The new American Helots

I think that perhaps you're only half correct. There will always be some people for whom online and distance learning will be ineffective...but I would say that for the majority of people who escaped from high school with the ability to learn (a small minority these days, to be sure), the option of learning online can be a fruitful one. The caveats are that the content has to be rigorous and they student has to be diligent. If either of those factors are not met, you're correct...online education is of little practical value. I know that there's a lot of the "socialization" missing from online education, but to save $50K/year, many would choose to forego the drunken frat parties.