The Medieval University Monopoly

Someone recently referred to an undergrad degree as "a middle class union card," which I thought was a rich metaphor for these same economics. Post internet, software, covid, and zoom, the disruption of the university system seems nigh.

I'm not quite sure what the site name has to do with anything[1], but for the ancient ties between church and gown:

https://americanliterature.com/author/alexandre-dumas/book/t...

> "now, as you have heard, d'Artagnan, Monsieur the Principal is desirous that my thesis should be dogmatic, while I, for my part, would rather it should be ideal. This is the reason why Monsieur the Principal has proposed to me the following subject, which has not yet been treated upon, and in which I perceive there is matter for magnificent elaboration-'Utraque manus in benedicendo clericis inferioribus necessaria est.'"

[1] Alexandre Dumas was borne in the Aisne. Maybe the american refers to his father, the general Dumas, who was born in what is now Haiti? (the Dumas count among themselves both writers and fencers, but I don't believe any have been as good at both simultaneously as Aramis.)

That was interesting and hilarious at the same time :-)