Contempt for the Humanities and the Rise of Totalitarianism

This post is inspired by a things.

First there is this joke:

Q: What is an English Major's first words on getting a job after college?
A: "Do you want fries with that?"

Then there was a discussion over on Nightstar Zoo in which it was suggested that financial aid for college should be determined by the expected return on investment of a given field of study. That is, Engineering would be more likely to warrant a student loan than English.

Then there is the letter chipuni received from banner, suggesting that one of the goals of "Further Confusion" and its parent company should be "try and encourage higher learning, and the learning of skills that will allow people to be able to stand on their own two feet and earn a living." The focus of education here, once again, being utilitarian.

And lastly there's sandramort who feels guilty about wanting to pursue a degree in English because it would entail a comittment of time and money and is not strictly necessary to her goal of homeschooling her children.

So, my question is this: what does this contempt for the humanities and emphasis on the utility of education say about us as a society? Where is it leading? Why would someone feel guilty about pursuing it, for crying out loud, especially when that someone is undertaking the moral education of the next generation? I am not about to undertake a defense of the humanities, but am about to go on the offense against a shift in values that, I believe, is cutting out the very soul of America.

( Cut because people will skim over the visible, but seek out the hidden. )