The last five words are an opinion not a reason.
'Inept academia' as you call it, is a manifestation of an indifferent society.
A socially ignorant society whose preoccupation is amusement and spending money they don't have, because they believe they are entitled.
And you want to change that?
Good Luck, the wheel turns ever so slowly so you, or I, are not likely to see it.
Consider yourself lucky at this point because it won't be pretty when it happens.

Thanks David Bell for the summary of Covid- in some places they are still bigoted against the unvaccinated- despite the claim's of record employment.

From David Bell's blurb... (not that credentials are everything... some such as Ben Goldacre say science is more about the quality of your ideas than the quality of your authority. Others such as Kuhn say that science is a process of academic democracy- but over time the truth comes out.)

David Bell, Senior Scholar at Brownstone Institute, is a public health physician and biotech consultant in global health. He is a former medical officer and scientist at the World Health Organization (WHO), Programme Head for malaria and febrile diseases at the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND) in Geneva, Switzerland, and Director of Global Health Technologies at Intellectual Ventures Global Good Fund in Bellevue, WA, USA.

Consider yourself lucky at this point because it won't be pretty when it happens.
Special delivery,
I don't disagree with you there. All we can do is to put out ideas on platforms such as OLO & hope that each time we post there'll be at least one whose mentality allows the kind of thinking that is missing/forbidden in the entitlement era.
I have spoken with many of all ages & it's surprising how many are actually in favour of a Gap Year National Service. The main opposing comes from middle class suburbia where the Peter Principal runs riot !

Indyvidual- Yes many benefit from military service. There is a document from the French Revolution that describes Total Mobilization of Society for warfare.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lev%C3%A9e_en_masse

Levée en masse decreed
Levée en masse in 1793, by Lesueur

The decree was enacted by the National Convention on 23 August 1793, having been penned by Barère in conjunction with Lazare Carnot. The decree read in ringing terms, beginning: "From this moment until such time as its enemies shall have been driven from the soil of the Republic, all Frenchmen are in permanent requisition for the services of the armies. The young men shall fight; the married men shall forge arms and transport provisions; the women shall make tents and clothes and shall serve in the hospitals; the children shall turn old linen into lint; the old men shall betake themselves to the public squares in order to arouse the courage of the warriors and preach hatred of kings and the unity of the Republic."

Free thinkers are referred to as anarchists
The fanatical like minded are called mobs.
The seemingly mindless are seen as self serving fools.
Who have I left out?
Oh yes, the religious zealots who believe doing good only applies to each other when in agreement.

There was a quote about the wise teaching before preaching verses zealotry- but I couldn't find it. But the below are interesting...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zealots

“Goodness without wisdom always accomplishes evil.”
― Robert Heinlein

“There’s nothing quite as frightening as someone who knows they are right.”
― Michael Faraday

I have done no wrong but the zealots are trying to attack me because I am so critical of them.
Sunil Gangopadhyay