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THUMB DEPLOYED

Bad news for the University of Wollongong: if elected, Labor leader Kevin Rudd will demand higher educational standards.

(Rudd’s new TV ad is also notable for the powerful gesture accompanying his latest weird phrase addiction.)

Posted by Tim B. on 01/24/2007 at 11:23 AM
  1. Kevin “the back door man” Rudd? A rather unexpected image for a prime ministerial aspirant to choose.

    Posted by Burbank on 2007 01 24 at 12:04 PM • permalink

  2. Given previous evidence of what passes for writing that merits recognition at U of W, I imagine requiring ANY educational standards at all will cause them trouble.

    Posted by Not My Problem on 2007 01 24 at 12:50 PM • permalink

  3. Amazingly, Rudd uses “out the back door”. Negative.
    Howard can turn this around to “through the front door”. Positive.

    Rudd obviously didn’t consult his new media guru McKew on this one.

    Posted by Bonmot on 2007 01 24 at 04:00 PM • permalink

  4. The rot in the social sciences and humanities starts at the top. The politicisation of the faculties started so long ago that you have to be over 50 to know when it was different. Since about 1975 it was just accepted that this is the way things are supposed to be.

    How has it become possible for what is effectively an extended political pamphlet [A book called “Us and Them”] to pass as an addition to scholarship, with the blessing of the Academy of Social Sciences and the National Institute for Social Sciences and Law?

    Three factors appear to be at work.

    First, the lamentable standard of scholarship in much of the social sciences and humanities, despite the explosion of activity in the last half century.

    Second, the politicization of large tracts of the social sciences and humanities.

    Third, a shift in the progressive political program from economics and equality to a whole range of issues, and with it, an overwhelming tone of moral snobbery.

    These processes have gone on without adequate reporting because it was not in interests of anyone close to the action to do so.

    Posted by Rafe on 2007 01 24 at 04:03 PM • permalink

  5. #3 Bonmot

    Rudd obviously didn’t consult his new media guru McKew on this one.

    Hmmm ... maybe he did.

    Posted by Wand on 2007 01 24 at 04:10 PM • permalink

  6. This is a leaked copy of another proposed ad.
    From campaign notes by “Tiny” Kim; to the tune of Tiptoe Through the Tulips with ukelele accompaniment:

    Tiptoe to the back door,
    By the back door, that is where I’ll be;
    Throw the fair go out the backdoor with me.
    Knee deep in bullshit we’ll play,
    We’ll keep the voters away,
    And if I miss you on the hustings, in the leadup
    To next polling day
    Just throw a fair go out the back door, okay?

    Oh, tiptoe from the garden,
    From the garden of the knowledge tree,
    Chuck a Local Branch out the backdoor, with me.

    Posted by blogstrop on 2007 01 24 at 04:47 PM • permalink

  7. No, no, they don’t want to “throw fairness out the back door.” They plan on killing it and burying it in the crawl space under the front porch. Near the fork.

    Posted by paco on 2007 01 24 at 04:50 PM • permalink

  8. Near the fork.

    I thought the fork was in the road.

    Posted by RebeccaH on 2007 01 24 at 05:07 PM • permalink

  9. #8: It was, but they couldn’t find a shovel to dig the hole under the porch to put the fairness in, so they used the fork, and then left it there. They put a spoon in the road to throw people off, but we be too smart and crafty to fall for that.

    Posted by paco on 2007 01 24 at 05:11 PM • permalink

  10. Raise the bar in Education?

    It’s the teachers who are so ego orientated that fail to see the system has failed because of them.

    F- teachers and academics…


    Today’s Australia day has been sponsored by:

    “Islamic-Australian pensioners Insurance agency” for over 55 year old Jihads.

    :“Islamb the real meat Corporation”

    “The Big Riot Day out”

    “White girls Called Convicts Bikinis babes Ptd Ltd”

    Oh, and Blair News, it’s gutsy and it’s good!!


    xxx timb

    Posted by 1.618 on 2007 01 24 at 05:29 PM • permalink

  11. OT.. I see John Kerry has given up on being the Pres.  He has cut and run again.

    Posted by curious george on 2007 01 24 at 06:06 PM • permalink

  12. Are you holding an uncovered-meat barbeque, too, 1.618?

    Posted by andycanuck on 2007 01 24 at 06:52 PM • permalink

  13. Rudd is right, fairness should not be thrown out the back door. It should be cleaned, folded till it is flat, and neatly and carefully put out the front in the recycling bin set aside specifically for social qualities.

    It can then be recycled as other qualities such as limitless tolerance, instead of ending up as landfill. Recklessly discarded fairness makes Gaia cry.

    Think people.

    Posted by Penguin on 2007 01 24 at 07:04 PM • permalink

  14. Clearly Rudd is dog-whistling for the NIMBY vote with his new catchcry.

    Posted by anthony_r on 2007 01 24 at 07:32 PM • permalink

  15. OT:  Was just in Graf Ave West Ryde and the Physio (opp Library) has “Free David Hicks” “Enough is Enough” displayed in his window.

    Think its time to boycott any traitorous business that displays this.

    Scumbags!

    Posted by ozconservative on 2007 01 24 at 07:36 PM • permalink

  16. #13 It can then be recycled as other qualities such as limitless tolerance, instead of ending up as landfill.

    Don’t forget the clichéd platitudes.  How would we maintain our supply of clichéd platitudes, otherwise?

    Posted by RebeccaH on 2007 01 24 at 08:43 PM • permalink

  17. #13: You’ve shamed me, Penguin. I’m going to bundle up my fairness and put it out in the recycle bin, with the old newspapers and the milk cartons. Together, we can throw away a better world.

    Posted by paco on 2007 01 24 at 08:44 PM • permalink

  18. #17 Paco.

    Next, we will move on to recycling thoughts and emotions.

    *sigh* “My ennui feels like it consists mainly of pre-endured frustration mixed with concern for the plight of spotted badger.”

    Posted by Penguin on 2007 01 24 at 09:07 PM • permalink

  19. O/T This bloke should do a stint in Oz and Canada. Especially watch the vids.

    Posted by Wimpy Canadian on 2007 01 24 at 09:11 PM • permalink

  20. “Max Rudder to the Left ... Fairgo overboard!”

    Posted by egg_ on 2007 01 24 at 10:39 PM • permalink

  21. I would not believe a Labor Leader when he says, that he wants ‘higher education standards’. It’s thanks to Labor under Whitlam, that all the rot started coming in. After all, I would think the Teachers Union would support Rudd, ergo, you have a leader already at the behest of his supporters. No, I think Rudd’s higher education will be something where meaningless words and titles for graduates will be the order of the day. The rest will all be schlock. Really, only more of “The Elevator” rubbish.

    Posted by BJM on 2007 01 24 at 10:41 PM • permalink

  22. ;)

    Andy, I didn’t win the bbq price.

    However, an uncovered meat pool party sounds a goer!

    Posted by 1.618 on 2007 01 24 at 10:43 PM • permalink

  23. #7
    No, no, they don’t want to “throw fairness out the back door.”

    They sent it to the Tannery?

    Posted by egg_ on 2007 01 24 at 10:43 PM • permalink

  24. oops.. prize. sighs…....

    Posted by 1.618 on 2007 01 24 at 10:43 PM • permalink

  25. #18: “My ennui feels like it consists mainly of pre-endured frustration mixed with concern for the plight of spotted badger.”

    I think you have to put that kind of thing in clear rice-paper bags.

    Posted by paco on 2007 01 24 at 10:51 PM • permalink

  26. #3
    Rudd obviously didn’t consult his new media guru McKew on this one.

    The Fork-Barrelling commences ...

    “I’ll have the Ham on wry, and bring me a fork!”

    Ruff’s sequel to ‘A Pub With No Beer’ ... ‘A Fridge Too Far’.

    Posted by egg_ on 2007 01 24 at 11:28 PM • permalink

  27. But seriously, Rudderless is getting a bit of a collection going here of slogans that he hopes will stick. I can imagine all the ALP Focus Groups and spin doctors poring over the stats of what has resonance and what doesn’t.
    - Fork in the road
    - Bridge too far
    - Out the back door

    Chuck ‘em all up and see which ones fly. If this bunch turn out to be turkeys he’s got McKew & Co. thinking up a new bunch.

    We mock this sloganeering that the ALP/ACTU go on with but thinking in slogans is what they do best. Coming up with workable policies that won’t bankrupt us is the hard bit.

    Anyway, any of these slogans that get quietly dumped, well, we’re here to remind him aren’t we?

    Posted by Bonmot on 2007 01 25 at 12:14 AM • permalink

  28. Lil’ Johnnie gets the jump again.

    Posted by egg_ on 2007 01 25 at 01:47 AM • permalink

  29. #27 the lefties are into conservation and recycling, so maybe they should drag out these old gems: ‘its time’, ‘knowledge nation’,  ‘bringing home the bacon’ (not for use in lakemba), ‘conga line of suckholes’, ‘quality box’.

    Posted by larrikin on 2007 01 25 at 01:54 AM • permalink

  30. Graham Richardson said in his book “Whatever It Takes” that the first group he visited when proselytising a new area was the teachers.
    The ALP will always throw a bone to the teachers (the youth propaganda wing), the Yarts (the other propaganda wing), the media (pretty close to employed campaign staff) and a morsel to the average worker, who these days cannot be entirely trusted.
    The left of the ALP is only a bee’s dick apart from the loopy Greens and Democraps. Nobody likes them, not even the rest of the ALP.

    Posted by blogstrop on 2007 01 25 at 02:43 AM • permalink

  31. The thumb gesture we all want to see is the one where Rudd pulls it out of his

    Posted by richard mcenroe on 2007 01 25 at 02:44 AM • permalink

  32. #27
    Are these folk ego-centric enough to Google (right-wing) blogs in case their names are mentioned (in vane)?

    Posted by egg_ on 2007 01 25 at 02:54 AM • permalink

  33. julie bishop is on the case

    Posted by KK on 2007 01 25 at 02:56 AM • permalink

  34. and she likes snakes

    Posted by KK on 2007 01 25 at 03:03 AM • permalink

  35. The teacher unions together with the other public sector unions finance and run the ACTU, and the ACTU finances and runs the ALP.
    As has been said many times: new leader, same ALP.

    Posted by chrisgo on 2007 01 25 at 05:09 AM • permalink

  36. In regard to Mr Kevin “I’m a Backdoor Man” Rudd.

    Does anyone remember this song?:
    http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/10296/20010907/www.dot.net.au/_galconv/back door man.mp3

    Posted by The Mild Colonial Boy on 2007 01 25 at 06:19 AM • permalink

  37. Let me try that link again.
    http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/10296/20010907/www.dot.net.au/_galconv/back door man.mp3

    Posted by The Mild Colonial Boy on 2007 01 25 at 06:22 AM • permalink

  38. null

    Posted by The Mild Colonial Boy on 2007 01 25 at 06:23 AM • permalink

  39. I am glad Mr Rudd told us that the State Labor parties cannot be trusted with education or water.

    Mr Howard must be laughing at Rudds stupidity.

    Posted by curious george on 2007 01 25 at 06:38 AM • permalink

  40. #39 - Yes, it seems his big policy might be to abolish the States.

    Posted by boxofmatches on 2007 01 25 at 08:47 AM • permalink

  41. #40 that’s been labor’s agenda since whitlam - remember the grand plan for ‘regional governments’?

    Posted by KK on 2007 01 25 at 10:23 AM • permalink

  42. Pardon ?
    Your prime example of a university which should be worried by a call for higher education standards is the University of Wollongong, the Commonwealth University of the Year, consistantly ranked as one of the 10 best in Australia and in the top 200 in the world ?

    Well there certainly does appear to be a lack of education on this topic.

    Posted by Tank on 2007 01 25 at 10:27 PM • permalink

  43. #42 bwahhahaa.

    Posted by entropy on 2007 01 26 at 01:21 AM • permalink

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