And yesterday Johnathon Boston, Professor of Public Policy at Victoria University had a column in the DomPost calling for all the usual left-wing solutions to child poverty.
Nothing new really.
But this pre-budget push from academia illustrates a cemented pillar in the near impenetrable structure of semi-socialist government. Young minds are trained to believe in the power of the collective state over the power of the individual. Hence the growing acceptance of wealth redistribution amongst the middleclasses (especially if it favours them). And the move of National to left of centre.
Given tertiary education is pretty much user-pays, I don't know why this adherence persists.
The feminisation of academia and the public service leap out as possibilities. One day I'd like to explore this theory further...without any public funding.
3 comments:
"The feminisation of academia and the public service leap out as possibilities. One day I'd like to explore this theory further...without any public funding."
That would be a worthwhile project.
However I suspect the problem runs deeper. It seems people who love and appreciate private enterprise, are not attracted to the academic life for a variety of reasons, not least being the comparatively low pay.
On the other hand, those who prefer the certainty and stability of slavery, (sorry state dependence) do appear more attracted to these positions.
Therefore, providing evidence of this is unlikely to bring about meaningful change, unless you introduce a 'political bias' test as part of the hiring process. But then perhaps an unspoken test already exists.
I'm bemused by the illiteracy of Professor Shirley's letter.
This is the calibre of NZ academics?
I couldn’t read that letter. I don’t think it was just the poor internet connection
Universities have always been hot beds of left wing support, and we probably did heckle and disrupt people with opposing views even then.
But that was the students rather than the lecturers. What is alarming is the apparent closed views of university staff and administrations. Whereas in the past university authorities felt obliged to encourage debate, they now seem to be intent on closing it down, preferring the ‘accepted consensus’ and bowing to those who take offense.
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