Putting on my cynical hat, the problem is much worse than merely higher education. In the previous Gilded Age, the rapaciousness of our ruling classes was met with a storm of organizing from our working classes. Millions of people worked together to advance their rights and those of others. There were hundreds of civic organizations, political parties and other popular organs being formed.
This time, crickets. Now there is no class consciousnesses, no faith in politics, no collective action of any kind. Something is very different, I don't know what.
The abuses of the late 19th century's Gilded Age were more directly experienced by the average first-world worker, and today's breads & circuses are more pervasive by orders of magnitude.
To really mobilize the general public, the distractions from the pain will have to subside or the pain itself must grow.
Robinson's point about the shift towards vocational education (and student debt) inadequately preparing students for participation in democratic society deserves emphasis: this is what the parties responsible want to see happen. (Who, in an entrenched position of power, wants to see a strong middle class take an active interest in politics?)
Many will balk at the idea, but the oligarchy recognized this danger and planned against it since the early 1900's. Hanlon's razor only applies to the middlemen, for the .01% the conspiratorial view of history (based on facts of course) is the correct one.
>Now, what does all of this mean in this great period of history? It means that we've got to stay together. We've got to stay together and maintain unity. You know, whenever Pharaoh wanted to prolong the period of slavery in Egypt, he had a favorite, favorite formula for doing it. What was that? He kept the slaves fighting among themselves. But whenever the slaves get together, something happens in Pharaoh's court, and he cannot hold the slaves in slavery. When the slaves get together, that's the beginning of getting out of slavery. Now let us maintain unity.
-MLK, I've Been to The Mountaintop, last speech the night before assassination
I just want to point out how relevant I find your username, or more specifically, Lao Tzu, these days. He is a very undervalued character in philosophy. Also, thanks for the MLK quote. I think for Americans at least, the bill of rights and the constitution should be our unifying point, which in turn is why people who threaten to undermine the division of people, such as MLK, are seen as such huge threats to TPTB.
This time, crickets. Now there is no class consciousnesses, no faith in politics, no collective action of any kind. Something is very different, I don't know what.