Sentence examples similar to contrived scarcity from inspiring English sources

In more affluent times, when public higher education was fully funded this discussion about the merits of MOOCs and automated grading software might make more sense, but in the current era of scarcity and contrived "shocks" to the system with the aim of privatizing everything possible we might want to slow down a bit before charging down the path that Very Serious People are dragging us down.

"And contrived.

Contrived much?

It's contrived.

Seems totally contrived".

"It felt contrived".

It's not contrived.

Completely contrived myth.

This was not contrived.

And it feels contrived.

It seemed contrived.