Colleges and universities are now places where elites are cultivated. They are to fit nicely into the oligarchical system. Working class students are saddled with outrageous debt while the morale of underpaid professors is low. In the 20th century, university educated experts were in demand; not so today.  And with good reason, according to our guest (in this weeks shorter keepingdemocracyalive), Professor Daniel Bessner. Meanwhile China is known for pumping out top notch engineers. They are investing in their future, the US is not.