I disagree the universities are more influenced by the money men more than any other public institution except for health.
User pays and student loans are prime examples of the right wing control of education.

The accusation that Left influence in education is dangerous is to greatly overstate the matter.

Education has been tainted with the Left label since Adam was a pup and it does not seem, unfortunately, to have done much 'damage' if the rise of the Right is any indicator.

When even our ALP fosters right wing domestic and global policies I don't think we should be running under our beds just yet. Who would have expected a Labor government to bring in schemes like HECS (even though the Libs perverted it further) or to privatise energy, telecommunications and our Commonwealth Bank. And who continue to foster a system that sees a further widening of the gap between the rich and the poor.

And yet the McCarthy lot are still lurking in the shadows looking for any hint of 'leftist' policy when the evidence is staring us in the face that the extreme Right wing path we have chosen is self-destructive, wasteful and grossly inequitable.

Pelican

I have been asking myself the same questions.

If there was any truth to the rumour that our universities are extreme left, producing only 'femi-nazis'.

Where are all the gulags presided over by female commandants?

Nary a one to be seen.

Instead all our public utilities are sold off, education becomes a privilege, health & dental services are for the wealthy, there is no ratio to the salaries of CEO's compared to their employees.

There'd be no issue with multi-culturalism, nor with women's reproductive rights.

Nor would there be this constant confusion of socialism with communism - another little far-right obfuscation.

Further, if there was an short-term dollar to be made in alternative industries, we'd be on our way to clean and sustainable practices. However, that requires long-term thinking, not a characteristic of neo-cons.

beefyboy
"There is no left" you have right! The whole system moved to the right. If you check the results of European elections last week, you will see that sosialists, socialidemocrats and labour parties was the big losers. And if you check each one socialist party you will see that the parties who moved far right as the OK labor party, or the socildemocratic party in Germany which has cooperated with conservatives (coalision government) they had the bigger loses.
In Greece the socialist party moved litle to the left with the slogan "Socialism or barbarity" and they was the Only? and big winers of the socialists in European elections.
All my life I was member from socialist parties, (not communists) but in Australia I avoid to become member of the labour party, they seemed to me conservative, I will feel like a left from an other planet!
I do not know the synthesis of ALP but I think there are more businessmen than labors. I do not speak for the unions as they controled from the ALP and Union Officcers act as employees from the ALP.
If anyone is from Adelaide and is member from ALP I want more information to see if there is any space in it for me! BUT I AM A CANIBAL, I DO NOT SMILE FOR NO REASON AND I AM NOT A YESMAN! I NEVER BELONG TO WINGS, I HAVE MY OWN IDEAS AND MAY BE AGREE WITH LEFTS ON ONE ISSUE AND WITH RIGHTS IN AN OTHER ISSUE, I PREFER TO USE MY BRAIN THAN THE LABELS AND WINGS! I am a democrat, deep democrat, I stand by people in need, migrants, women, old people, youth, sole parents, working families, fabrics, national companies, protect and control our national wealth as minerals etc, Socialism for me is compination of many political acts-values as social justice and democracy, peace and international law, understanding and cooperation with people from different races, religious etc on the base of mutual respect and benefits, etc
Antonios Symeonakis
Adelaide
my email asymeonakis@hotmail.com write from ALP
Antonios Symeonakis
Adelaide

Why don't those who hate capitalism so much give away what they have and go live in North Korea, China or Russia? Me think people totally fool themselves. They get to a level of comfort usually through hard work and then become ideological. The greed and lust in peoples hearts does not come from the system they grow up in. It comes from their own corrupt hearts. The moment people living under Communist regimes get an opportunity for capitalism they run to it. I would think most Westerners share more of their wealth with the unfortunate ones than most rich Arabs or Hindus.

Runner
your argument is a bit tired and reeks of reds under our beds mentality
North Korea is more a right wing dictatorship than a socialist state for the people.

The model I would prefer to copy is on the lines of Scandinavian social democracy.