[JaredMilne]

One thing I've noticed in studying political history in Canada is how many political science professors get involved in the political process. I don't know if this is a phenomenon unique to Canada, or if it happens in other countries as well.

Another element I find fascinating is how left-wing professors often run for office as candidates, while most of the right-wing professors tend to get involved behind the scenes. We've had noteworthy professors like Charles Taylor and Michael Byers run for the NDP, while Stéphane Dion and Pierre Trudeau have both run for the Liberals. Lester Pearson is a borderline example, since he taught history early in his career before he joined the public service.

When it comes to right wing professors, on the other hand, Tom Flanagan worked as a campaign director for the federal Conservative party, and Ian Brodie served as Stephen Harper's first chief of staff after Harper took office in 2006. In Quebec, Guy Laforest was instrumental in developing the Action Democratique du Quebec, which was the most right-wing major party in Quebec politics until it eventually merged with the Centre d'Action du Quebec. Ted Morton was something of an exception, as he ran for the Alberta PC party and served as a Cabinet minister.

Does anybody think that there's anything to this tendency? I mean, is there any reason for right wing professors to tend to work behind the scenes, while left wing professors run for office themselves? I'm not saying one approach is necessarily good or bad, but I do find it curious.

[N_Fiddledog]

Just going by an impression isn't there a tendency amongst left leaning thinkers to favor rule by an intellectually elite?

[Public_Domain]

[raydan]

Getting ruled by intelligent people... how stupid is that?

[andyt]

N_Fiddledog N_Fiddledog:

Just going by an impression isn't there a tendency amongst left leaning thinkers to favor rule by an intellectually elite?

That would indicate that right leaning thinkers favor a rule by ignoramuses. But with money.

[Thanos]

raydan raydan:

Getting ruled by intelligent people... how stupid is that?

Because being ruled by people who are incapable of getting a job outside of a university's political science department would be really stupid, Bad enough being ruled by lawyers. Adding university professors into the mix would make it even worse.

[Jonny_C]

raydan raydan:

Getting ruled by intelligent people... how stupid is that?

There's a big difference between intelligent and wise.

[raydan]

Jonny_C Jonny_C:

raydan raydan:

Getting ruled by intelligent people... how stupid is that?

There's a big difference between intelligent and wise.

So I vote for a wise idiot next time... got it.

[JaredMilne]

raydan raydan:

Jonny_C Jonny_C:

raydan raydan:

Getting ruled by intelligent people... how stupid is that?

There's a big difference between intelligent and wise.

So I vote for a wise idiot next time... got it.

Wise fools were a recurring character type in Shakespeare's plays. Court jesters, or "fools", as they were known, often made very witty or clever insights that the more noble characters missed.

Maybe we need more circus clowns running for office?

[andyt]

Yes. Like one that says he will deal with the increase in unreported crime by lengthening prison sentences. Or the ne plus ultra "if we were going to have a recession we would have had it by now."

[Thanos]

What makes anyone think university professors are more wise than anyone else in our society? If any of them endorse or work for any political party then all it shows is that they're as subject to bias and error as much as any other person is. That too many of them will punitively grade students that don't agree with their own personal opinions shows that they're no different from any other ideologue and, by default, shouldn't be trusted as some kind of infallible authority.

[raydan]

Let's face it, a lot of people argue that politics should not be a popularity contest where we vote for the one that looks or talks the nicest... now we're saying that intelligence is not OK either.


I'm confused.

[JaredMilne]

andyt andyt:

Yes. Like one that says he will deal with the increase in unreported crime by lengthening prison sentences. Or the ne plus ultra "if we were going to have a recession we would have had it by now."

We have enough of those types of clowns already. They just aren't funny.

[Thanos]

Who said that intelligence wasn't important? All I said was that university types are no more wise, or intelligent, or unbiased, than anyone else in society.

[Jonny_C]

raydan raydan:

Jonny_C Jonny_C:

raydan raydan:

Getting ruled by intelligent people... how stupid is that?

There's a big difference between intelligent and wise.

So I vote for a wise idiot next time... got it.

Either that or an intelligent fool.