Tobold's Blog: Call me Dr. Tobold

Monday, December 14, 2020

Call me Dr. Tobold

I am the proud owner of a Ph.D. degree in natural sciences. Proud in the sense that it took years to get this degree, and is in what is considered a "hard" science. That is to say, I stood in a lab and created new molecules that were unknown to mankind before. Having a doctorate gives me some insight into the tricky question whether you should address somebody who has a doctorate as "Dr.". In Europe it depends very much on where you are, the Austrians and to a slightly lesser degree the Germans are rather fond of using titles, while many other countries don't. I'd say use it or don't use, as you like, but don't write an article in the Wall Street Journal that somebody doesn't deserve to be called "Dr." if it is not a medical degree, just because the specifically targeted person belongs to a different political party than you.

It is easy to dismiss this as just another mean-spirited attack on a political enemy; but there are some indications that this is an early warning signal about the next big political fault line: Education. The Democrats are more and more positioning themselves as the party of the educated, and instead of countering that by promoting education themselves, the Republicans more and more tout lack of education as a value. I think that both sides are wrong in that fight, and risk doing a lot of damage to the future of their country.

I never expected a future president Biden to be perfect, I'm too realistic for that. But I had hoped for at least a few progressive politics from him. So I was absolutely horrified to learn that one of his first planned moves is forgiveness of student debt. What a horribly regressive idea! People who have student debts are mostly holders of college degrees, have a higher income than the average American, are whiter, and more male. Because the policy is retroactive, it doesn't even encourage more people to increase their education, because they don't know whether this forgiveness will happen again. Student debt forgiveness is just a boondoggle, the Democrats giving free money to their core supporters. To increase education, you need to decrease future education cost, not retroactively give money to those who got an education in the past. (And I am not saying that student loans aren't a burden.)

But that seems to be the politics to come: Democrats giving money to well-educated people, and Republicans mocking the value of education. Neither of which is a good idea. The Democrats risk to lose their less-educated supporters, just think of Florida 2020. The Republicans risk to eternally become a party in which bluster is more appreciated than intelligence. William F. Buckley Jr. is turning in his grave.

- posted by Tobold @ 9:39 AM Permanent Link

Comments:

I had typed out a kind of long comment and blogger seems to have eaten it.

I'll just say canceling student debt while nice is a temporary thing. There should be fundamental changes to education in this country. Without those we'll just end up back in the same place in 20 years.

# posted by

Bigeye : 14/12/20 13:31

Yeah, cancelling existing student debt is treating a symptom, not a cause. A "real" doctor would know the difference :)

# posted by

Tremayne : 14/12/20 13:54

I think you are confusing a temporary plan for debt relief. With a long term plan for education reform. Also in the US the laws have been shifted to make it very hard to even declare bankruptcy to get any debt relief.

With all that's gone on this last year there are many 24 - 34 year olds who might go under without that debt relief. The worst impacted are those students who have crushing debt but were unable to complete their degrees. But with an average student debt of over 30k. The hope is this would also be an economic stimulus. Freeing up a fair amount of monthly budget to allow those folks to do more economically useful things with their income than pay banks.

I totally agree that college costs in the US needs reform. And I sorely hope a new president will attack that issue as well. But I don't expect that to be something addressed in the first 100 days. That will be a hard task and take some time. Not to mention both houses in Congress.

# posted by

Tim : 14/12/20 14:38

With all that's gone on this last year there are many 24 - 34 year olds who might go under without that debt relief.

And how many *other* Americans are there who with all that's gone on this last year might go under without debt relief? I'm all for "helicopter money" in this situation, but why only give that money to a narrow part of the population, and one that isn't the most in need, nor the most disadvantaged?

# posted by

Tobold : 14/12/20 14:54

You're absolutely right Tobold. Other people need that help as well. They probably need it more then those who can afford to pay student loans.

Unfortunately with a split Congress the chances of other people getting that help is slim.

The student loan debt cancellation idea being thrown around isnt being put forth because those people need the help more then others. It's being put forth because the President can do it without having to go through Congress.

# posted by

Bigeye : 14/12/20 15:08

What appears to be most likely is that 10,000 of debt would be cancelled. Folks with graduate degrees apparently tend to have a lot more debt than that (I just read an article that said that 20% of overall student loan debt is help by the 5% with PhDs), but also tend to earn more I would assume. So it would give a little to everyone, and help out the majority whihc bachelor's degrees a lot more than the few high earners with graduate degrees.

That said, I completely agree that if there was some way to help out those without degrees that need help more it would be great. However, that will never happen here. A good 30-40% of US of the country would be perfectly happy for every poor person that isn't themselves or one of their immediate family members to be homeless and / or starve to death as near as I can tell.

# posted by

Yeebo : 14/12/20 21:12

Tobold, as said above debt relief is a primary driver here, and the fact that others also need help who don't have student debt doesn't mean this shouldn't be done. The student debt in the US is enormous and crushing, and a large number of people have lingering debt from which they never fully recover. Real reform should start with undoing the changes and privatization of that debt back in the Clinton years, and then we need to look at why it is so expensive; I make over 100K a year and I can't realistically afford to send my wife to the local university even with in-state tuition costs, it's simply too much. If I can't afford it with my income, then we clearly have a major problem in the US (as I see it).

# posted by

Doctor Futurity : 14/12/20 21:24

I doubt whether there is any sort of political shot being fired here. Most people of any political stripe probably think that using the honorific 'Doctor' in such cases is a bit vain - but hardly an overwhelming expression of pomposity, so long as the doctorate is not honorary. (Jill Biden's doctorate may not be at the pinnacle of academic achievement, but it is at least a real one.)

As for universities, they should be cheaper and take fewer students, and there should be more alternative options in technical disciplines. (And cheap online studies in every discipline should be available to all.)

# posted by

Gerry Quinn : 15/12/20 16:39

The one thing I'd mention is that unfortunately in some circles/fields people use your education level to evaluate your worth/ideas/opinions. I've known a few women who use Dr. precisely because they know it will sometimes get others to take them more seriously. As stupid as that sounds I've seen it firsthand.

# posted by

Bigeye : 15/12/20 21:13

Fantastic achievement Doctor Tobold.

And I support your right to play classes other than a healer despite you being a doctor ;)

# posted by

Stabs : 16/12/20 10:14