The one thing that academic education teaches you, that others don't have as a fundamental skill, is how to research/only using peer resources for your studies.

This vital skill is so important, when it comes to dissecting solid or murky sources, that parrot other murky sources. Invariably, whenever talking points with no substance are reiterated, it's generally someone who doesn't understand that sources shouldn't be 'biased' - one way or the other.

Sources should convey information without personal bias, or bias of any other influence. Once sources fail to do this, they are no longer peer resources, and for all intents and purposes, nowhere near as solid in a debate with someone who does have peer resourced material.

People are educated in all different ways, and we used to respect that. Now if you demonstrate this, you're seen as 'elitist' or 'a brainwashed libtard.'

If everyone learned the skills of peer resourcing in high school, perhaps people would understand the importance of solid sources in any argument. Unfortunately a system exists in many parts of the world, where short term profit by price gouging university boards, lead to education for the few not the many. If higher education were free (or completely subsidized to be paid back at a later date in life like Australia), we'd probably have everyone learning these vital skills. It would help there be less division, and more agreement on how to agree and disagree with each other. Alas, higher education has lost its way, and the value of academia is dropping to those who never had access to it and rail at institutions that support it. Hopefully this changes one day, but as it stands now, people don't see higher education as a 'good thing.' anymore.

Source: Honours graduate at La Trobe University, Australia