Beyond The Commons

Aaron Wherry covers all the goings-on in and around Parliament Hill. Follow Aaron on Twitter: @aaronwherry

Categories: Beyond The Commons, Capital Read

'Not all academics are irrelevant'

by Aaron Wherry on Monday, November 30, 2009 12:09pm - 33 Comments

As Susan Delacourt notes, though the magazine is apparently not a close watcher of Canadian polling, Michael Ignatieff has come in at #64 on Foreign Policy’s list of global thinkers. It’s unclear whether this represents a drop from his standing last year, when a reader poll by Prospect magazine ranked Mr. Ignatieff the 34th most intellectual intellectual.

Tags: foreign policy, Michael Ignatieff, Prospect

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peter

Academic and intellectual are NOT interchangeable terms. One is required to think "inside the box" one is not. Which category does Mr. Ignatieff fall into?

http://intensedebate.com/people/Jack_Mitchell Jack Mitchell

Obviously the latter. He hasn't been an academic since 1984.

http://intensedebate.com/people/psiclone psiclone

maybe whoever was polled for Iggy heard how he was doing in politics and gave him the ol thumbs down just like canadians are!

MJ Patchouli

Clearly you didn't take the time necessary to digest the article in your haste to post something insulting about Ignatieff.

I guess that would be called "post haste…"

That or you just don't understand what those words mean.

http://intensedebate.com/people/Crit_Reasoning Crit_Reasoning

The first line of Foreign Policy’s blurb:

Poised to become Canadian prime minister next year, only five years after leaving Harvard University's Carr Center for Human Rights Policy, Ignatieff is out to prove the relevance of academia — and big ideas — in politics.

I-r-o-n-y!
http://intensedebate.com/people/psiclone psiclone

I love the bit about being poised for the PM's job = ROFL!
peter

Ironic choice of dates to dissemble with doncha think? Are you with the MINISTRY OF TRUTH?
My pseudonym here

Nothing like the words "academic," "intellectual" and "influential" to get the know-nothings all angried up.
peter

In clinical terms I believe that is known as cognitive dissonance, believing two mutally exclusive ideas at once. See the Mitchell post above.

I do think though that many of the left/center types are beginning to understand that something doesn't quite add up in their internal narratives. I know it took me nearly ten years to shed my early Marxist indoctrination form University.

When you begin to gore your own sacred cows "the scales fall from your eyes".
http://intensedebate.com/people/Jack_Mitchell Jack Mitchell

Cute reference, except that I'm not dissembling.
http://intensedebate.com/people/TwoYen TwoYen

In the meantime, I'm in no hurry to correct their cognitive dissonance. I actually like Mr. Ignatieff as the leader of the LPC. It makes life easier for the rest of us.

But I think Jack Mitchell has it right. He's a celebrity intellectual rather than an academic. Still don't know what that means in terms of how smart he is.
Blues Clair

No kidding, the further Ignatieff slides on Foreign Policy’s list of global thinkers, the more electable he'll become.
peter

I'm seeing a CBC series here, "celebrity intellectuals" are paired with academics to debate moot points and "visioneer" a brave new world where they will " prove the relevance of academia — and big ideas — in politics. " (sorry I just couln't resist)
http://intensedebate.com/people/psiclone psiclone

4 days ago = OTTAWA, Nov 26 (Reuters) – Canada's governing Conservative Party has maintained a 10-point lead in popular support despite intense opposition attacks over its handling of Afghan detainees, a large poll released on Thursday showed.The Ekos poll showed Conservative support up slightly to 36.9 percent from 36.6 percent two weeks earlier, and the Liberal Party, the biggest opposition party, up to 27.1 percent from 26.6 percent."The Conservatives' strength is very solid," Ekos President Frank Graves said
http://intensedebate.com/people/psiclone psiclone

canadians appear to have resolved the dissonance = 4 days ago = OTTAWA, Nov 26 (Reuters) – Canada's governing Conservative Party has maintained a 10-point lead in popular support despite intense opposition attacks over its handling of Afghan detainees, a large poll released on Thursday showed.The Ekos poll showed Conservative support up slightly to 36.9 percent from 36.6 percent two weeks earlier, and the Liberal Party, the biggest opposition party, up to 27.1 percent from 26.6 percent."The Conservatives' strength is very solid," Ekos President Frank Graves said
Dee

Most academics are irrelevant to the Conservatives, unless they work in the political science department at the University of Calgary. The Cons go out of their way to completely ignore academic research on criminology, economics, climate change, foreign affairs, …
http://intensedebate.com/people/Jack_Mitchell Jack Mitchell

Couldn't resist looking like a total oaf?
http://intensedebate.com/people/SisyphusThis SisyphusThis

And the sequel – Stupid People Really Like Stupid People ! (sorry, I couldn't resist).
peter

Better re-think your logo sis, you're pushing your boulder to the right:)
My pseudonym here

Is The Globe still deleting your comments?
My pseudonym here

"I know it took me nearly ten years to shed my early Marxist indoctrination form University."

How much longer to the rest of us have to suffer from you guys and your slacking off at university?
peter

At least until you graduate from York/U of R/SFU. Almost sound like kcm has a new handle…
peter

With Copenhagen fast approaching we can only hope they keep it up.
http://intensedebate.com/people/DZulu Dave Z.

I don't think you can call Tom Flanagan a serious academic when his main job these days seems to be the designated government apologist. It's a sad day when a "conservative" thinker promotes using taxpayers' money for partisan advertisement.
http://intensedebate.com/people/Jack_Mitchell Jack Mitchell

He's the only man in the CPC who doesn't need or want a Senate seat.
Dee

Yeah peter, it sure pays off to ignore very intelligent people who have spent a lot of time thinking about difficult problems. Sheesh.
http://intensedebate.com/people/TwoYen TwoYen

Hey, not so fast. My Liberal friends still believe it.