Re: The Fascinating Case of Marty Eisen

In a message dated 04/17/2002 2:04:45 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
[email protected] writes:

<<          One of Einstein's last public statements was made in
          answer to a request that he comment on the situation of
          scientists in America. He wrote:  "Instead of trying to
          analyze the problem I should like to express my feeling
          in a short remark. If I were a young man again and had
          to decide how to make a living, I would not try to
          become a scientist or scholar or teacher. I would
          rather choose to be a plumber or a peddler, in the hope
          of finding that modest degree of independence still
          available under present circumstances." >>

Good ol' Einstein. <smile>  Worth every vote as Man of the Century.
It's too bad he felt that way about becoming a scientist, scholar,
or teacher if he had to start over, but we're talking the 1950s.  Had it
gotten so bad in American universities even back then, or was
Einstein able, so to speak metaphorically, to see ahead what
was coming down the pike? I guess your other quotes help answer
that.

With the US economy having gone south over the past TWO years
now, universities need to retain each and every student they possibly
can, while at the same time finding yet more ways to cut costs.
I can think of few more effective contingency arrangements than catering
to student demands on the one hand while finding creative ways to
dismiss tenured faculty with high-paying jobs on the other hand.
What a combination!  It's not only just the grade inflation, but the
economics!

  -- JE