Friday 21 April, 2006

Whip me baby one more time

I find it impossible to care much about John Howard's views on postmodernism, or his ignorance in claiming that changes to the educational syllabus are nothing to do with careful thought (even if it could be argued misguided thought) by people with a greater idea of what happens in the classroom than me, John Howard (or, indeed, Peter Craven ). If the whole of cultural studies gets reduced to the whole 'this tram ticket is as interesting as Shakespeare' line one more time I'll scream. (Did anyone ever actually say that? Probably. Sigh.) But Howard's attempt to stir up a fight is nothing compared to Giles Auty (thank you to Larvatus Prodeofor the link) in the Australian, who seems to argue that postmodernism is Marxism and Marxism is evil and it's all Foucault's fault and anyway Foucault was a pervert.

So here's my question. If we are to dismiss the views of anyone who has a kinky attitude to sex, how many people, when it comes down to it, are there left to take seriously? And where, specifically, would it leave politicians, who have never been backward in, well, coming backward, forward or any other way.

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