Education and Class

• Knowledge Isn’t Power – NYTimes.com

  Paul Krugman on how we cannot educate ourselves into greater equality.

  “But my sense is that there’s a new form of issue-dodging packaged as seriousness on the rise. This time, the evasion involves trying to divert our national discourse about inequality into a discussion of alleged problems with education.

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  And the reason this is an evasion is that whatever serious people may want to believe, soaring inequality isn’t about education; it’s about power.

  Just to be clear: I’m in favor of better education. Education is a friend of mine. And it should be available and affordable for all. But what I keep seeing is people insisting that educational failings are at the root of still-weak job creation, stagnating wages and rising inequality. This sounds serious and thoughtful. But it’s actually a view very much at odds with the evidence, not to mention a way to hide from the real, unavoidably partisan debate.”

  tags: socialclass

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