Don't get me wrong,
forcing
inviting naive frosh to read a book isn't all that bad. But at least make it a classic book - one that might be of practical use for incoming students who have willingly agreed to throw $200,000 of their parents' cash into a giant, bottomless money hole.
I know, I know. Why should I be surprised? It's only natural that this book was chosen, since the University is trying to pander to the sensibilities of smelly self-hating fascistic "sustainability" whores who constantly nag you about how your energy usage will kill all of the cute little polar bears. However, the most prominent advocates for energy taxation are often the ones with the biggest carbon footprints; for example Thomas Friedman's and Al Gore's are huge, despite their climate rhetoric. And when I look at the green movement, I see a disconnect between those who preach it at the highest levels and those who buy into everthing they say. It's kinda sad, really.
forcing
inviting naive frosh to read a book isn't all that bad. But at least make it a classic book - one that might be of practical use for incoming students who have willingly agreed to throw $200,000 of their parents' cash into a giant, bottomless money hole.
I know, I know. Why should I be surprised? It's only natural that this book was chosen, since the University is trying to pander to the sensibilities of smelly self-hating fascistic "sustainability" whores who constantly nag you about how your energy usage will kill all of the cute little polar bears. However, the most prominent advocates for energy taxation are often the ones with the biggest carbon footprints; for example Thomas Friedman's and Al Gore's are huge, despite their climate rhetoric. And when I look at the green movement, I see a disconnect between those who preach it at the highest levels and those who buy into everthing they say. It's kinda sad, really.
As an alternative, I would like to see Our Fair University give students at least some basic perspective on economics [prior to coast with Trost of course] especially given the current financial climate. I'm sure parents would appreciate any attempt to educate
young skulls full of mush
freshmen on the implications of economics. Lesson number one: the opportunity cost of a $200,000 education is four corvettes, or 100 Macbook Pr0s, or 50,000 venti vanilla bean frappuccinos. Yum.
young skulls full of mush
freshmen on the implications of economics. Lesson number one: the opportunity cost of a $200,000 education is four corvettes, or 100 Macbook Pr0s, or 50,000 venti vanilla bean frappuccinos. Yum.
Anyway, to counteract the liberal bias in the summer reading, here's a better list for all you sane freshmen out there.
Two books:
Capitalism and Freedom, by Milton Friedman
Alternatively, if books are too difficult or if learnin' ain't from easy, I suggest
forcing
inviting frosh to read George Washington's farewell address. Or just watch an educational video about the life of our university's namesake. Either way, it still beats reading a book by the eco gestapo, right?
forcing
inviting frosh to read George Washington's farewell address. Or just watch an educational video about the life of our university's namesake. Either way, it still beats reading a book by the eco gestapo, right?
Notes:
- I actually like Dean Siegel. Perhaps this book pick was not his doing? Whoops. Guess not.
- Prof. Trost is awesome, take his class. *Also* for those who have not taken Trost, "Coast with Trost" is a phrase used by Professor Trost himself to describe how to do well in the course [i.e. do the work]. The alternative, "Roast with Trost," would only be a possibility if one does not put in the time to at least learn the material.
- Would you trade your GW education for: four corvettes, 100 Macbook Pr0s, or 50,000 venti vanilla bean frappuccinos?
14 comments:
duh! the corvettes, lol
Making this summer assignment mandatory and then assigning some absolute HACK like Thomas Friedman is ridiculous.
I am often extremely skeptical of those who allege liberal biases at college campus's, but there's absolutely no other way to view this.
Ok first, global warming is BIG DEAL and anyone that says it isn't obviously hasn't been paying attention to what has been going on oh I don't know the last two decades with carbon emissions and the level of greenhouse gasses in the air.
Second, Thomas Friedman is one of the most well respected journalists and authors in a variety of fields and is held in high regard by liberals and conservatives. Even those that don't like his views respect his abilities.
And as for GW being liberal, so what. I'd rather see GW be liberal than go to some school like Liberty University that bans the college democrats from their campus
Oh, and what have you guys done with your lives that give you the right to rip into Friedman? You guys published authors are ya, have you written for real newspapers on a regular basis and not some dribble like this blog
... Cue the anonymous commenter hate...
Of course, anon1! I forgot that questioning leftist orthodoxy is a thoughtcrime. My bad.
Have you read Capitalism and Freedom? The Wealth of Nations?
Better yet, have you read about the Princeton professor and former director of the Office of Energy Research in the U.S. Department of Energy who said of global warming:
“This is George Orwell. This is the ‘Germans are the master race. The Jews are the scum of the earth.’ It’s that kind of propaganda,” Happer, the Cyrus Fogg Brackett Professor of Physics, said in an interview. “Carbon dioxide is not a pollutant. Every time you exhale, you exhale air that has 4 percent carbon dioxide. To say that that’s a pollutant just boggles my mind. What used to be science has turned into a cult.”
http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/2009/01/12/22506/
Journalists should not be required academic reading.. I think that is pretty fair
Sorry, Anon 1.
You're right.
Famous people can't be wrong.
Do you know as much about global warming as he does? How about the middle east? Oh wait...your a member of the SA, so you're an idiot
It's probably appropriate to point out that actual experts in fields like economics, political science, and international relations generally consider Thomas Friedman's work to be a joke.
The man is the Danielle Steel the modern social sciences, except that Danielle Steel is more productive.
Whether or not you agree that his work has a "liberal bias" (it doesn't, as far as I can tell, have any bias more complex than "anti-bad things" and "pro-good things"), you have to admit that a lot of it is basically claptrap. Name-drops, strung together with endless travel anecdotes and decorated with banal neologisms.
Right, obviously "knowing all about" things means that you're right about them.
I know all about the bible. It says the earth is 6,000 years old. I am right.
That is your logic.
Milton Friedman > Thomas Friedman
Its funny you tried to drop a "SA tools are idiots" jk there. Do you want to know whats 100 times sadder than someone being in the SA. The fact that you knew hes in the SA.
WILL FREY IS AN EXTREMELY SEXY BLOGGER!!
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