I guess there are three things to say...

1) "On the right there has been a demonising of the intelligentsia, which presupposes that this group is an exclusive enclave of the left."

All critics from the right of the left's intelligentsia note (from empirical data) that the voting habits of academics, especially from arts departments, are woefully out of kilter with the rest of society. Most university students will attest to the disproportionate influence that ideas of the political left have (so-called Cultural Marxism or Neo-Marxism... the adaption of Marx's basic narrative of struggle to various things such as labour, colonialism, sexual relations). The demonising of intelligentsia is never absolute, it is not to decrie intellectualism, but rather an attack upon the institutionalised culture of most arts and many government faculties.

The fact that the article reveals this concern about things pertaining to everyday life rather than flights of fancy shows that the "cultural viagras" of the left have been largely subdued.

2) Many politicians, like Howard, Downer, and so on, went to university when it wasn't free. A considerable proportion understand by experience what a full-fee degree entails.

3) Politics is not meant to be exciting or enjoyable, it's a civic duty to help in the running and administration of the polis. Exciting politics is often just smoke and mirrors. The most important aspects of government - balancing budgets, managing public servants and creating/reviewing policy - are not too interesting.

With politics you can't bring to mountain to Muhommad, you must bring Muhommad to the mountain. The political system is there for anyone to partake in, it's a matter of them choosing to do so. Blaming politicians is pointless because it's not their fault. Whilst it would be nice to have more state parliament on television, perhaps using ABC2 to get some Bear-Pit action seen would increase engagement, you can't really ask for more without placing too high a burden on our public officials... to do their jobs and put on a show at the same time.

So Charlie, you basically think this lifestyle you enjoy was all "heaven sent" how ignorant of you, in decades gone people fought long and hard to put people like you on easy street, and don't you forget it.

If ever there was a white flag from the left I guess that was it..

"...the voting habits of academics, especially from arts departments, are woefully out of kilter with the rest of society."

Interesting that you take this as an indication that academics are "wrong". Worldwide, the data show that the more educated a citizen is, the more likely they are to vote left-of-centre.

That's not due to the trashy conservative conspiracy theory about Marxist-feminist-environmentalists dominating education, it's because education allows people to view the world rationally and in a broad context, rather than through the prism of their own tightly-held prejudices.

People fought and died to protect the way of life we have, but people also had to think and analyse and debate in order to create our civil society in the first place. Before you condemn intellectuals and academics, take a look to the middle east and west Africa to see what society looks like without them.

No white flags here, merely the truth. The young have the benefits from our toil, and are either ignorant or ungrateful enough not to acknowledge where their lifestyle came from.

Then they say we are wealthy, which many of are not, we just did what they are too afraid to do, stand together to improve our families lives.

"The environment is still seen as an issue of the left despite almost unanimous concern across our society."

...yet the right didn't acknowledge the problem until a dollar value was attached to it.

"Most Australians opposed, and still oppose, the Iraq adventure..." This despite a fair amount of exclusively right-wing media commentary still in support (can you believe it?)

"Our concerns are not manifest via activism, protest or anything overtly political..."

Yep, tried that. Doesn't work. The largest public demonstration in a generation hit the streets saying 'no war' - only to be dismissed by our rightwing PM as "the mob".

The author is perhaps indicative of the majority of young voters today - mostly worried about "the mortgage or rent payments, the cost and availability of health care, child-care and education, crime and conflict in our society, and how much time we can spend with our families and friends."

Well, we get the government we deserve, then.