Paragraph 7, line one of my piece: "Majors in American Studies already exist at Melbourne, ANU and Flinders"

Three majors in only 3 states out of 38 universities. Gee I wouldn't want to see an area study that was struggling.
Brian Costar

To restate the obvious - American Studies is a multidisciplinary field. A major in American Studies is just one facet of teaching on the United States. My own university is only one of many with significant offerings of courses devoted to the United States that does not currently offer a major in American Studies. To use only the number of institutions offering majors in American Studies to measure the strength of teaching on the United States is to offer (yet another) misleading characterization of what is happening in Australian universities.

So Brian, why are you so determined to misrepresent American studies in Australia? I'm still waiting to hear how undermining the academic field can be reconciled with your avowed concern that the US Studies Centre could become a propoganda vehicle.

Stephen,
Don't you know the meaning of 'ad hominen'?
Brian

Where is the ad hominem attack Brian? I'm asking you to justify your position, to explain your argument, such as it is. Why not just answer my question?

All right I give up. American Studies flourishes in Australia like the proverbial bay tree-- along with Pacific studies South and East Asian Studies, Middle East Studies and all the other area studies we used to be good at.

I have it on good authority that the American Studies Centre will be awarded to the University of Vulcania. Some faculty have all ready been approached.
Patron--Prof Leo Strauss (dec)
President--Prof Dick Cheney ( he gets the top job at last)
Dean Of Rhetoric--Prof George W Bush
Dean of Business Ethics--Prof Jack Abramoff
Dean of Political Science-- Prof Tom de Lay
Dean of Science-- Emeritus Prof Billy Graham

God! It will be magnificent
Brian Costar