For a quick, and somewhat trite answer, it is because it is not capitalism, the system we have. Now, like most debates about a binary choice, the ‘grass is greener’ nature/motivation/neural imperative of humanity comes into play, but even this conservative bastion noted something funny….

But a college degree isn’t an automatic ticket to upward mobility, either. Even before the recession began, graduates were seeing their wages shrink. Between 2002 and 2007, according to government data, the inflation-adjusted hourly wage for men ages 25 to 35 with bachelor’s degrees (and no graduate degrees) fell 4.5%. For the typical woman, inflation-adjusted wages fell 4.8%.

I think most people alive would agree that college graduates, 27% of Americans as of a few years ago would be considered the ‘winners’ of society. Well, all would at least agree they tend to be the winners relative to those without a degree…but now if you are a winner, according to the WSJ, your post-inflation earning ‘only’ fell by 4.5%

Wow, what a deal! Assuming this trend extrapolated out, in 25 more years those with college degrees could be earning 25% less than they are now, which is a contraction from 5 years before. A trite extrapolation to be sure, but 5% is fairly significant.

I always hate it when someone is pissing on me, and then gets offended that I don’t think it is rain, which is basically how I feel towards the raft of recent conservatives who saw the poll numbers showing a rise in support for socialism vis-a-vis capitalism, and launched their typical teeth-gnashing …shocking isn’t it that one might not be satisfied with a system where being a ‘winner’ means only loosing 1% of your inflation-adjusted income a year.

Now, if you will excuse me, I have to step outside because I am getting the vapours…