The California Invasion of Privacy Act, or CIPA, was written for the age of the rotary phone. It bans recording or listening in on a private conversation unless everyone involved agrees, and it lets any Californian sue over a violation, with damages of US$5,000 each time it happens.

For decades, we have told young Americans that if they want a successful life, there is only one respectable path: go to college. That message has become so deeply embedded in our culture that many families accept it without question.