There will always be need for unskilled laborers. It is unavoidable. Someone has to do the "fry cook" or whatever jobs. It will always fall on whoever, in the society is least skilled, whether it be by education or experience. Someone is always more qualified than the next guy. If you have a nation filled with educated people the least educated will still remain the unskilled laborers. If everyone in the US had Doctorates then businesses would have to find another means to choose who would take leadership roles and follower roles. There will always be discriminators. Also, if the whole country went to "white collar" jobs. There would be no skilled tradesmen in the country, that would make the country dependent on another. This could lead to disastrous situations. Much like US dependency on foreign oil has driven our costs up and put is in a bind, if we grew that dependent on foreign labor, we could find ourselves dictated by those who would do the jobs we can't.

two points here: 1. All Americans get up to a high school education for free. (Hell, even illegals get that!) If everyone were getting that free education I wouldn't be so bitchy when people ask for MORE free education, but when the graduation rate is only 67% a full third of Americans coming into the job market weren't motivated to get a free, easy education. Why don't we ask people to take responsibility for themselves and either borrow the damn money or apply for a grant (It's called Financial Aid people - you'd be surprised who qualifies.) to go to college. Start with a community college and move up. And don't bitch about having to work AND go to college. Some of the best Americans did it, no one's above busting their ass to succeed. 2. Most people are unskilled for a reason. They have little or no motivation. And if they have motivation, they have no creativity to find a way to get a skill. Skills aren't passed out in a line somewhere - you have to earn them. If it's not easy to earn, then some don't try. That is not my problem. Trust me, you shut down welfare and unemployment checks and suddenly people find the motivation to work. Suddenly, labor that they thought was demeaning doesn't seem so bad. Free education will not motivate them to do anything except to ask for the next handout.