5 ms·

I'd rather say in the US the problem is too much market. And especially too much of the naive belief - used to his advantage by many a shrewd businessman - tha

by wybo 14y ago

I'd rather say in the US the problem is too much market. And especially too much of the naive belief - used to his advantage by many a shrewd businessman - that cost equates quality. Also, as already mentioned in other posts, many UK/EU universities do very well. I am currently at Oxford, and I would choose it over practically any American university. And virtually all Western-European universities do way better than the bottom 3/4th of the American ones, which after all is what most Americans will encounter when they go to a 4-year 'college'.

Radim 14y ago
Interesting point on the "too much market", thank you. Am I right that there is a hidden assumption in there, saying "you're too stupid, we know better, let us protect you from making voluntary deals with other parties"? That sounds like a horrible premise for any kind of governance, and possibly a self-fulfilling prophecy. (hah! are we there yet? people under so many well-meant regulations that we're becoming irresponsibly naive and stupid?) Or maybe, coming from Eastern Europe, I am just too allergic to the we-know-better-than-you-what-you-need central planning. Re. "Oxford! Cambridge!" etc. -- the fact there are excellent universities all over the world doesn't affect (much less invalidate) the claim that the top universities are predominantly American. I agree that the distribution of quality when it comes to universities is uneven -- but so what? I find that natural. This idea that all universities should somehow be uniform and on the same level makes me, once again, shudder. What's next? All cities should be the same size, so everybody has the same opportunity to find a job? Think of the poor village children!