A well argued piece.
I've met people who have mastered the art of grantsmanship (sexist term I suppose) and the art of getting down on paper what the journals want.

And you have to have acceptable views. In my case feminism ruled the roost. If your views were feminist then you stood a good chance of success. The feminists praised each others' writings and helped each other publish. Feminists preached the feminist gospel and pity help you if you were a man who disagreed, or a woman who had doubts.

Views of those opposed to the right ideas were ridiculed and authors never mentioned by name: because that would mean more kudos for the authors.

We would have to go back many years before we found people who were valued for their ability to master subjects and teach them to students. Isn't that what universities are for?

And I find there are very few academics these days prepared to be public intellectuals who make useful comments on public affairs. They're all too busy getting grants and getting their journal articles re-crafted to suit the journal editors.