Why give her oxygen?Germaine has to say something contraversial to get attention.She is a sad,lonely twisted individual.Let her slip silently into obscurity.

That's where you're wrong on this Arjay. Germaine Greer is a quite brilliant Australian who has never quite "got" Indigenous Australia, despite her best efforts - albeit from the perspective of Oxford, which probably explains how badly wrong she gets it.

While it's something of an Aussie wingnut mantra to slag off Germs, she is anything but a "sad,lonely twisted individual". Anybody who watched Q&A last week would have to attest to the fact that she remains a vibrant and attractive Aussie intellectual woman. That she sometimes gets it wrong amounts to little - show me one Australian public intellectual who hasn't put their foot in it lately.

Now that I think of it - would OLOers care to nominate an Australian public intellectual who hasn't made an arse of themselves - say, in the past two years? If we get enough nominees I could run a book ;)

CJ Morgan,

I agree that Greer is a brilliant person and is probably trying to make a real difference. However, her real problem is that she's so far ahead of the pack that it's almost of no consequence to anyone else what she says, whether she's right or wrong.

I think the public intellectual in its current form is on its last legs unless the ordinary citizens can fill the gap between them and the intellectuals.

"I think the public intellectual in its current form is on its last legs.."

Who needs public intellectuals? As an average Aussie on the street, I'd much prefer to listen to what our olympian and other sporting champions have to say. Winning gold is far more important than the concept of nurturing an informed populace. Haven't you figured that out yet, Rob and CJ? Go Australia! Aussie Aussie Aussie! Oi Oi Oi!

Marcia and others
I spent my formative years living, playing and learning with an indigenous communities albeit PNG and after seeing her On Q&A I too think what she had to say was meaningful and productive.

As for her book I haven’t read it yet so I can’t comment other that in principle. You appear a little over sensitive to the idea that there IS a problem that white perspectives simply don’t understand.

I think it’s fair to say that to the Eurocentric rationale the indigenous life coda is unintelligible and largely incomprehensible. Therefore the same applies for the other side, even more so particularly since they have no concept of the search for God or meaning in the way We do. Those sorts of issues just are. As a consequence they have never developed a sense of philosophic reasoning, abstraction in our sense even superlative they simply have no need for them.

Without these tools and the language, understanding and therefore total integration as such is a tortuous and personal affair. The best outcome would be the ability to live in two worlds. Like all people there are those who are more capable of this giant cultural leap than others.

Imagine mandating lectures on "the applicability of Nietzsche’s ‘effective History’ in the 21st century”? Most Aussies wouldn’t understand the topic or care. “Why do I need that crap?”, they understand their world. One can only image the ensuing resentment and or rage. Now if we were conquered by ET and his millions who took OUR land and demanded WE adopt their alien psyche?

It strikes me as (steroidal) hypocritical arrogance to expect/demand the indigenous community to understand our “gobbledy gook” and fall into line without monumental problems. (bordering on Cultural Genocide)

Given who Prof Greer it writing FOR I think this article misses the point.
Neither I or the Prof have it all right but in essence HER concepts need closer examination.

PS Concern for others has bugger all to do with wing's (thinking) right,left or otherwise.

Firstly, Greer is not only a brilliant woman but also an honest critic even of herself. Greer comes across as more self-effacing rather than someone who wishes to grab the spotlight.

Greer's rage idea cannot be too easily dismissed. There are similar parallels throughout history. The Irish for one and the effect of disenfranchisement on Irish men, subsequent alcohol abuse and the impact on families.