About the proposed education cuts...

"Philosophy, Women's Studies and Social Work would go under Smatresk's proposal, which would ultimately require approval from the higher education system's Board of Regents... [referring to philosophy] The department is relatively small, with only 85 majors. But Jones said nearly every UNLV student cycles through the department with an introductory class of some kind, such as CRITICAL THINKING."

This is not and will not ever be acceptable. Surely, the majors mentioned are critical to the health of our society. Furthermore, education (particularly critical thinking and philosophy) should be the foundation of any societies interests: business or otherwise. The only way that education cuts will impact a society in the long-term is to create one that is too ignorant to question it's subjugation to business interests and/or will act as agents of extreme capitalist ideology; i.e., will subjugate each other in pursuit of wealth and status; therefore fostering a paradigm for humanity whereby citizens are justifiably relegated to positions in society that they "deserve." Through a paradigm born of nurturing the "better angels of our nature" and the realization that virtually anything we nurture will manifest as the nature of humanity, we may eventually create a future free from polarizing inequality. Women's Studies, Social Work, and philosophy are key pursuits in recalling the plight of those formerly subjugated to ignorance and to realizing the common ideals of humanity: community above all, and foremost through education, wonder, humility, and philanthropy. Our elected representatives are charged with more than enacting the will of "the people" or the will of "big business," for both are subject to their own ignorance and "self" interests. Our elected representatives are charged with the maintenance of the aformentioned ideals (community). I can only assume that the degrees on the "chopping block" are there because the "market" for them has dwindled. That, I propose, is a manifestation of the fundamental sickness inherent to extreme capitalist ideology; whereby we are all faithfully placed on a downward slope of being governed and educated "no better than we deserve," and where the unscrupulous will find advantage to amass the ornaments of such: wealth and status. Although, I think history has shown us that every system, society, and ideology is subject to revolution (as they are to interpretation), and none are inherently better. The system is not what matters; fostering the ability of the population to reason and think critically (education) will lead to a universal and functional humanist ideology. Success and failure, particularly of the individual (heroic individualism), are agents of the Freudian "Id," and the Id operates to it's own irrational ends (power). Let's rise above Social Darwinism. Life is not for the winners or the most "fit." Success should be measured in community, i.e. the amount of suffering we can ease among all humans while maintaining BALANCE with other species and the environment.