mentioned I was a contractor and got several offers from people that wanted me to come to Hawaii because local contractors told them they were 2 years out.
Many of the folks on here are confident enough to do their own plumbing.
But most people today can’t screw in a light bulb.
When I graduated on 2001, Ford took half my class, Boeing the other half.
Ford guy said $45,000 was just the starting salary, but it went a long way in Ann Arbor.
Declined and started contracting again.
Passed 6 figs in the first 9 months.
If the degree isn’t in a STEM field, it has little value.
If it is in a STEM field, big employers can roll in H-2Bs that will work for half what the locals want.
So sure, get a degree.
Nice to have on the wall.
Just don’t borrow too much to do it.
Yup.
Instructional Youtube videos. Over the years I have tackled dozens of projects WAY out of my skill set and comfort zone, successfully. I am a desk jockey (engineering) by training but have become a reasonably good mechanic, plumber and carpenter by watching videos and then doing the job. Still not too comfortable with electricity but can wire a three way switch.
Rebuilt my steering column.
Changed the in-tank fuel pump in my exotic car.
Diagnosed and replaced fuel injectors.
Swapped out a bad transfer case on the truck.
Built a nice greenhouse.
Built a nice shop.
Built a great deck.
Plus lots more.
If I can do it, ANYONE can.
I’m gonna venture that most people determined to give it a shot can do most of what they set about to do. The difference isn’t in the doing but in the final product. Does it look or function like a youtuber did it after watching three vids or is it finished to a professional degree and functionality??
BF stated:
I find this to be very true. Most trades people in my area just don’t give a rats hiney. They are so busy they can afford to do crappy work, not bother to answer or call back on calls, leave the job site like a tornado came thru and when their work fails they give you the standard reply, meh… Theres little pride in workmanship, I mean what can one expect for a measly $150 – 200/hr
“I’m gonna venture that most people determined to give it a shot can do most of what they set about to do. The difference isn’t in the doing but in the final product. Does it look or function like a youtuber did it after watching three vids or is it finished to a professional degree and functionality??”
Lack of pride of workmanship is why I do almost everything myself. Long ago I got tired of paying a professional and getting what I would call amateur results.
I might not always do a perfect job, but most of the time I think I do better than what I could pay someone a reasonable amount to do. I always do end up with what I want quality of work wise, not what someone else thinks is ‘good enough’.
If money is no object, certainly there are professionals that do exceptional work well above what I could accomplish. But for the most part, the average ‘professionals’ come from the same herd that believes the government, unthinkingly follows the rules and probably already had their second dose. I would not trust any of these idiots to do the brakes on my vehicles. That I always do myself, and make sure I do it right.
One of the most important things to me is not to rush into the job when you are learning. If something is new to me, I watch several videos on the subject, read any ‘how to’ I can find, then plan out what to do in a list I can follow, before staring the project. If it involves disassembly/reassembly, LOTS of pictures at every stage of the process for later reference.
It’s generally not lack of knowledge that stymies people, it’s lack of confidence in themselves.
Anybody can do any trade or any profession.
Of course there’s a learning curve.
Ask Hardscrabble Farmer about his learning curve when he bought a farm.
I do most everything except my own dental work and surgeries.
And no legal work that has jeopardy attached.
I told my guidance counselor in junior high I wanted to be a polymath.
She didn’t know what it was.
That right there is what stymies most from attempting seemingly tough projects. My thoughts are generally along the lines of, ‘if you never try you’ll never improve’.
I know I’ll catch hell from our resident vet here but I surgically removed a tumor from one of our dogs. If was about the size of a golf ball located just rear of her front elbow along the ribcage. Local vet wanted $800 to remove it and another $400 to have it biopsied. Had three young’ns and couldn’t afford the groceries lost.
Long story short, got the materials, sutchers, scalpel from wifes doctor, novocain from vet. Gave the dog a gravol and in 20 min had the tumor removed and dog sewn back up. She lived another two years. Sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do.
I suggested meat balls and spag for dinner that night… didn’t go over well…
Hey Dipshit. Read my comment
20 downvotes? Wow , i really touched a nerve there!
Looks like there is actually an overabundance of plumbers on here, lmao
You might be thinking … “there sure are a lot of assholes here”.
You might be right.
Instead of insulting plumbers, try insulting proctologists. We have an inordinate number of people who pull shit out of their ass. (See, Abigail Adams or EWS)
I did not insult anyone. I said there is no shortage of plumbers. And there is not a shortage of plumbers. I said a degree is good. A degree is good.
Just a lot of thin skinned people who dont actually read or think.
Like real estate the trades boil down to location, location… You get the drift. There is a shortage of tradesman that do quality work, show up on time, answer their phones, and generally care about making their customers happy. The wait around here to get a plumber, or even a call back can exceed a week or more. Makes it easy to rise like the cream when most of your competition sucks. I cant count the times over the last few years I’ve been called on to fix another companies literal “abortion.” I find very few trades people under fifty who are worth a shit. So if what you say is true, (cant be sure which nanny mouse fuck you are) then you should be able to run the table, making over 100k for the foreseeable future. Dip-shit.
And no I don’t have a degree, I was lucky to finish high screwell. I have a kick ass life though which is a testament to what Mike Row is talking about. Hard work and determination are in short supply these days, making it even easier to rise above the fray.
Aw. Stucky’s feelings got hurt.
As an OTR trucker I go to a lot of warehouses to get loaded and unloaded.
Two days ago I was at a shipper about fifteen miles South of Indianapolis for six hours waiting to get loaded. Lack of dockworkers was the reason for the delay.
The facility was clean, well lit and modern. The forklifts were new. I asked the shipping clerk if they were hiring. Oh yeah! What’s the starting wage? $25.00 an hour. Any overtime available? All you can eat at time-and-a-half. PLUS a straight bonus of (get this) $600.00 on top of each weeks pay if you work six days that week.
The work is not physically demanding. Any man or woman of normal strength would do just fine. If a person worked ten hours a day for six days. the pay would break down thusly: Mon through Thursday 40 hours straight pay at $25 plus two hrs additional half time each day for the over eight in a day. That is $1,100 Mon through Thurs. Since you’ve worked forty hours so far in the week (even though eight of them were already paid at the overtime rate) all remaining hours in the week are paid at time-and-a-half. That’s two more days of ten hours each at the overtime rate. Twenty hrs overtime equals thirty hours pay, or $750.00. So that’s $1,850.00 before the $600.00 sixth day bonus.
$2450.00 per week for operating a forklift in a clean air conditioned facility. That’s $127,400.00 annual wage. And they’re begging!
As I sit here in central Missouri in a broken down Freightliner, waiting for the repair shop to open tomorrow morning (and making precisely nothing) so I can finish getting this load to Fort Worth I’m glad I have that company’s recruiter’s card in my wallet.
Calling her tomorrow.
Way worse than that …New trucks under warranty break down on Friday…Shops won’t even look at them till Monday or Tuesday because they only work Monday thru Friday, while trucks run 7 days per week….Shops USED to be open 7 days…now they don’t care…
The idiot democrats think they can raise the fed funds rate (interest rates) to calm interest rates. That used to work when there was a labor/mgmt understanding. The fucktards have let the wheels come off the usa and think old tried and true bullshit of raising Rates will Force inflation to tame itself to reduce loans and free money. It won’t. Because its not liquidity of dollars and easy free money and high demand driving these prices upwards. Its supply chain. And supply. They offshored our manufacturing and jobs and now we must import everything which is obviously becoming fast a national crisis and emergency. Critical infrastructure of a nation is supplying the needs of a nation. Let the low iq afghans work and supply the nation with the shit we need. Oh and they have zero vax so polio etc will run fucking rampant in your factories. When these fucks come crawling back to the smart white christians with work ethic we should tell them fuck off. Change the system or we John Galt your ass and all grab popcorn and watch the world turn into the fucking benny hill show of 2022. Do not bow down to high wages to appease them temporarily and fix this problem. Only demand equality otherwise you are part of the problem.
KaD posted this under admin’s Beg-A-Thon article but never said where they were located.
Wish I had something to give. Eight months unemployed with no income now, financially I’m a skeleton. Applied for two jobs this week, not holding out much hope though.
KaD are you seeing the above?
If I was in the Indianapolis area, I’d be all over that.
Pays better than your part-time walmart gig!
At least I’m not so lazy that I can’t come up with a handle, “Anonymous” shit stain.
I’m assuming near Springfield, but if further north you have my sympathy. I saw a sign for a $300 sign-on and weekly bonus at a big truck repair place on I-55.
If you’re talking to me, I’m about 1.5 hrs drive E of Springfield on I-44. A town called St. Robert. Just W of Devils elbow if that helps. Bye the bye it’s now Monday afternoon. The little shop here doesn’t do engine work. Nearest place is Springfield. Can’t find a closer mechanic to make a road service call. I may be the man who never returned.
You are close to Ft. Leonardwood, then? any chance you know someone there?
Dear ol’ Fort Lost-in-the-woods?
Took basic in January and February there over a half century ago.
Caught my first case of covid there.
Was glad ‘Nam was warm.
That’s a great reply, I don’t care how big a pissing contest you are in with Stuckenheimer!
I just happen to know there are a few truck repair places outside the base now, I think. I stopped by there a lot when loading up on booze. While my son finished S&T at Rolla, through 2018, when he graduated and got a job finally. I haven’t been back there in a while.
But, I could always check out the holiday gift boxes of Grey Goose. Those come in handy with the little snifters tucked inside.
Glad you enjoyed the reply, Ghost.
The truck owner, the dispatcher and me have called all the shops within fifty miles of St Robert. The excuses run from lame to fairly creative, but none can make it. The tow to Springfield, with a proper Freightliner shop, about 160 miles round trip would cost about 3 grand. So here I sit.
You mentioned “little snifters” that’s what prez joe calls schoolgirls.
See ya ’round G.
EDIT TO ADD: I forgot to mention that the lack of mechanical services is an indication of supply chain gaps and qualified tradesmen, as discussed in other articles and comments here. I think it will get worse, and rapidly so.
So sorry to hear of your situation. You are more than four hours drive from here, but you are about 4 hours from anywhere aren’t you?
Best of luck finding a solution. Have you tried the big farm equipment repair places? With all the big machines in the field, they might have mechanics available?
Gross about the snifters.
By the way? $3000 for a tow?
Too many people bought the grift of past generations that we would all be an information economy now.
Gen X, Y, and Z have churned out people with zero manual dexterity skills whatsoever.
These people will fall by the wayside in this turning.
Had to happen sometime…
I graduated from chiropractic college in Sept 1978. I had a couple of thousand in student loans and was able to start my practice without crushing debt. One of my patients was a dentist (I’m retired). She is a couple of years older than me and started dental school about 4 years after I started chiro school. As I approaching retirement, I asked her how long she intended to practice. Her answer, “Until my student loan is paid off.” Thanks Jimmy Carter.
We must all respect the rope maker, the scaffolding maker, the guillotine maker, the battle are maker, etc.
Hmmm…I remember making this point before and was called a DUMBASS IDIOT. Looks like Mike and I think alike.
One would think a site like TBP would have commenters who could state their position and defend it with cogent, logical arguments. And of course there are such commenters here. BUT, and it’s a big Kardashian sized but[t], there are so many tolerated here whose disputational skills are limited to “suck my dick, idiot.”
That’s a shame, really.
Suck my dick, idiot.
Ok Stuck. I hadta upvote you on that one. LOL.
Good! GLAD you took it as a joke …. because it WAS.
😃😃😄
Unfortunately todays kids are smarter. They see right through the bullshit of having to “pay their dues” and “wait their turn” narratives. The future they see can be changed against them regarding the old pact of work hard get your turn, by greedy republicans/democrats. The idea of going to college and paying for ones self to avoid the debt trap only to see your fellow classes mates of color get their student loans wiped clean. All because of their skin tone or religion or citizen status. Being white, Christian and a Citizen means you are born racist, will always be racist, cannot have pride, and assumed to possess some unidentifiable privilege. Numerous laws like affirmative action and the community reinvestment act clearly and openly is racist against whites by your own government. Diversity and inclusion no longer mean you, white person. You are not included and are not diverse enough although the govt labeled over 58 nations of numerous colors and religion all to be labeled white. Funny how Italians moving to America clearly with dark olive skins, Catholic, and culture are labeled as “white” but 62 miles away a Spaniard from Spain is considered hispanic and is not white because of his darker toned skin, culture and religion being mostly Catholic as well.
Whites kids are paying full tuition, being passed over for lower iq non whites. They are being hounded at their campuses for walking around or even entering the buildings they pay for with said tuition. Then, the internships and lab reports are all group efforts and are scored by the group. They always place one white kid with 3 or more odd numbered non whites to enforce a minority status on the white kid. Here is the shocking part. The white kid is told to do all the work as he is the smartest of the group with good work ethic. The professor tells the class to enforce a group work ethic and mindset to get along, and your peers will be providing your grade. So, the white kid is enslaved by the professor and his classmates and school to perform the lab and do all the work. The classmates give him a “c” at best, most just outright fail him while they peer review themselves as having done all the work and get an A. When questioned by the professor they all lie and collude the white kid did nothing therefore we failed him. White kid complains to the professor and is told this is part of life and he must overcome such reality. This happened to my 5th year engineering student at a major university. The next lab was 128 miles away every weekend for 6 weeks. It would cost him $500 a week to travel, hotel and to eat. And none of the others would join. He decided to say “fuck it, fuck them” they already failed him last lab and if they do it again he will spend year 6 in this shit. He told them fuck off they complained to the professor. I got involved and showed gps, travel logs, costs, work produced and real time hours stamps of location and too statements of people that they were to report to that my son was the only one there last time and we proved it and this time would not be repeated. The school did nothing. They actually said if he wanted to pass it would be up to him to overcome this and find a way to entice them to comply. Essentially even told us to bribe the kids with money for them to give him a high enough grade so my 5th year student (who went every summer to graduate in 3 years!) maybe could pass this time, as long as he spend the $5,000 to travel and do all the work. We told them fuck you, he fails you all fucking fail. Fuck. You. This is how colleges are holding white kids hostage for money and keeping them held back while allowing lower iq to steal the best jobs etc. Funny how this group did not do the lab snd the other kids got a different assignment ad make up work but my kid got the F. We are suing the fuck out of them, the professor and the college.
The idea that I actually told my kid the first time that I agreed with these slimy fucking bastards makes me fucking sick. I was taught hard work, overcoming adversity etc is good and builds character. It was only when I heard suicidal thoughts from my then 21 year handsome, athletic, iq of 148 son that I took notice and thank God he opened up. I really think I prevented a suicide that weekend. There is no use in hard work and overcoming adversity because the fucking system is fucking rigged. When these fucking low iq bastards start building bridges that collapse because they are too fucking low iq we shall laugh. Right? My student will no longer give a shit and will cheat fucking steal if needed to get the $285,000 piece of paper. He cannot even get the needed internship he has applied to for 2 years, anywhere, because he is white. I had to have a friend take him on as an intern otherwise this requirement of internship would have blocked him from graduating. He and many other friends, are white valedictorians from high school, are out for over 2 years and cannot land a engineering job because these firms have hiring quotas of non whites.
I can spend $280k on earth moving equipment and he could make that much in a year by himself right now. College is a joke. Once they get rid of the cucked dumb white kids paying full tuition they will make it all fucking free using your tax dollars of course. Then they will continue discriminating against whites openly using diversity measures.
There is no hard work, paying your dues, waiting your turn, turning the other cheek or future of these kids. They are angry. But the woke assed groups and media take this anger and spin it to the pink haired black girl supposedly having a hard time, backed by her blue haired cucked white girl. Once they have eliminated the smart, capable and ethical from the work force and laden the world with low iq brainless followers for the free money they have bought these people into slavery and they are too low iq to even see it. Imagine the slaves of 1800 who told their kids the free mud hut or log cabin and gruel the master provided to eat daily, just for a 16 hour hard labor day was a good deal. No money and only whipped 14 times a day. A good deal. And they believed it…..we are there again and low iq fools deserve what they and their kids get. Fuck them all. For my kids won’t succumb to this shit slavery scheme. They will fucking own a lolipop shop and eat rice to sustain their freedom if needed. I am no longer saving or spending for me, but focusing on how I can assist my kids and grandkids to exist in their lifetime until real men grow some balls and fix this shit. Fuck. You. World. Fuck. You
what….? lmao
GFY.
You sound VERY angry.
Based on your story, I don’t blame you.
BUT …. don’t become Totally Unhinged. That’s not good for either yourself, or your kid.
My father taught me to train for a trade to ensure I always could find a job, THEN go after what want in life. Took him at his word. Trained and worked as a medic and medical technician and was never without work. Meanwhile, trained to be a aerospace technician, worked on the space shuttle, and obtained my Masters later on. Now I teach for a international manufacturing company. My father is a wise man and I pass on his wisdom to every young person I speak to.