[Mark Allinson]

I agree with all you say, David.

And I agree with Keats:

"The only means of strengthening one’s intellect is to make up one’s mind about nothing — to let the mind be a thoroughfare for all thoughts. Not a select party."

- John Keats, Letter, 17-27 Sept. 1819

We have so many Keatsean weak intellects in academia today, who do nothing else but follow and advocate "a select party." And I suppose this is one of the reasons why this thread will fizzle away.

Being ideologically uncommitted, David, you must feel quite isolated in academia these days. In fact, I would guess that your indifference to ideology is interpreted by those around you as clear evidence that you are indeed an ideologue of the Right.

If you live at the Left Pole, everyone around you is on the Right.