I am aware that the measured tones of Julie urge us to sweetly discourse with literary reason on even these incendiary matters.... but there are surely limits.
I cannot speak for the representative nature of Charlie's apprehensions - which seem to me neither rational nor humane - but I can deal with John's unrepresentative rants. Academics in the UK are pitifully rewarded compared with our colleagues in Europe - yes, the EU, John. When I last conducted a comparison with Dutch and Danish colleagues with comparable roles and responsibilities (in the early 90s), their emoluments, in vastly better socially supportive socieities, were c. 250% to 300% higher. Quite why John believes that his ill-informed notions of academic pay relate directly (or even at all) to a recognirion of barbarous policy intentions I cannot tell. What remains certain is that Presidents who support torture and those who act as their apologists are beyond the civilised pale - whatever their repsective levels of remuneration.
Meanwhile, can I note that with reference to my earlier literature focussed (prose and poetry) suggestion re reprintings of appropriate works - 1984, The Plot Against America and Quake, Quake, Quake - that the first of these has just become a best selling paperback in the UK - all over again.
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