Not sure why you’re being downvoted. I think this is a fair question.

My ignorant two cents: the internet. As always. It’s the internet polluting people’s minds. The far right used their billions to essentially purchase most media outlets. A stupid population is one easily controlled. Welcome to populism.

Step one: control content on the internet and media generally Step two: control the minds of folks perpetually online/consuming media Step three: control everything

When it comes to higher ed—you’re absolutely right. It remains true that folks with degrees on average earn more than folks without. Especially if you don’t have to sink yourself into student loan debt, a college degree is a phenomenal investment.

The problem is that literal 19 yr olds, who have never worked a fulltime job in their lives and have no assets and no financial literacy, take out $100,000 in loans to pursue a degree they know nothing about. And the parents are just like, “sure teenage son! Take out thousands—you’ll pay it back in no time!” Then the next thing you know, you’re 32 and you owe MORE on student loans than you did at 19 and feel hopelessly fucked. I get why some people—who go through shit like that—recommend avoiding college. But that’s a different motivation than what I see more on the far right which simply wants people less educated so that the population is generally stupider and easier to manipulate.