The College Cartel: The Hijacking of Higher Education

The Manhattan Prophet

The veil has been lifted on America's higher education system, revealing a troubling transformation from institutions of learning to financial empires prioritizing wealth accumulation over student welfare.
Diving deep into the roots of our educational model, we trace its evolution from the Prussian system designed for industrial capitalism to today's credential factories where knowledge has become mere job training. The stark numbers tell a damning story: Harvard sitting on a $53 billion endowment while providing just $250 million in financial aid; tuition costs skyrocketing 1,200% since the 1980s while wages remain stagnant; and a federal loan system that guarantees universities get paid upfront regardless of student outcomes.
We expose how powerful university lobbying organizations shield these institutions from meaningful regulation by wrapping private capital accumulation in the sacred language of public good. The psychological conditioning begins early – students are taught that college is the only path to success, alternative routes are devalued, and once debt is incurred, cognitive dissonance prevents questioning whether it was worth it. Most troubling is how student debt functions as a disciplinary tool, discouraging risk-taking and entrepreneurship while enforcing compliance with an economic system that profits from aspiration.
What other developed nations treat as a public good, America has transformed into a commodified gateway where young adults must purchase their eligibility to participate meaningfully in the economy. The contrast is stark: education is free in Germany and extremely affordable across much of Europe, while American students graduate to decades of debt servitude. Until we implement reforms like outcome-contingent funding, university risk-sharing, and robust alternatives to traditional college paths, we'll continue supporting a system that functions more like a hedge fund than an educational institution.
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Chapters

1. Introduction to Higher Education's Truth (00:00:00)

2. Prussian Origins to Capitalist Education (00:06:05)

3. University Endowments and Wealth Hoarding (00:08:38)

4. Lobbying and Political Protection (00:12:08)

5. Wage Stagnation vs. Tuition Inflation (00:15:33)

6. Manufactured Narratives and College Coercion (00:17:06)

7. Student Debt as Disciplinary Tool (00:21:22)