Ted Magnuson

Graduates, welcome to the rest of your life. You are about to commence your working career at a most opportune time, and you are young, to boot!
A word of caution may be in order. If the media is to be believed, the world is about to be destroyed—In more ways than one. For starters, within the next ten years or less, healthcare will cost 150% of what most people earn….if, that is, people can find a job in the first place. Unemployment is almost double (10%) the ‘normal average(6%).’ OK, once you’ve crossed those hurtles, and should you be getting by economically, how about these other bad boys: coping with terrorists, pollution, global warming, overpopulation, do-nothing politicians and drug culture. All of these things are looming crisis that will need close monitoring.
Fear not, though. Trust me. Known problems are much better than the unknown ones, right? Anyway, the world is too much with us. It’s time to relax. Here are a few free time options:
1) The movies. But wait. Nix on the dystopian future. A psychodrama featuring a serial killer? That’s hardly entertaining either. Don’t these producers know there’s not enough jail space to keep criminals off the streets?
2) I’m all for sporting events but really, why throw good money away watching athletes who either tote guns, hang with bimbos or pop steroids?
3) PS, if you fly or drive somewhere to get away, have you purchased your carbon offsets?
I really don’t mean to be pessimistic. Realistically, isn’t the cost of college increasing faster than just about any other economic sector? Doesn’t higher cost imply greater value? Won’t our graduates (you) receive value for dollars spent?
Can the world really be in that bad a shape? I’m willing to pursue that argument. I agree, the competition to get into the best schools was intense. Surely, if we live in a meritocracy, the cream has risen to the top. So; how bad can things be?
Hasn’t there been culling, screening and interviewing to get into the best schools? Then all that has been followed by more culling, screening and interviewing to get into the best careers, right? So why has the world as many problems as the newspapers report? Why can’t the most brilliant talent available do better work?
If the Graduate reflects on the above situation, various theories might explain what exactly is going on.
1) The news reporters are exaggerating the news in order pique reader’s interests.
2) Despite all the culling, screening and selecting, an exclusive cabal is really in charge of the world and this cabal, this 1/​10 of one percent like the chaos just the way it is, thank you.
3) The world really is as bad as reported, just another example of how ignorant, selfish and shortsighted everyone really are. Pessimists never disappoints like optimism does.
4) Which leads The Graduate to conclude a minimal degree of law and order, a minimal degree of savoir faire is just too high a standard for ssurvival in the world as it is. The best course then is to lower one’s standards and enter the melee with ‘no holds barred.’
5) Or if the Graduate truly is quite daring, couldn’t one even say…given the sad state of world affairs today and given my most excellent training, my abilities, my aptitudes, and my associations, why am I not at the start of doing many wonderful, marvelous, big things? Get it done!

America is the oldest democracy doing business today. Our forebearers have set the standard. We must not fail their trust!