Re the "War on Expertise" ..

We here in Queensland Australia had a Premier (a peanut grower) who was a classic anti-intellectual.

When he accepted the Honary Doctorate from the University of Queensland, I was there. Funny how the papers called it a riot! The TV pictures that showed the crowd swarming around him on his entrance to the great hall missed one thing - the protestors had walked away from the entrance on cue from the leaders, so the only people in the crowd were police, reporters, plain clothes police, and the infamous "Special Branch" - who were only not wearing a brownshirt as part of their uniform because Joh was eventually convinced that this might be misunderstood by those who had studied history!

He was eventually persuaded by public opinion to retire (we do have elections!) after much Public Fuss and the resultant Fitzgerald Enquiry. But he was in power for over a decade.

He now (2 decades later) is allegedly trying to sue the Qld State Government for defamation and damages because he was shamed into selling some of his Mining shares at a loss, in light of the profits they sunsequently made...

Robin