The right wing press have gone full on Brexit betrayal , some hysterical headlines and lies about a youth mobility scheme . The Daily Mail screams freedom of movement for millions of young people from the EU.
The Telegraph drags out Kate Hoey whose grip on reality left her a long time ago.
What does the scheme say exactly?
Still talking.
"The two sides were also understood to be discussing the language on a youth mobility deal allowing 18- to 30-year-olds to travel more easily between Britain and the bloc, amid EU concern about quotas on numbers.
UK ministers have talked about a “smart and controlled” scheme, suggesting it would have a cap and be time-limited, operating along the lines of the 13 existing deals Britain has with countries including Australia and Canada."
Guardain
Well if nothings agreed no scheme to comment on, however I did pick up this " amid EU concern about quotas" if the quotas work 100k of ours 100k of yours dont see that as objectionable....if however its 100k of yours as many as want to come of ours yes objectionable....we aren't europes dumping ground for youth unemployment
The right wing press have gone full on Brexit betrayal , some hysterical headlines and lies about a youth mobility scheme . The Daily Mail screams freedom of movement for millions of young people from the EU.
The Telegraph drags out Kate Hoey whose grip on reality left her a long time ago.
What does the scheme say exactly?
Any scheme will be time limited , likely to 2 years and be capped much like the ones we have already with other countries . In the world of the right wing press this apparently will be freedom of movement with millions moving here .
Yvette Cooper in particular doesn’t want anything that could increase net migration . Even allowing for the possibility that less Brits take up the opportunity you’re unlikely to see a significant change to net migration .
The sticking point is fish ! The UK want a long term deal on SPS and the EU say okay but they want a long term deal on fish .
Well fish has nothing to do with youth mobility so they can fuck off
The right wing press have gone full on Brexit betrayal , some hysterical headlines and lies about a youth mobility scheme . The Daily Mail screams freedom of movement for millions of young people from the EU.
The Telegraph drags out Kate Hoey whose grip on reality left her a long time ago.
What does the scheme say exactly?
Any scheme will be time limited , likely to 2 years and be capped much like the ones we have already with other countries . In the world of the right wing press this apparently will be freedom of movement with millions moving here .
Yvette Cooper in particular doesn’t want anything that could increase net migration . Even allowing for the possibility that less Brits take up the opportunity you’re unlikely to see a significant change to net migration .
The sticking point is fish ! The UK want a long term deal on SPS and the EU say okay but they want a long term deal on fish .
Well fish has nothing to do with youth mobility so they can fuck off
Youth mobility isn’t connected to fish in the negotiations.
I will give the current government this. Their media briefing about the current talks with the EU, majoring on the issue of British travellers using EU passport queues & E-Gates is pretty smart. In many ways probably the least substantive thing in any agreement but if anything says all is well with our relationship with the EU for the average Briton, its the thought of rocking up on your summer hols and bleeping your way through passport control.
Twenty years ago most Brits would have voted to join the Euro to save all the buggering about with foreign exchange at the airport.
"Estimates suggest 52% of Philadelphia adults are functionally illiterate, with 67% reading at a 6th-8th grade level. About 40% struggle with tasks like job applications. Data comes from sources like Achieve Now and a 2020 NCES report, though recent 2025 figures are scarce. Poverty and education access likely drive these rates, but exact causes need more research."
A large American city where more than half of adults are illiterate. No wonder China is taking over
It's getting worse too as more people consume their media in video or audio format negating the everyday need to read the news or sports pages.
Western society is declining and there are parts of America where that decline feels terminal. Education standards in the US are a joke and even at the very top in the world's highest ranked universities there is now in inexorable decline in standards with more time being spent on nonsense and less on top level research. China is stealing a huge march on the US (and the west) by having a relentless results focussed approach. It's working.
Yep
Also, everyone is now just cheating in their essays, and the essay checkers accept this, and on it goes
Quite absurd. This is one reason why - as I keep telling the site, because I am correct - the higher education system is about to implode, spectacularly. It no longer offers value to the student OR the potential employer; it is doomed
You’re complaining about education standards declining while also being gleeful about the decline of higher education institutions. Honestly, WTF? I bet China do not talk down universities or people going to university. You are literally the problem.
That's got to be one of the most stupid takes I've seen on pb, which is really quite a high bar. I don't detect any glee from Leon, in fact quite the opposite that universities need to raise their standards to remain relevant.
Quite so
I have one daughter at a fine university, St Andrews, and another hoping to go to one next year, possibly Trinity Dublin
I believe they will - for many reasons (some of which I am forbidden from talking about on PB) - be amongst the last to do so. I reckon universities as we know them have 5-10 years left. I have held this opinion for a couple of years, on PB (often against much scorn) but I have seen nothing to dissuade me. Indeed the terminal line seems to be getting closer
I think it is very sad. University is a wonderful experience and a great idea, I just don't see how the economics works - for the vast majority - as the world moves on
Depends what "as we know them" means.
But universities as an idea and an institution have been going strong for hundreds of years. There will still be universities long after us.
I suspect Leon only really knows of uni by his experience of a three year arts degree. Uni is so much more than three lectures a week and writing essays at 4 am for a 9 am deadline. Science and engineering courses are much more involved with far more contact hours. And the courses are not really about teaching facts, it’s about ways of thinking and the ability to apply knowledge. Leon may be right and many courses might be about to start to struggle to recruit because students no longer regard the degree as value. But that argument was made when fees were imposed and hiked. A degree isn’t just the academic education.
But if Leon is right and then AI is about to destroy most all white collar jobs then were on the verge of a mssive change in the world.
And a robot tax funded by a UBI becomes inevitable
"Estimates suggest 52% of Philadelphia adults are functionally illiterate, with 67% reading at a 6th-8th grade level. About 40% struggle with tasks like job applications. Data comes from sources like Achieve Now and a 2020 NCES report, though recent 2025 figures are scarce. Poverty and education access likely drive these rates, but exact causes need more research."
A large American city where more than half of adults are illiterate. No wonder China is taking over
It's getting worse too as more people consume their media in video or audio format negating the everyday need to read the news or sports pages.
Western society is declining and there are parts of America where that decline feels terminal. Education standards in the US are a joke and even at the very top in the world's highest ranked universities there is now in inexorable decline in standards with more time being spent on nonsense and less on top level research. China is stealing a huge march on the US (and the west) by having a relentless results focussed approach. It's working.
Yep
Also, everyone is now just cheating in their essays, and the essay checkers accept this, and on it goes
Quite absurd. This is one reason why - as I keep telling the site, because I am correct - the higher education system is about to implode, spectacularly. It no longer offers value to the student OR the potential employer; it is doomed
You’re complaining about education standards declining while also being gleeful about the decline of higher education institutions. Honestly, WTF? I bet China do not talk down universities or people going to university. You are literally the problem.
That's got to be one of the most stupid takes I've seen on pb, which is really quite a high bar. I don't detect any glee from Leon, in fact quite the opposite that universities need to raise their standards to remain relevant.
Quite so
I have one daughter at a fine university, St Andrews, and another hoping to go to one next year, possibly Trinity Dublin
I believe they will - for many reasons (some of which I am forbidden from talking about on PB) - be amongst the last to do so. I reckon universities as we know them have 5-10 years left. I have held this opinion for a couple of years, on PB (often against much scorn) but I have seen nothing to dissuade me. Indeed the terminal line seems to be getting closer
I think it is very sad. University is a wonderful experience and a great idea, I just don't see how the economics works - for the vast majority - as the world moves on
Depends what "as we know them" means.
But universities as an idea and an institution have been going strong for hundreds of years. There will still be universities long after us.
I suspect Leon only really knows of uni by his experience of a three year arts degree. Uni is so much more than three lectures a week and writing essays at 4 am for a 9 am deadline. Science and engineering courses are much more involved with far more contact hours. And the courses are not really about teaching facts, it’s about ways of thinking and the ability to apply knowledge. Leon may be right and many courses might be about to start to struggle to recruit because students no longer regard the degree as value. But that argument was made when fees were imposed and hiked. A degree isn’t just the academic education.
But if Leon is right and then AI is about to destroy most all white collar jobs then were on the verge of a mssive change in the world.
And a robot tax funded by a UBI becomes inevitable
I think you mean UBI funded by a robot tax surely?
He was, of course, a typical product of Ceausescu's education system. No British student will ever bag two IMOs in a row. We just don't thrash them hard enough.
I discovered - fairly recently - that it was common to throw grains outside your door in Eastern Europe as vampires would stop to count them rather than enter your house. Then also found it was common practice in parts of SE Asia. Which made me wonder about the Mongol invasions.
The right wing press have gone full on Brexit betrayal , some hysterical headlines and lies about a youth mobility scheme . The Daily Mail screams freedom of movement for millions of young people from the EU.
The Telegraph drags out Kate Hoey whose grip on reality left her a long time ago.
What does the scheme say exactly?
Any scheme will be time limited , likely to 2 years and be capped much like the ones we have already with other countries . In the world of the right wing press this apparently will be freedom of movement with millions moving here .
Yvette Cooper in particular doesn’t want anything that could increase net migration . Even allowing for the possibility that less Brits take up the opportunity you’re unlikely to see a significant change to net migration .
The sticking point is fish ! The UK want a long term deal on SPS and the EU say okay but they want a long term deal on fish .
Well fish has nothing to do with youth mobility so they can fuck off
Youth mobility isn’t connected to fish in the negotiations.
It’s fish and SPS .
Part of the problem I had with freedom of movement when we were in the EU is we had to treat them as if they were british citizens. This works ok if all the states involved have similar rules but the simple fact is they don't. In britain we dont have a contributory system before you are eligble for benefits whereas a lot of european countries do. So they could come over and work a month then claim. Its why we had the idiocy for example of people coming over and being eligble for child benefit for the children still in their home country or as several people I shared accomodation with working no more than 16 hours but claiming everything they could.
I would by the way much prefer we made the change to a contributory system than have a two tier system for migrants
"Estimates suggest 52% of Philadelphia adults are functionally illiterate, with 67% reading at a 6th-8th grade level. About 40% struggle with tasks like job applications. Data comes from sources like Achieve Now and a 2020 NCES report, though recent 2025 figures are scarce. Poverty and education access likely drive these rates, but exact causes need more research."
A large American city where more than half of adults are illiterate. No wonder China is taking over
It's getting worse too as more people consume their media in video or audio format negating the everyday need to read the news or sports pages.
Western society is declining and there are parts of America where that decline feels terminal. Education standards in the US are a joke and even at the very top in the world's highest ranked universities there is now in inexorable decline in standards with more time being spent on nonsense and less on top level research. China is stealing a huge march on the US (and the west) by having a relentless results focussed approach. It's working.
Yep
Also, everyone is now just cheating in their essays, and the essay checkers accept this, and on it goes
Quite absurd. This is one reason why - as I keep telling the site, because I am correct - the higher education system is about to implode, spectacularly. It no longer offers value to the student OR the potential employer; it is doomed
You’re complaining about education standards declining while also being gleeful about the decline of higher education institutions. Honestly, WTF? I bet China do not talk down universities or people going to university. You are literally the problem.
That's got to be one of the most stupid takes I've seen on pb, which is really quite a high bar. I don't detect any glee from Leon, in fact quite the opposite that universities need to raise their standards to remain relevant.
Quite so
I have one daughter at a fine university, St Andrews, and another hoping to go to one next year, possibly Trinity Dublin
I believe they will - for many reasons (some of which I am forbidden from talking about on PB) - be amongst the last to do so. I reckon universities as we know them have 5-10 years left. I have held this opinion for a couple of years, on PB (often against much scorn) but I have seen nothing to dissuade me. Indeed the terminal line seems to be getting closer
I think it is very sad. University is a wonderful experience and a great idea, I just don't see how the economics works - for the vast majority - as the world moves on
Depends what "as we know them" means.
But universities as an idea and an institution have been going strong for hundreds of years. There will still be universities long after us.
I suspect Leon only really knows of uni by his experience of a three year arts degree. Uni is so much more than three lectures a week and writing essays at 4 am for a 9 am deadline. Science and engineering courses are much more involved with far more contact hours. And the courses are not really about teaching facts, it’s about ways of thinking and the ability to apply knowledge. Leon may be right and many courses might be about to start to struggle to recruit because students no longer regard the degree as value. But that argument was made when fees were imposed and hiked. A degree isn’t just the academic education.
But if Leon is right and then AI is about to destroy most all white collar jobs then were on the verge of a mssive change in the world.
And a robot tax funded by a UBI becomes inevitable
I think you mean UBI funded by a robot tax surely?
Whenever anyone advocates UBI you notice they never tell you how much each adult and child will get from it because they know it will never be affordable.
The average adult on uc when you include everything gets about 12k a year
We are also often told this is not enough to live on but assuming it is
Giving every adult in the country 12k a year ubi is going to cost about 600 billion on top of all the nhs spending etc and with a lot lower tax take as few people will be working
The secretive US factory that lays bare the contradiction in Trump's America First plan
It is, in my view, the most important factory in the world, and it's being built by a company you've never heard of: TSMC, the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. It makes 90% of the world's advanced semiconductors.
The secretive US factory that lays bare the contradiction in Trump's America First plan
It is, in my view, the most important factory in the world, and it's being built by a company you've never heard of: TSMC, the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. It makes 90% of the world's advanced semiconductors.
I don't really like being treated like an idiot. I am sure huge numbers of people know who TSMC are these days.
Well it tells us faisal islam is a fuckwit, pretty sure most here at least know who tsmc are plus anyone involved in any it role and theres a few of us, or anyone that reads the register, slashdot or any number of similar blogs
"Estimates suggest 52% of Philadelphia adults are functionally illiterate, with 67% reading at a 6th-8th grade level. About 40% struggle with tasks like job applications. Data comes from sources like Achieve Now and a 2020 NCES report, though recent 2025 figures are scarce. Poverty and education access likely drive these rates, but exact causes need more research."
A large American city where more than half of adults are illiterate. No wonder China is taking over
It's getting worse too as more people consume their media in video or audio format negating the everyday need to read the news or sports pages.
Western society is declining and there are parts of America where that decline feels terminal. Education standards in the US are a joke and even at the very top in the world's highest ranked universities there is now in inexorable decline in standards with more time being spent on nonsense and less on top level research. China is stealing a huge march on the US (and the west) by having a relentless results focussed approach. It's working.
Yep
Also, everyone is now just cheating in their essays, and the essay checkers accept this, and on it goes
Quite absurd. This is one reason why - as I keep telling the site, because I am correct - the higher education system is about to implode, spectacularly. It no longer offers value to the student OR the potential employer; it is doomed
You’re complaining about education standards declining while also being gleeful about the decline of higher education institutions. Honestly, WTF? I bet China do not talk down universities or people going to university. You are literally the problem.
That's got to be one of the most stupid takes I've seen on pb, which is really quite a high bar. I don't detect any glee from Leon, in fact quite the opposite that universities need to raise their standards to remain relevant.
Quite so
I have one daughter at a fine university, St Andrews, and another hoping to go to one next year, possibly Trinity Dublin
I believe they will - for many reasons (some of which I am forbidden from talking about on PB) - be amongst the last to do so. I reckon universities as we know them have 5-10 years left. I have held this opinion for a couple of years, on PB (often against much scorn) but I have seen nothing to dissuade me. Indeed the terminal line seems to be getting closer
I think it is very sad. University is a wonderful experience and a great idea, I just don't see how the economics works - for the vast majority - as the world moves on
Depends what "as we know them" means.
But universities as an idea and an institution have been going strong for hundreds of years. There will still be universities long after us.
I suspect Leon only really knows of uni by his experience of a three year arts degree. Uni is so much more than three lectures a week and writing essays at 4 am for a 9 am deadline. Science and engineering courses are much more involved with far more contact hours. And the courses are not really about teaching facts, it’s about ways of thinking and the ability to apply knowledge. Leon may be right and many courses might be about to start to struggle to recruit because students no longer regard the degree as value. But that argument was made when fees were imposed and hiked. A degree isn’t just the academic education.
But if Leon is right and then AI is about to destroy most all white collar jobs then were on the verge of a mssive change in the world.
And a robot tax funded by a UBI becomes inevitable
I think you mean UBI funded by a robot tax surely?
Whenever anyone advocates UBI you notice they never tell you how much each adult and child will get from it because they know it will never be affordable.
The average adult on uc when you include everything gets about 12k a year
We are also often told this is not enough to live on but assuming it is
Giving every adult in the country 12k a year ubi is going to cost about 600 billion on top of all the nhs spending etc and with a lot lower tax take as few people will be working
In addition to cost, the fundamental flaw is politicians and lobbying from the public. The advocates of UBI say you get rid of all other benefits because this will be enough to live on....
Immediately there will be calls for extra for this and that group and within 5 years it will be all over the shop just like every other benefit, with constant calls for an uplift for a particular struggling group by taking money off a group who are doing well and it not being fair they still get their UBI despite earning lots of money.
Even the most principled politician will find it hard to resists but think of the kids.....Jordon and Paris have 4 kids, they haven't worked for 20 years, they have developed a drink and drug problem and now the kids are going hungry because they spend all their UBI on substances....what we need is another benefit to ensure the kids don't go hungry....
"Estimates suggest 52% of Philadelphia adults are functionally illiterate, with 67% reading at a 6th-8th grade level. About 40% struggle with tasks like job applications. Data comes from sources like Achieve Now and a 2020 NCES report, though recent 2025 figures are scarce. Poverty and education access likely drive these rates, but exact causes need more research."
A large American city where more than half of adults are illiterate. No wonder China is taking over
It's getting worse too as more people consume their media in video or audio format negating the everyday need to read the news or sports pages.
Western society is declining and there are parts of America where that decline feels terminal. Education standards in the US are a joke and even at the very top in the world's highest ranked universities there is now in inexorable decline in standards with more time being spent on nonsense and less on top level research. China is stealing a huge march on the US (and the west) by having a relentless results focussed approach. It's working.
Yep
Also, everyone is now just cheating in their essays, and the essay checkers accept this, and on it goes
Quite absurd. This is one reason why - as I keep telling the site, because I am correct - the higher education system is about to implode, spectacularly. It no longer offers value to the student OR the potential employer; it is doomed
I don't understand why people cheat when they've been told not to. We were told not to cheat at school, and about 98% of pupils/students took that advice.
"Estimates suggest 52% of Philadelphia adults are functionally illiterate, with 67% reading at a 6th-8th grade level. About 40% struggle with tasks like job applications. Data comes from sources like Achieve Now and a 2020 NCES report, though recent 2025 figures are scarce. Poverty and education access likely drive these rates, but exact causes need more research."
A large American city where more than half of adults are illiterate. No wonder China is taking over
It's getting worse too as more people consume their media in video or audio format negating the everyday need to read the news or sports pages.
Western society is declining and there are parts of America where that decline feels terminal. Education standards in the US are a joke and even at the very top in the world's highest ranked universities there is now in inexorable decline in standards with more time being spent on nonsense and less on top level research. China is stealing a huge march on the US (and the west) by having a relentless results focussed approach. It's working.
Yep
Also, everyone is now just cheating in their essays, and the essay checkers accept this, and on it goes
Quite absurd. This is one reason why - as I keep telling the site, because I am correct - the higher education system is about to implode, spectacularly. It no longer offers value to the student OR the potential employer; it is doomed
I don't understand why people cheat when they've been told not to. We were told not to cheat at school, and about 98% of pupils/students took that advice.
"Estimates suggest 52% of Philadelphia adults are functionally illiterate, with 67% reading at a 6th-8th grade level. About 40% struggle with tasks like job applications. Data comes from sources like Achieve Now and a 2020 NCES report, though recent 2025 figures are scarce. Poverty and education access likely drive these rates, but exact causes need more research."
A large American city where more than half of adults are illiterate. No wonder China is taking over
It's getting worse too as more people consume their media in video or audio format negating the everyday need to read the news or sports pages.
Western society is declining and there are parts of America where that decline feels terminal. Education standards in the US are a joke and even at the very top in the world's highest ranked universities there is now in inexorable decline in standards with more time being spent on nonsense and less on top level research. China is stealing a huge march on the US (and the west) by having a relentless results focussed approach. It's working.
Yep
Also, everyone is now just cheating in their essays, and the essay checkers accept this, and on it goes
Quite absurd. This is one reason why - as I keep telling the site, because I am correct - the higher education system is about to implode, spectacularly. It no longer offers value to the student OR the potential employer; it is doomed
You’re complaining about education standards declining while also being gleeful about the decline of higher education institutions. Honestly, WTF? I bet China do not talk down universities or people going to university. You are literally the problem.
That's got to be one of the most stupid takes I've seen on pb, which is really quite a high bar. I don't detect any glee from Leon, in fact quite the opposite that universities need to raise their standards to remain relevant.
Quite so
I have one daughter at a fine university, St Andrews, and another hoping to go to one next year, possibly Trinity Dublin
I believe they will - for many reasons (some of which I am forbidden from talking about on PB) - be amongst the last to do so. I reckon universities as we know them have 5-10 years left. I have held this opinion for a couple of years, on PB (often against much scorn) but I have seen nothing to dissuade me. Indeed the terminal line seems to be getting closer
I think it is very sad. University is a wonderful experience and a great idea, I just don't see how the economics works - for the vast majority - as the world moves on
Depends what "as we know them" means.
But universities as an idea and an institution have been going strong for hundreds of years. There will still be universities long after us.
I suspect Leon only really knows of uni by his experience of a three year arts degree. Uni is so much more than three lectures a week and writing essays at 4 am for a 9 am deadline. Science and engineering courses are much more involved with far more contact hours. And the courses are not really about teaching facts, it’s about ways of thinking and the ability to apply knowledge. Leon may be right and many courses might be about to start to struggle to recruit because students no longer regard the degree as value. But that argument was made when fees were imposed and hiked. A degree isn’t just the academic education.
But if Leon is right and then AI is about to destroy most all white collar jobs then were on the verge of a mssive change in the world.
And a robot tax funded by a UBI becomes inevitable
I think you mean UBI funded by a robot tax surely?
Whenever anyone advocates UBI you notice they never tell you how much each adult and child will get from it because they know it will never be affordable.
The average adult on uc when you include everything gets about 12k a year
We are also often told this is not enough to live on but assuming it is
Giving every adult in the country 12k a year ubi is going to cost about 600 billion on top of all the nhs spending etc and with a lot lower tax take as few people will be working
Well if AI eliminates half the permanent jobs and makes much of the population unemployed apart from occasional contract work, a UBI is inevitable.
No government could be elected without backing one
"Estimates suggest 52% of Philadelphia adults are functionally illiterate, with 67% reading at a 6th-8th grade level. About 40% struggle with tasks like job applications. Data comes from sources like Achieve Now and a 2020 NCES report, though recent 2025 figures are scarce. Poverty and education access likely drive these rates, but exact causes need more research."
A large American city where more than half of adults are illiterate. No wonder China is taking over
It's getting worse too as more people consume their media in video or audio format negating the everyday need to read the news or sports pages.
Western society is declining and there are parts of America where that decline feels terminal. Education standards in the US are a joke and even at the very top in the world's highest ranked universities there is now in inexorable decline in standards with more time being spent on nonsense and less on top level research. China is stealing a huge march on the US (and the west) by having a relentless results focussed approach. It's working.
Yep
Also, everyone is now just cheating in their essays, and the essay checkers accept this, and on it goes
Quite absurd. This is one reason why - as I keep telling the site, because I am correct - the higher education system is about to implode, spectacularly. It no longer offers value to the student OR the potential employer; it is doomed
You’re complaining about education standards declining while also being gleeful about the decline of higher education institutions. Honestly, WTF? I bet China do not talk down universities or people going to university. You are literally the problem.
That's got to be one of the most stupid takes I've seen on pb, which is really quite a high bar. I don't detect any glee from Leon, in fact quite the opposite that universities need to raise their standards to remain relevant.
Quite so
I have one daughter at a fine university, St Andrews, and another hoping to go to one next year, possibly Trinity Dublin
I believe they will - for many reasons (some of which I am forbidden from talking about on PB) - be amongst the last to do so. I reckon universities as we know them have 5-10 years left. I have held this opinion for a couple of years, on PB (often against much scorn) but I have seen nothing to dissuade me. Indeed the terminal line seems to be getting closer
I think it is very sad. University is a wonderful experience and a great idea, I just don't see how the economics works - for the vast majority - as the world moves on
Depends what "as we know them" means.
But universities as an idea and an institution have been going strong for hundreds of years. There will still be universities long after us.
I suspect Leon only really knows of uni by his experience of a three year arts degree. Uni is so much more than three lectures a week and writing essays at 4 am for a 9 am deadline. Science and engineering courses are much more involved with far more contact hours. And the courses are not really about teaching facts, it’s about ways of thinking and the ability to apply knowledge. Leon may be right and many courses might be about to start to struggle to recruit because students no longer regard the degree as value. But that argument was made when fees were imposed and hiked. A degree isn’t just the academic education.
But if Leon is right and then AI is about to destroy most all white collar jobs then were on the verge of a mssive change in the world.
And a robot tax funded by a UBI becomes inevitable
I think you mean UBI funded by a robot tax surely?
The secretive US factory that lays bare the contradiction in Trump's America First plan
It is, in my view, the most important factory in the world, and it's being built by a company you've never heard of: TSMC, the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. It makes 90% of the world's advanced semiconductors.
I don't really like being treated like an idiot. I am sure huge numbers of people know who TSMC are these days.
Well it tells us faisal islam is a fuckwit, pretty sure most here at least know who tsmc are plus anyone involved in any it role and theres a few of us, or anyone that reads the register, slashdot or any number of similar blogs
If you even vaguely follow the news you will have heard China, Taiwan, China want Taiwan back, TSMC....this is literally how every report on China / Taiwan goes.
I think people would be more surprised at say finding out that something like 90% of the worlds (push)bikes are made in Taiwan in two factories that can see one another.
"Estimates suggest 52% of Philadelphia adults are functionally illiterate, with 67% reading at a 6th-8th grade level. About 40% struggle with tasks like job applications. Data comes from sources like Achieve Now and a 2020 NCES report, though recent 2025 figures are scarce. Poverty and education access likely drive these rates, but exact causes need more research."
A large American city where more than half of adults are illiterate. No wonder China is taking over
It's getting worse too as more people consume their media in video or audio format negating the everyday need to read the news or sports pages.
Western society is declining and there are parts of America where that decline feels terminal. Education standards in the US are a joke and even at the very top in the world's highest ranked universities there is now in inexorable decline in standards with more time being spent on nonsense and less on top level research. China is stealing a huge march on the US (and the west) by having a relentless results focussed approach. It's working.
Yep
Also, everyone is now just cheating in their essays, and the essay checkers accept this, and on it goes
Quite absurd. This is one reason why - as I keep telling the site, because I am correct - the higher education system is about to implode, spectacularly. It no longer offers value to the student OR the potential employer; it is doomed
You’re complaining about education standards declining while also being gleeful about the decline of higher education institutions. Honestly, WTF? I bet China do not talk down universities or people going to university. You are literally the problem.
That's got to be one of the most stupid takes I've seen on pb, which is really quite a high bar. I don't detect any glee from Leon, in fact quite the opposite that universities need to raise their standards to remain relevant.
Quite so
I have one daughter at a fine university, St Andrews, and another hoping to go to one next year, possibly Trinity Dublin
I believe they will - for many reasons (some of which I am forbidden from talking about on PB) - be amongst the last to do so. I reckon universities as we know them have 5-10 years left. I have held this opinion for a couple of years, on PB (often against much scorn) but I have seen nothing to dissuade me. Indeed the terminal line seems to be getting closer
I think it is very sad. University is a wonderful experience and a great idea, I just don't see how the economics works - for the vast majority - as the world moves on
Depends what "as we know them" means.
But universities as an idea and an institution have been going strong for hundreds of years. There will still be universities long after us.
I suspect Leon only really knows of uni by his experience of a three year arts degree. Uni is so much more than three lectures a week and writing essays at 4 am for a 9 am deadline. Science and engineering courses are much more involved with far more contact hours. And the courses are not really about teaching facts, it’s about ways of thinking and the ability to apply knowledge. Leon may be right and many courses might be about to start to struggle to recruit because students no longer regard the degree as value. But that argument was made when fees were imposed and hiked. A degree isn’t just the academic education.
But if Leon is right and then AI is about to destroy most all white collar jobs then were on the verge of a mssive change in the world.
And a robot tax funded by a UBI becomes inevitable
I think you mean UBI funded by a robot tax surely?
Whenever anyone advocates UBI you notice they never tell you how much each adult and child will get from it because they know it will never be affordable.
The average adult on uc when you include everything gets about 12k a year
We are also often told this is not enough to live on but assuming it is
Giving every adult in the country 12k a year ubi is going to cost about 600 billion on top of all the nhs spending etc and with a lot lower tax take as few people will be working
Well if AI eliminates half the permanent jobs and makes much of the population unemployed apart from occasional contract work, a UBI is inevitable.
No government could be elected without backing one
So as I said, and by the way not saying you are wrong that something wont need to happen, give us figures for ubi and explain how you will fund them. UBI is a fine idea on paper it just falls down when you expect people to be able to live on nothing but UBI
"Estimates suggest 52% of Philadelphia adults are functionally illiterate, with 67% reading at a 6th-8th grade level. About 40% struggle with tasks like job applications. Data comes from sources like Achieve Now and a 2020 NCES report, though recent 2025 figures are scarce. Poverty and education access likely drive these rates, but exact causes need more research."
A large American city where more than half of adults are illiterate. No wonder China is taking over
It's getting worse too as more people consume their media in video or audio format negating the everyday need to read the news or sports pages.
Western society is declining and there are parts of America where that decline feels terminal. Education standards in the US are a joke and even at the very top in the world's highest ranked universities there is now in inexorable decline in standards with more time being spent on nonsense and less on top level research. China is stealing a huge march on the US (and the west) by having a relentless results focussed approach. It's working.
Yep
Also, everyone is now just cheating in their essays, and the essay checkers accept this, and on it goes
Quite absurd. This is one reason why - as I keep telling the site, because I am correct - the higher education system is about to implode, spectacularly. It no longer offers value to the student OR the potential employer; it is doomed
You’re complaining about education standards declining while also being gleeful about the decline of higher education institutions. Honestly, WTF? I bet China do not talk down universities or people going to university. You are literally the problem.
That's got to be one of the most stupid takes I've seen on pb, which is really quite a high bar. I don't detect any glee from Leon, in fact quite the opposite that universities need to raise their standards to remain relevant.
Quite so
I have one daughter at a fine university, St Andrews, and another hoping to go to one next year, possibly Trinity Dublin
I believe they will - for many reasons (some of which I am forbidden from talking about on PB) - be amongst the last to do so. I reckon universities as we know them have 5-10 years left. I have held this opinion for a couple of years, on PB (often against much scorn) but I have seen nothing to dissuade me. Indeed the terminal line seems to be getting closer
I think it is very sad. University is a wonderful experience and a great idea, I just don't see how the economics works - for the vast majority - as the world moves on
Depends what "as we know them" means.
But universities as an idea and an institution have been going strong for hundreds of years. There will still be universities long after us.
I suspect Leon only really knows of uni by his experience of a three year arts degree. Uni is so much more than three lectures a week and writing essays at 4 am for a 9 am deadline. Science and engineering courses are much more involved with far more contact hours. And the courses are not really about teaching facts, it’s about ways of thinking and the ability to apply knowledge. Leon may be right and many courses might be about to start to struggle to recruit because students no longer regard the degree as value. But that argument was made when fees were imposed and hiked. A degree isn’t just the academic education.
But if Leon is right and then AI is about to destroy most all white collar jobs then were on the verge of a mssive change in the world.
And a robot tax funded by a UBI becomes inevitable
I think you mean UBI funded by a robot tax surely?
Whenever anyone advocates UBI you notice they never tell you how much each adult and child will get from it because they know it will never be affordable.
The average adult on uc when you include everything gets about 12k a year
We are also often told this is not enough to live on but assuming it is
Giving every adult in the country 12k a year ubi is going to cost about 600 billion on top of all the nhs spending etc and with a lot lower tax take as few people will be working
Well if AI eliminates half the permanent jobs and makes much of the population unemployed apart from occasional contract work, a UBI is inevitable.
No government could be elected without backing one
So as I said, and by the way not saying you are wrong that something wont need to happen, give us figures for ubi and explain how you will fund them. UBI is a fine idea on paper it just falls down when you expect people to be able to live on nothing but UBI
By a tax on all companies that use robots and artificial intelligence but only if that artificial intelligence leads to mass unemployment
The secretive US factory that lays bare the contradiction in Trump's America First plan
It is, in my view, the most important factory in the world, and it's being built by a company you've never heard of: TSMC, the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. It makes 90% of the world's advanced semiconductors.
I don't really like being treated like an idiot. I am sure huge numbers of people know who TSMC are these days.
Well it tells us faisal islam is a fuckwit, pretty sure most here at least know who tsmc are plus anyone involved in any it role and theres a few of us, or anyone that reads the register, slashdot or any number of similar blogs
If you even vaguely follow the news you will have heard China, Taiwan, China want Taiwan back, TSMC....this is literally how every report on China / Taiwan goes.
I think people would be more surprised at say finding out that something like 90% of the worlds (push)bikes are made in Taiwan in two factories that can see one another.
I actually didn't know that about the push bikes so interesting, will reference next time a lycra arsehole goes on about how green they are when they had to likely import their pedestrian killing machine from half way round the world
The secretive US factory that lays bare the contradiction in Trump's America First plan
It is, in my view, the most important factory in the world, and it's being built by a company you've never heard of: TSMC, the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. It makes 90% of the world's advanced semiconductors.
I don't really like being treated like an idiot. I am sure huge numbers of people know who TSMC are these days.
Well it tells us faisal islam is a fuckwit, pretty sure most here at least know who tsmc are plus anyone involved in any it role and theres a few of us, or anyone that reads the register, slashdot or any number of similar blogs
A lot/most/vast majority of the BBC News at 10 audience get very little news through the day from any other source I suspect. They might catch the odd radio news headlines before the music starts again but otherwise...
PBers may know who TSMC are but 98% of the country don't.
"Estimates suggest 52% of Philadelphia adults are functionally illiterate, with 67% reading at a 6th-8th grade level. About 40% struggle with tasks like job applications. Data comes from sources like Achieve Now and a 2020 NCES report, though recent 2025 figures are scarce. Poverty and education access likely drive these rates, but exact causes need more research."
A large American city where more than half of adults are illiterate. No wonder China is taking over
It's getting worse too as more people consume their media in video or audio format negating the everyday need to read the news or sports pages.
Western society is declining and there are parts of America where that decline feels terminal. Education standards in the US are a joke and even at the very top in the world's highest ranked universities there is now in inexorable decline in standards with more time being spent on nonsense and less on top level research. China is stealing a huge march on the US (and the west) by having a relentless results focussed approach. It's working.
Yep
Also, everyone is now just cheating in their essays, and the essay checkers accept this, and on it goes
Quite absurd. This is one reason why - as I keep telling the site, because I am correct - the higher education system is about to implode, spectacularly. It no longer offers value to the student OR the potential employer; it is doomed
You’re complaining about education standards declining while also being gleeful about the decline of higher education institutions. Honestly, WTF? I bet China do not talk down universities or people going to university. You are literally the problem.
That's got to be one of the most stupid takes I've seen on pb, which is really quite a high bar. I don't detect any glee from Leon, in fact quite the opposite that universities need to raise their standards to remain relevant.
Quite so
I have one daughter at a fine university, St Andrews, and another hoping to go to one next year, possibly Trinity Dublin
I believe they will - for many reasons (some of which I am forbidden from talking about on PB) - be amongst the last to do so. I reckon universities as we know them have 5-10 years left. I have held this opinion for a couple of years, on PB (often against much scorn) but I have seen nothing to dissuade me. Indeed the terminal line seems to be getting closer
I think it is very sad. University is a wonderful experience and a great idea, I just don't see how the economics works - for the vast majority - as the world moves on
Depends what "as we know them" means.
But universities as an idea and an institution have been going strong for hundreds of years. There will still be universities long after us.
I suspect Leon only really knows of uni by his experience of a three year arts degree. Uni is so much more than three lectures a week and writing essays at 4 am for a 9 am deadline. Science and engineering courses are much more involved with far more contact hours. And the courses are not really about teaching facts, it’s about ways of thinking and the ability to apply knowledge. Leon may be right and many courses might be about to start to struggle to recruit because students no longer regard the degree as value. But that argument was made when fees were imposed and hiked. A degree isn’t just the academic education.
But if Leon is right and then AI is about to destroy most all white collar jobs then were on the verge of a mssive change in the world.
And a robot tax funded by a UBI becomes inevitable
I think you mean UBI funded by a robot tax surely?
Whenever anyone advocates UBI you notice they never tell you how much each adult and child will get from it because they know it will never be affordable.
The average adult on uc when you include everything gets about 12k a year
We are also often told this is not enough to live on but assuming it is
Giving every adult in the country 12k a year ubi is going to cost about 600 billion on top of all the nhs spending etc and with a lot lower tax take as few people will be working
Well if AI eliminates half the permanent jobs and makes much of the population unemployed apart from occasional contract work, a UBI is inevitable.
No government could be elected without backing one
So as I said, and by the way not saying you are wrong that something wont need to happen, give us figures for ubi and explain how you will fund them. UBI is a fine idea on paper it just falls down when you expect people to be able to live on nothing but UBI
By a tax on all companies that use robots and artificial intelligence but only if that artificial intelligence leads to mass unemployment
So you slap something like 600 billion tax on these companies and they dont say well thats it moving abroad because?
The secretive US factory that lays bare the contradiction in Trump's America First plan
It is, in my view, the most important factory in the world, and it's being built by a company you've never heard of: TSMC, the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. It makes 90% of the world's advanced semiconductors.
I don't really like being treated like an idiot. I am sure huge numbers of people know who TSMC are these days.
Well it tells us faisal islam is a fuckwit, pretty sure most here at least know who tsmc are plus anyone involved in any it role and theres a few of us, or anyone that reads the register, slashdot or any number of similar blogs
A lot/most/vast majority of the BBC News at 10 audience get very little news through the day from any other source I suspect. They might catch the odd radio news headlines before the music starts again but otherwise...
PBers may know who TSMC are but 98% of the country don't.
If you search TSMC on the BBC news website there 10 pages of results...they talk about them a lot.
The secretive US factory that lays bare the contradiction in Trump's America First plan
It is, in my view, the most important factory in the world, and it's being built by a company you've never heard of: TSMC, the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. It makes 90% of the world's advanced semiconductors.
I don't really like being treated like an idiot. I am sure huge numbers of people know who TSMC are these days.
Well it tells us faisal islam is a fuckwit, pretty sure most here at least know who tsmc are plus anyone involved in any it role and theres a few of us, or anyone that reads the register, slashdot or any number of similar blogs
A lot/most/vast majority of the BBC News at 10 audience get very little news through the day from any other source I suspect. They might catch the odd radio news headlines before the music starts again but otherwise...
PBers may know who TSMC are but 98% of the country don't.
Pretty sure I could say TSMC to most people I know and they would know who it was, most I know aren't even in it but they use computers and know about stuff that affects them like ram chip shortages
"Estimates suggest 52% of Philadelphia adults are functionally illiterate, with 67% reading at a 6th-8th grade level. About 40% struggle with tasks like job applications. Data comes from sources like Achieve Now and a 2020 NCES report, though recent 2025 figures are scarce. Poverty and education access likely drive these rates, but exact causes need more research."
A large American city where more than half of adults are illiterate. No wonder China is taking over
It's getting worse too as more people consume their media in video or audio format negating the everyday need to read the news or sports pages.
Western society is declining and there are parts of America where that decline feels terminal. Education standards in the US are a joke and even at the very top in the world's highest ranked universities there is now in inexorable decline in standards with more time being spent on nonsense and less on top level research. China is stealing a huge march on the US (and the west) by having a relentless results focussed approach. It's working.
Yep
Also, everyone is now just cheating in their essays, and the essay checkers accept this, and on it goes
Quite absurd. This is one reason why - as I keep telling the site, because I am correct - the higher education system is about to implode, spectacularly. It no longer offers value to the student OR the potential employer; it is doomed
You’re complaining about education standards declining while also being gleeful about the decline of higher education institutions. Honestly, WTF? I bet China do not talk down universities or people going to university. You are literally the problem.
That's got to be one of the most stupid takes I've seen on pb, which is really quite a high bar. I don't detect any glee from Leon, in fact quite the opposite that universities need to raise their standards to remain relevant.
Quite so
I have one daughter at a fine university, St Andrews, and another hoping to go to one next year, possibly Trinity Dublin
I believe they will - for many reasons (some of which I am forbidden from talking about on PB) - be amongst the last to do so. I reckon universities as we know them have 5-10 years left. I have held this opinion for a couple of years, on PB (often against much scorn) but I have seen nothing to dissuade me. Indeed the terminal line seems to be getting closer
I think it is very sad. University is a wonderful experience and a great idea, I just don't see how the economics works - for the vast majority - as the world moves on
Depends what "as we know them" means.
But universities as an idea and an institution have been going strong for hundreds of years. There will still be universities long after us.
I suspect Leon only really knows of uni by his experience of a three year arts degree. Uni is so much more than three lectures a week and writing essays at 4 am for a 9 am deadline. Science and engineering courses are much more involved with far more contact hours. And the courses are not really about teaching facts, it’s about ways of thinking and the ability to apply knowledge. Leon may be right and many courses might be about to start to struggle to recruit because students no longer regard the degree as value. But that argument was made when fees were imposed and hiked. A degree isn’t just the academic education.
But if Leon is right and then AI is about to destroy most all white collar jobs then were on the verge of a mssive change in the world.
And a robot tax funded by a UBI becomes inevitable
I think you mean UBI funded by a robot tax surely?
Whenever anyone advocates UBI you notice they never tell you how much each adult and child will get from it because they know it will never be affordable.
The average adult on uc when you include everything gets about 12k a year
We are also often told this is not enough to live on but assuming it is
Giving every adult in the country 12k a year ubi is going to cost about 600 billion on top of all the nhs spending etc and with a lot lower tax take as few people will be working
Well if AI eliminates half the permanent jobs and makes much of the population unemployed apart from occasional contract work, a UBI is inevitable.
No government could be elected without backing one
So as I said, and by the way not saying you are wrong that something wont need to happen, give us figures for ubi and explain how you will fund them. UBI is a fine idea on paper it just falls down when you expect people to be able to live on nothing but UBI
By a tax on all companies that use robots and artificial intelligence but only if that artificial intelligence leads to mass unemployment
So you slap something like 600 billion tax on these companies and they dont say well thats it moving abroad because?
As in that scenario every nation would face mass unemployment from AI and have to have a UBI funded by a robot tax
I cannot overstate the extent to which the pro-Russian MAGA types in US government were fixated on [Romania's] political future. If these exit polls hold up, it’ll be a bitter defeat for them.
"Estimates suggest 52% of Philadelphia adults are functionally illiterate, with 67% reading at a 6th-8th grade level. About 40% struggle with tasks like job applications. Data comes from sources like Achieve Now and a 2020 NCES report, though recent 2025 figures are scarce. Poverty and education access likely drive these rates, but exact causes need more research."
A large American city where more than half of adults are illiterate. No wonder China is taking over
It's getting worse too as more people consume their media in video or audio format negating the everyday need to read the news or sports pages.
Western society is declining and there are parts of America where that decline feels terminal. Education standards in the US are a joke and even at the very top in the world's highest ranked universities there is now in inexorable decline in standards with more time being spent on nonsense and less on top level research. China is stealing a huge march on the US (and the west) by having a relentless results focussed approach. It's working.
Yep
Also, everyone is now just cheating in their essays, and the essay checkers accept this, and on it goes
Quite absurd. This is one reason why - as I keep telling the site, because I am correct - the higher education system is about to implode, spectacularly. It no longer offers value to the student OR the potential employer; it is doomed
You’re complaining about education standards declining while also being gleeful about the decline of higher education institutions. Honestly, WTF? I bet China do not talk down universities or people going to university. You are literally the problem.
That's got to be one of the most stupid takes I've seen on pb, which is really quite a high bar. I don't detect any glee from Leon, in fact quite the opposite that universities need to raise their standards to remain relevant.
Quite so
I have one daughter at a fine university, St Andrews, and another hoping to go to one next year, possibly Trinity Dublin
I believe they will - for many reasons (some of which I am forbidden from talking about on PB) - be amongst the last to do so. I reckon universities as we know them have 5-10 years left. I have held this opinion for a couple of years, on PB (often against much scorn) but I have seen nothing to dissuade me. Indeed the terminal line seems to be getting closer
I think it is very sad. University is a wonderful experience and a great idea, I just don't see how the economics works - for the vast majority - as the world moves on
Depends what "as we know them" means.
But universities as an idea and an institution have been going strong for hundreds of years. There will still be universities long after us.
I suspect Leon only really knows of uni by his experience of a three year arts degree. Uni is so much more than three lectures a week and writing essays at 4 am for a 9 am deadline. Science and engineering courses are much more involved with far more contact hours. And the courses are not really about teaching facts, it’s about ways of thinking and the ability to apply knowledge. Leon may be right and many courses might be about to start to struggle to recruit because students no longer regard the degree as value. But that argument was made when fees were imposed and hiked. A degree isn’t just the academic education.
But if Leon is right and then AI is about to destroy most all white collar jobs then were on the verge of a mssive change in the world.
And a robot tax funded by a UBI becomes inevitable
I think you mean UBI funded by a robot tax surely?
Whenever anyone advocates UBI you notice they never tell you how much each adult and child will get from it because they know it will never be affordable.
The average adult on uc when you include everything gets about 12k a year
We are also often told this is not enough to live on but assuming it is
Giving every adult in the country 12k a year ubi is going to cost about 600 billion on top of all the nhs spending etc and with a lot lower tax take as few people will be working
Well if AI eliminates half the permanent jobs and makes much of the population unemployed apart from occasional contract work, a UBI is inevitable.
No government could be elected without backing one
So as I said, and by the way not saying you are wrong that something wont need to happen, give us figures for ubi and explain how you will fund them. UBI is a fine idea on paper it just falls down when you expect people to be able to live on nothing but UBI
By a tax on all companies that use robots and artificial intelligence but only if that artificial intelligence leads to mass unemployment
So you slap something like 600 billion tax on these companies and they dont say well thats it moving abroad because?
As in that scenario every nation would face mass unemployment from AI and have to have a UBI funded by a robot tax
Wow I can see why you are a tory you are so naive, at least one country wont because all those companies will move there. It will be just like irelands tax joke on a larger scale
I can see it now....country with 3 million people says hmm pay ubi for those 3 million of 50k a year and we will spread it across all the companies that move here so the more that do the less you pay. We care about our people not the british people/american/canadian/french etc. Will still cost you only 150 bill total between you all whereas britian will charge you 600 billion and only pay their people 12k a year
The secretive US factory that lays bare the contradiction in Trump's America First plan
It is, in my view, the most important factory in the world, and it's being built by a company you've never heard of: TSMC, the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. It makes 90% of the world's advanced semiconductors.
I don't really like being treated like an idiot. I am sure huge numbers of people know who TSMC are these days.
Well it tells us faisal islam is a fuckwit, pretty sure most here at least know who tsmc are plus anyone involved in any it role and theres a few of us, or anyone that reads the register, slashdot or any number of similar blogs
A lot/most/vast majority of the BBC News at 10 audience get very little news through the day from any other source I suspect. They might catch the odd radio news headlines before the music starts again but otherwise...
PBers may know who TSMC are but 98% of the country don't.
If you search TSMC on the BBC news website there 10 pages of results...they talk about them a lot.
In the 1990s I used to regard BBC News as being an almost god-like source of impartial and important news, and I thought that would always continue to be true in the future.
"Estimates suggest 52% of Philadelphia adults are functionally illiterate, with 67% reading at a 6th-8th grade level. About 40% struggle with tasks like job applications. Data comes from sources like Achieve Now and a 2020 NCES report, though recent 2025 figures are scarce. Poverty and education access likely drive these rates, but exact causes need more research."
A large American city where more than half of adults are illiterate. No wonder China is taking over
It's getting worse too as more people consume their media in video or audio format negating the everyday need to read the news or sports pages.
Western society is declining and there are parts of America where that decline feels terminal. Education standards in the US are a joke and even at the very top in the world's highest ranked universities there is now in inexorable decline in standards with more time being spent on nonsense and less on top level research. China is stealing a huge march on the US (and the west) by having a relentless results focussed approach. It's working.
Yep
Also, everyone is now just cheating in their essays, and the essay checkers accept this, and on it goes
Quite absurd. This is one reason why - as I keep telling the site, because I am correct - the higher education system is about to implode, spectacularly. It no longer offers value to the student OR the potential employer; it is doomed
You’re complaining about education standards declining while also being gleeful about the decline of higher education institutions. Honestly, WTF? I bet China do not talk down universities or people going to university. You are literally the problem.
That's got to be one of the most stupid takes I've seen on pb, which is really quite a high bar. I don't detect any glee from Leon, in fact quite the opposite that universities need to raise their standards to remain relevant.
Quite so
I have one daughter at a fine university, St Andrews, and another hoping to go to one next year, possibly Trinity Dublin
I believe they will - for many reasons (some of which I am forbidden from talking about on PB) - be amongst the last to do so. I reckon universities as we know them have 5-10 years left. I have held this opinion for a couple of years, on PB (often against much scorn) but I have seen nothing to dissuade me. Indeed the terminal line seems to be getting closer
I think it is very sad. University is a wonderful experience and a great idea, I just don't see how the economics works - for the vast majority - as the world moves on
Depends what "as we know them" means.
But universities as an idea and an institution have been going strong for hundreds of years. There will still be universities long after us.
I suspect Leon only really knows of uni by his experience of a three year arts degree. Uni is so much more than three lectures a week and writing essays at 4 am for a 9 am deadline. Science and engineering courses are much more involved with far more contact hours. And the courses are not really about teaching facts, it’s about ways of thinking and the ability to apply knowledge. Leon may be right and many courses might be about to start to struggle to recruit because students no longer regard the degree as value. But that argument was made when fees were imposed and hiked. A degree isn’t just the academic education.
But if Leon is right and then AI is about to destroy most all white collar jobs then were on the verge of a mssive change in the world.
And a robot tax funded by a UBI becomes inevitable
I think you mean UBI funded by a robot tax surely?
Whenever anyone advocates UBI you notice they never tell you how much each adult and child will get from it because they know it will never be affordable.
The average adult on uc when you include everything gets about 12k a year
We are also often told this is not enough to live on but assuming it is
Giving every adult in the country 12k a year ubi is going to cost about 600 billion on top of all the nhs spending etc and with a lot lower tax take as few people will be working
You wouldn't give everyone £12k though, that's what you don't seem to understand. That's a gross figure based on nobody earning a penny but it replaces the tax allowance and forms a consistent basis so that is tapered away without draconian cliff-edges that prevent work.
"Estimates suggest 52% of Philadelphia adults are functionally illiterate, with 67% reading at a 6th-8th grade level. About 40% struggle with tasks like job applications. Data comes from sources like Achieve Now and a 2020 NCES report, though recent 2025 figures are scarce. Poverty and education access likely drive these rates, but exact causes need more research."
A large American city where more than half of adults are illiterate. No wonder China is taking over
It's getting worse too as more people consume their media in video or audio format negating the everyday need to read the news or sports pages.
Western society is declining and there are parts of America where that decline feels terminal. Education standards in the US are a joke and even at the very top in the world's highest ranked universities there is now in inexorable decline in standards with more time being spent on nonsense and less on top level research. China is stealing a huge march on the US (and the west) by having a relentless results focussed approach. It's working.
Yep
Also, everyone is now just cheating in their essays, and the essay checkers accept this, and on it goes
Quite absurd. This is one reason why - as I keep telling the site, because I am correct - the higher education system is about to implode, spectacularly. It no longer offers value to the student OR the potential employer; it is doomed
You’re complaining about education standards declining while also being gleeful about the decline of higher education institutions. Honestly, WTF? I bet China do not talk down universities or people going to university. You are literally the problem.
That's got to be one of the most stupid takes I've seen on pb, which is really quite a high bar. I don't detect any glee from Leon, in fact quite the opposite that universities need to raise their standards to remain relevant.
Quite so
I have one daughter at a fine university, St Andrews, and another hoping to go to one next year, possibly Trinity Dublin
I believe they will - for many reasons (some of which I am forbidden from talking about on PB) - be amongst the last to do so. I reckon universities as we know them have 5-10 years left. I have held this opinion for a couple of years, on PB (often against much scorn) but I have seen nothing to dissuade me. Indeed the terminal line seems to be getting closer
I think it is very sad. University is a wonderful experience and a great idea, I just don't see how the economics works - for the vast majority - as the world moves on
Depends what "as we know them" means.
But universities as an idea and an institution have been going strong for hundreds of years. There will still be universities long after us.
I suspect Leon only really knows of uni by his experience of a three year arts degree. Uni is so much more than three lectures a week and writing essays at 4 am for a 9 am deadline. Science and engineering courses are much more involved with far more contact hours. And the courses are not really about teaching facts, it’s about ways of thinking and the ability to apply knowledge. Leon may be right and many courses might be about to start to struggle to recruit because students no longer regard the degree as value. But that argument was made when fees were imposed and hiked. A degree isn’t just the academic education.
But if Leon is right and then AI is about to destroy most all white collar jobs then were on the verge of a mssive change in the world.
And a robot tax funded by a UBI becomes inevitable
I think you mean UBI funded by a robot tax surely?
Whenever anyone advocates UBI you notice they never tell you how much each adult and child will get from it because they know it will never be affordable.
The average adult on uc when you include everything gets about 12k a year
We are also often told this is not enough to live on but assuming it is
Giving every adult in the country 12k a year ubi is going to cost about 600 billion on top of all the nhs spending etc and with a lot lower tax take as few people will be working
Well if AI eliminates half the permanent jobs and makes much of the population unemployed apart from occasional contract work, a UBI is inevitable.
No government could be elected without backing one
So as I said, and by the way not saying you are wrong that something wont need to happen, give us figures for ubi and explain how you will fund them. UBI is a fine idea on paper it just falls down when you expect people to be able to live on nothing but UBI
By a tax on all companies that use robots and artificial intelligence but only if that artificial intelligence leads to mass unemployment
So you slap something like 600 billion tax on these companies and they dont say well thats it moving abroad because?
As in that scenario every nation would face mass unemployment from AI and have to have a UBI funded by a robot tax
Wow I can see why you are a tory you are so naive, at least one country wont because all those companies will move there. It will be just like irelands tax joke on a larger scale
If even that country has mass unemployment caused by AI no government would be re elected there without a UBI
"Estimates suggest 52% of Philadelphia adults are functionally illiterate, with 67% reading at a 6th-8th grade level. About 40% struggle with tasks like job applications. Data comes from sources like Achieve Now and a 2020 NCES report, though recent 2025 figures are scarce. Poverty and education access likely drive these rates, but exact causes need more research."
A large American city where more than half of adults are illiterate. No wonder China is taking over
It's getting worse too as more people consume their media in video or audio format negating the everyday need to read the news or sports pages.
Western society is declining and there are parts of America where that decline feels terminal. Education standards in the US are a joke and even at the very top in the world's highest ranked universities there is now in inexorable decline in standards with more time being spent on nonsense and less on top level research. China is stealing a huge march on the US (and the west) by having a relentless results focussed approach. It's working.
Yep
Also, everyone is now just cheating in their essays, and the essay checkers accept this, and on it goes
Quite absurd. This is one reason why - as I keep telling the site, because I am correct - the higher education system is about to implode, spectacularly. It no longer offers value to the student OR the potential employer; it is doomed
You’re complaining about education standards declining while also being gleeful about the decline of higher education institutions. Honestly, WTF? I bet China do not talk down universities or people going to university. You are literally the problem.
That's got to be one of the most stupid takes I've seen on pb, which is really quite a high bar. I don't detect any glee from Leon, in fact quite the opposite that universities need to raise their standards to remain relevant.
Quite so
I have one daughter at a fine university, St Andrews, and another hoping to go to one next year, possibly Trinity Dublin
I believe they will - for many reasons (some of which I am forbidden from talking about on PB) - be amongst the last to do so. I reckon universities as we know them have 5-10 years left. I have held this opinion for a couple of years, on PB (often against much scorn) but I have seen nothing to dissuade me. Indeed the terminal line seems to be getting closer
I think it is very sad. University is a wonderful experience and a great idea, I just don't see how the economics works - for the vast majority - as the world moves on
Depends what "as we know them" means.
But universities as an idea and an institution have been going strong for hundreds of years. There will still be universities long after us.
I suspect Leon only really knows of uni by his experience of a three year arts degree. Uni is so much more than three lectures a week and writing essays at 4 am for a 9 am deadline. Science and engineering courses are much more involved with far more contact hours. And the courses are not really about teaching facts, it’s about ways of thinking and the ability to apply knowledge. Leon may be right and many courses might be about to start to struggle to recruit because students no longer regard the degree as value. But that argument was made when fees were imposed and hiked. A degree isn’t just the academic education.
But if Leon is right and then AI is about to destroy most all white collar jobs then were on the verge of a mssive change in the world.
And a robot tax funded by a UBI becomes inevitable
I think you mean UBI funded by a robot tax surely?
Whenever anyone advocates UBI you notice they never tell you how much each adult and child will get from it because they know it will never be affordable.
The average adult on uc when you include everything gets about 12k a year
We are also often told this is not enough to live on but assuming it is
Giving every adult in the country 12k a year ubi is going to cost about 600 billion on top of all the nhs spending etc and with a lot lower tax take as few people will be working
You wouldn't give everyone £12k though, that's what you don't seem to understand. That's a gross figure based on nobody earning a penny but it replaces the tax allowance and forms a consistent basis so that is tapered away without draconian cliff-edges that prevent work.
An irony of AI is that social care jobs may become very sought after.
The coincident engines are really straining as Biden announces his cancer diagnosis literally the day before explosive book is published detailing why he should not have tried to run in 2024 due to old age.
The secretive US factory that lays bare the contradiction in Trump's America First plan
It is, in my view, the most important factory in the world, and it's being built by a company you've never heard of: TSMC, the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. It makes 90% of the world's advanced semiconductors.
I don't really like being treated like an idiot. I am sure huge numbers of people know who TSMC are these days.
Well it tells us faisal islam is a fuckwit, pretty sure most here at least know who tsmc are plus anyone involved in any it role and theres a few of us, or anyone that reads the register, slashdot or any number of similar blogs
A lot/most/vast majority of the BBC News at 10 audience get very little news through the day from any other source I suspect. They might catch the odd radio news headlines before the music starts again but otherwise...
PBers may know who TSMC are but 98% of the country don't.
If you search TSMC on the BBC news website there 10 pages of results...they talk about them a lot.
In the 1990s I used to regard BBC News as being an almost god-like source of impartial and important news, and I thought that would always continue to be true in the future.
The secretive US factory that lays bare the contradiction in Trump's America First plan
It is, in my view, the most important factory in the world, and it's being built by a company you've never heard of: TSMC, the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. It makes 90% of the world's advanced semiconductors.
I don't really like being treated like an idiot. I am sure huge numbers of people know who TSMC are these days.
Well it tells us faisal islam is a fuckwit, pretty sure most here at least know who tsmc are plus anyone involved in any it role and theres a few of us, or anyone that reads the register, slashdot or any number of similar blogs
A lot/most/vast majority of the BBC News at 10 audience get very little news through the day from any other source I suspect. They might catch the odd radio news headlines before the music starts again but otherwise...
PBers may know who TSMC are but 98% of the country don't.
If you search TSMC on the BBC news website there 10 pages of results...they talk about them a lot.
In the 1990s I used to regard BBC News as being an almost god-like source of impartial and important news, and I thought that would always continue to be true in the future.
Can I introduce you to Newsmax?
For those viewers who think Fox News have gone all too woke liberal leftie....
Fascinating article on how Bluesky is tailing off, and slowly self-destructing
TLDR: it's become a bubble chamber of leftoids, who are angry and intolerant of opposing opinions (esp but not always rightwing opinions). This makes it hostile to a lot of newcomers, and so the newbies stop coming. Without opposing opinions to tackle, the Blueskyers either turn on each other, or tediously and pointlessly agree with each other. And they become increasingly misinformed
I reckon if you put a dozen alpha males together for a month, by the end of it one will be the boss, there will be a few caporegimes, and the rest will be running errands, and the same with a dozen more sensitive chaps. This could be what is happening at BlueSky. We are just primates after all
Definitely some of that. And also partly an unhappy evolution - for the Left - that increasingly they don't just dislike rightwing or opposing opinions, they will not tolerate them. To oppose Woke left values - which are of course self evidently true - is to be evil, wrong, malign, Nazi. This shall not do. So anyone that has such opinions gets chased off Bluesky, and the purity police will come for even minor infringements in really niche areas - they use Blocking lists, and basic and very violent abuse
What a shitshow
But as I say this is really bad for the Left. eg the Guardian has quit X with all its 600m users and now only preaches on Bluesky to 33m angry lefties and the odd lepidopterist. And if the Guardian strays an inch from the accepted orthodoxy of the day on, say, Israel or gender or ANYTHING, all it gets is screeds of hatred
How does this benefit the Guardian? It doesn't. Much better for them to be on X with vastly more readers and maybe the chance to persuade the middle ground
Then you get the weird phenomenon of wilful ignorance. Lefties who simply aren't aware of very basic facts because these facts are censored if at all awkward, on places like Bluesky
Fascinating article on how Bluesky is tailing off, and slowly self-destructing
TLDR: it's become a bubble chamber of leftoids, who are angry and intolerant of opposing opinions (esp but not always rightwing opinions). This makes it hostile to a lot of newcomers, and so the newbies stop coming. Without opposing opinions to tackle, the Blueskyers either turn on each other, or tediously and pointlessly agree with each other. And they become increasingly misinformed
I reckon if you put a dozen alpha males together for a month, by the end of it one will be the boss, there will be a few caporegimes, and the rest will be running errands, and the same with a dozen more sensitive chaps. This could be what is happening at BlueSky. We are just primates after all
Definitely some of that. And also partly an unhappy evolution - for the Left - that increasingly they don't just dislike rightwing or opposing opinions, they will not tolerate them. To oppose Woke left values - which are of course self evidently true - is to be evil, wrong, malign, Nazi. This shall not do. So anyone that has such opinions gets chased off Bluesky, and the purity police will come for even minor infringements in really niche areas - they use Blocking lists, and basic and very violent abuse
What a shitshow
But as I say this is really bad for the Left. eg the Guardian has quit X with all its 600m users and now only preaches on Bluesky to 33m angry lefties and the odd lepidopterist. And if the Guardian strays an inch from the accepted orthodoxy of the day on, say, Israel or gender or ANYTHING, all it gets is screeds of hatred
How does this benefit the Guardian? It doesn't. Much better for them to be on X with vastly more readers and maybe the chance to persuade the middle ground
Then you get the weird phenomenon of wilful ignorance. Lefties who simply aren't aware of very basic facts because these facts are censored if at all awkward, on places like Bluesky
"Estimates suggest 52% of Philadelphia adults are functionally illiterate, with 67% reading at a 6th-8th grade level. About 40% struggle with tasks like job applications. Data comes from sources like Achieve Now and a 2020 NCES report, though recent 2025 figures are scarce. Poverty and education access likely drive these rates, but exact causes need more research."
A large American city where more than half of adults are illiterate. No wonder China is taking over
It's getting worse too as more people consume their media in video or audio format negating the everyday need to read the news or sports pages.
Western society is declining and there are parts of America where that decline feels terminal. Education standards in the US are a joke and even at the very top in the world's highest ranked universities there is now in inexorable decline in standards with more time being spent on nonsense and less on top level research. China is stealing a huge march on the US (and the west) by having a relentless results focussed approach. It's working.
Yep
Also, everyone is now just cheating in their essays, and the essay checkers accept this, and on it goes
Quite absurd. This is one reason why - as I keep telling the site, because I am correct - the higher education system is about to implode, spectacularly. It no longer offers value to the student OR the potential employer; it is doomed
You’re complaining about education standards declining while also being gleeful about the decline of higher education institutions. Honestly, WTF? I bet China do not talk down universities or people going to university. You are literally the problem.
That's got to be one of the most stupid takes I've seen on pb, which is really quite a high bar. I don't detect any glee from Leon, in fact quite the opposite that universities need to raise their standards to remain relevant.
Quite so
I have one daughter at a fine university, St Andrews, and another hoping to go to one next year, possibly Trinity Dublin
I believe they will - for many reasons (some of which I am forbidden from talking about on PB) - be amongst the last to do so. I reckon universities as we know them have 5-10 years left. I have held this opinion for a couple of years, on PB (often against much scorn) but I have seen nothing to dissuade me. Indeed the terminal line seems to be getting closer
I think it is very sad. University is a wonderful experience and a great idea, I just don't see how the economics works - for the vast majority - as the world moves on
Depends what "as we know them" means.
But universities as an idea and an institution have been going strong for hundreds of years. There will still be universities long after us.
I suspect Leon only really knows of uni by his experience of a three year arts degree. Uni is so much more than three lectures a week and writing essays at 4 am for a 9 am deadline. Science and engineering courses are much more involved with far more contact hours. And the courses are not really about teaching facts, it’s about ways of thinking and the ability to apply knowledge. Leon may be right and many courses might be about to start to struggle to recruit because students no longer regard the degree as value. But that argument was made when fees were imposed and hiked. A degree isn’t just the academic education.
But if Leon is right and then AI is about to destroy most all white collar jobs then were on the verge of a mssive change in the world.
And a robot tax funded by a UBI becomes inevitable
I think you mean UBI funded by a robot tax surely?
Whenever anyone advocates UBI you notice they never tell you how much each adult and child will get from it because they know it will never be affordable.
The average adult on uc when you include everything gets about 12k a year
We are also often told this is not enough to live on but assuming it is
Giving every adult in the country 12k a year ubi is going to cost about 600 billion on top of all the nhs spending etc and with a lot lower tax take as few people will be working
In addition to cost, the fundamental flaw is politicians and lobbying from the public. The advocates of UBI say you get rid of all other benefits because this will be enough to live on....
Immediately there will be calls for extra for this and that group and within 5 years it will be all over the shop just like every other benefit, with constant calls for an uplift for a particular struggling group by taking money off a group who are doing well and it not being fair they still get their UBI despite earning lots of money.
Even the most principled politician will find it hard to resists but think of the kids.....Jordon and Paris have 4 kids, they haven't worked for 20 years, they have developed a drink and drug problem and now the kids are going hungry because they spend all their UBI on substances....what we need is another benefit to ensure the kids don't go hungry....
Fascinating article on how Bluesky is tailing off, and slowly self-destructing
TLDR: it's become a bubble chamber of leftoids, who are angry and intolerant of opposing opinions (esp but not always rightwing opinions). This makes it hostile to a lot of newcomers, and so the newbies stop coming. Without opposing opinions to tackle, the Blueskyers either turn on each other, or tediously and pointlessly agree with each other. And they become increasingly misinformed
I reckon if you put a dozen alpha males together for a month, by the end of it one will be the boss, there will be a few caporegimes, and the rest will be running errands, and the same with a dozen more sensitive chaps. This could be what is happening at BlueSky. We are just primates after all
Definitely some of that. And also partly an unhappy evolution - for the Left - that increasingly they don't just dislike rightwing or opposing opinions, they will not tolerate them. To oppose Woke left values - which are of course self evidently true - is to be evil, wrong, malign, Nazi. This shall not do. So anyone that has such opinions gets chased off Bluesky, and the purity police will come for even minor infringements in really niche areas - they use Blocking lists, and basic and very violent abuse
What a shitshow
But as I say this is really bad for the Left. eg the Guardian has quit X with all its 600m users and now only preaches on Bluesky to 33m angry lefties and the odd lepidopterist. And if the Guardian strays an inch from the accepted orthodoxy of the day on, say, Israel or gender or ANYTHING, all it gets is screeds of hatred
How does this benefit the Guardian? It doesn't. Much better for them to be on X with vastly more readers and maybe the chance to persuade the middle ground
Then you get the weird phenomenon of wilful ignorance. Lefties who simply aren't aware of very basic facts because these facts are censored if at all awkward, on places like Bluesky
UBI is the best idea anyone's come up with so far for turning ordinary people into total zombies imo.
We have sort of done a mini experiment with UBI during COVID with furlough scheme.
There are definitely some who took that free money and spun the breathing room / free time into a new business mention, upskilling etc, but overall the reports are people got fat and lazy pretty quickly, increased drinking, etc, particularly after that initial summer when people got bored of making banana bread and jiggling to Joe Wicks.
The chancellor, Rachel Reeves, could be forced to spend more than £5bn and employ 92,000 extra workers across the public sector if declines in productivity continue until 2030, according to analysis of official figures.
The secretive US factory that lays bare the contradiction in Trump's America First plan
It is, in my view, the most important factory in the world, and it's being built by a company you've never heard of: TSMC, the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. It makes 90% of the world's advanced semiconductors.
I don't really like being treated like an idiot. I am sure huge numbers of people know who TSMC are these days.
Well it tells us faisal islam is a fuckwit, pretty sure most here at least know who tsmc are plus anyone involved in any it role and theres a few of us, or anyone that reads the register, slashdot or any number of similar blogs
A lot/most/vast majority of the BBC News at 10 audience get very little news through the day from any other source I suspect. They might catch the odd radio news headlines before the music starts again but otherwise...
PBers may know who TSMC are but 98% of the country don't.
If you search TSMC on the BBC news website there 10 pages of results...they talk about them a lot.
In the 1990s I used to regard BBC News as being an almost god-like source of impartial and important news, and I thought that would always continue to be true in the future.
Then came Remembrance Sunday 2019 when the BBC replaced footage of Boris. Johnson placing his wreath upside down with footage of Boris Johnson (as Mayor) in 2016 laying his wreath correctly. Why you ask? Because in the interests of BBC impartially rules they didn't want to show Johnson making a gaff which might be seen to present advantage to his political opponents.
The secretive US factory that lays bare the contradiction in Trump's America First plan
It is, in my view, the most important factory in the world, and it's being built by a company you've never heard of: TSMC, the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. It makes 90% of the world's advanced semiconductors.
I don't really like being treated like an idiot. I am sure huge numbers of people know who TSMC are these days.
Well it tells us faisal islam is a fuckwit, pretty sure most here at least know who tsmc are plus anyone involved in any it role and theres a few of us, or anyone that reads the register, slashdot or any number of similar blogs
A lot/most/vast majority of the BBC News at 10 audience get very little news through the day from any other source I suspect. They might catch the odd radio news headlines before the music starts again but otherwise...
PBers may know who TSMC are but 98% of the country don't.
If you search TSMC on the BBC news website there 10 pages of results...they talk about them a lot.
In the 1990s I used to regard BBC News as being an almost god-like source of impartial and important news, and I thought that would always continue to be true in the future.
Then came Remembrance Sunday 2019 when the BBC replaced footage of Boris. Johnson placing his wreath upside down with footage of Boris Johnson (as Mayor) in 2016 laying his wreath correctly. Why you ask? Because in the interests of BBC impartially rules they didn't want to show Johnson making a gaff which might be seen to present advantage to his political opponents.
Comments
It’s fish and SPS .
And then I ran out of ChatGPT credits.
I would by the way much prefer we made the change to a contributory system than have a two tier system for migrants
The average adult on uc when you include everything gets about 12k a year
We are also often told this is not enough to live on but assuming it is
Giving every adult in the country 12k a year ubi is going to cost about 600 billion on top of all the nhs spending etc and with a lot lower tax take as few people will be working
It is, in my view, the most important factory in the world, and it's being built by a company you've never heard of: TSMC, the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. It makes 90% of the world's advanced semiconductors.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwywj0zgzwxo
I don't really like being treated like an idiot. I am sure huge numbers of people know who TSMC are these days.
Immediately there will be calls for extra for this and that group and within 5 years it will be all over the shop just like every other benefit, with constant calls for an uplift for a particular struggling group by taking money off a group who are doing well and it not being fair they still get their UBI despite earning lots of money.
Even the most principled politician will find it hard to resists but think of the kids.....Jordon and Paris have 4 kids, they haven't worked for 20 years, they have developed a drink and drug problem and now the kids are going hungry because they spend all their UBI on substances....what we need is another benefit to ensure the kids don't go hungry....
No government could be elected without backing one
I think people would be more surprised at say finding out that something like 90% of the worlds (push)bikes are made in Taiwan in two factories that can see one another.
PBers may know who TSMC are but 98% of the country don't.
@michaeldweiss
I cannot overstate the extent to which the pro-Russian MAGA types in US government were fixated on [Romania's] political future. If these exit polls hold up, it’ll be a bitter defeat for them.
https://x.com/michaeldweiss/status/1924170944852951251
Where you moving your company to?
As every other bit of automation for centuries has done.
Terrible that its something that is now noteworthy, post-Trump, it should be something we take for granted.
Amused that the bar chart for the result is the Ukrainian flag.
There are definitely some who took that free money and spun the breathing room / free time into a new business mention, upskilling etc, but overall the reports are people got fat and lazy pretty quickly, increased drinking, etc, particularly after that initial summer when people got bored of making banana bread and jiggling to Joe Wicks.
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/may/19/uk-may-need-92000-extra-public-workers-if-fall-in-productivity-continues-to-2030