Good points Grant. I am not worried about the Mike Hoskings of this world. Yes - seriously annoying but they are not especially influential with decision makers, speak to a particular audiance and have the always been with us in some shape or form (eg Paul Holmes, Paul Henry). But university academics stepping into this word is of serious concern - they are potentially influential and the comment you mention (and the recent comments by the head of law at AUT) are a real worry. It is totally irresponsible on their part and undermines societal faith in universities being the bastions of evidence based thinking.
"Liberty is not a licence to do or say whatever we want." Indeed, when it involves breaking the Golden Rule of "do unto others", it crosses the dividing line from liberty to impunity. Or freedom to freedumb. If liberty/freedom is driving a car, then impunity/freedumb is driving a Hummer at 2x the speed limit with a frontloader, with the express purpose of forcing others off the road or running them over.
And there's evidence that rising & baked-in inequality drives strongman politics of all stripes, be it Chavez/Maduro on 1 extreme, & Trump/Putin on the other.
Good work - an example from both sides supports your points...
Good points Grant. I am not worried about the Mike Hoskings of this world. Yes - seriously annoying but they are not especially influential with decision makers, speak to a particular audiance and have the always been with us in some shape or form (eg Paul Holmes, Paul Henry). But university academics stepping into this word is of serious concern - they are potentially influential and the comment you mention (and the recent comments by the head of law at AUT) are a real worry. It is totally irresponsible on their part and undermines societal faith in universities being the bastions of evidence based thinking.
It worries me too, Mark, and that's one reason why I left the university. GD
"Liberty is not a licence to do or say whatever we want." Indeed, when it involves breaking the Golden Rule of "do unto others", it crosses the dividing line from liberty to impunity. Or freedom to freedumb. If liberty/freedom is driving a car, then impunity/freedumb is driving a Hummer at 2x the speed limit with a frontloader, with the express purpose of forcing others off the road or running them over.
And there's evidence that rising & baked-in inequality drives strongman politics of all stripes, be it Chavez/Maduro on 1 extreme, & Trump/Putin on the other.
https://www.e-ir.info/2017/01/04/exploding-inequality-is-killing-democracy/
https://www.brookings.edu/articles/is-democracy-failing-and-putting-our-economic-system-at-risk/
https://news.stanford.edu/report/2021/02/16/democracy-work-racial-inequalities-must-addressed/
Great comments and links, thanks. I'll read those articles. GD