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So Thomas Friedman thinks free college is a bad idea because people only value things that we get for free. Has he just come out for the privatization of libraries, fire, police, the military, K-12 education, and the highway system? nytimes.com/2019/07/19/opi… 
Friedman started his undergraduate education at the University of Minnesota in the early 1970's. Tuition at that time was the equivalent of $525 of today's $'s. Today tuition to U of Minn is over $14k. Friedman already got his (essentially) free college. ohe.state.mn.us/dPg.cfm?pageID…
Friedman later attended Oxford on a scholarship which meant his Masters degree was, you guessed it, free.
Back to Friedman's "people will start and stop courses for years" objection. First, free college makes it LESS likely that people will interrupt their educations because the biggest factor in leaving school is inability to pay for it.
Second, people going back for more coursework when they need it - so-called lifelong learning - is something Friedman champions over and over as a necessity it today's world. His objections make zero sense.
Friedman sent his daughters to Yale and Williams. I'm confident he and his wife paid their tuitions. Did they not maximize their opportunities because their education was "free"?
By the way, one of Friedman's daughters works as an "entrepreneur in residence" at a "disruptive" pro-privatization education outfit. Free college would wipe out a huge # of these outfits. linkedin.com/in/orlydf/
Friedman also was once for free college, apparently when it was going to come in the form of MOOCs. nytimes.com/2013/03/06/opi…
I'm resisting linking to the story of the 3-day 180 guest Aspen wedding festival thrown for Friedman's daughter that likely cost as much as 4-yrs of public tuition at U Minn for 5 people, but you can find that yourself if you're curious.
Her dress by itself is a year's tuition, I bet. I don't resent that ultra wealthy people like Tom and Ann Friedman can provide great things for their children. I do have a problem with him lecturing others about how we won't appreciate an education if it's "free."
Friedman wasn't just wrong about MOOCs in hindsight. There were plenty of people who were pointing out the flaws in his thinking at the time of his thoughts. He has zero knowledge or credibility on these issues. insidehighered.com/views/2013/03/…
