Daily Archives: April 28, 2017

Harvey Mansfield likes to say that the job of modern conservatism is to save liberalism from liberals. The educational corollary is that conservatives are the only people who can save the liberal arts from liberalism, which has done its best to ruin them. The post-modern left now dominates the traditional liberal arts disciplines, and wonders why fewer and fewer students want to major in any of those fields any more.

The Wall Street Journal reported last week:

The number of humanities degrees declined by almost 9% between 2012 and 2014, according to a 2016 analysis from the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. That led to a drop in humanities share of all bachelors degrees to 6.1% in 2014, the lowest level since record-keeping began in 1948.

Undergraduate students are opting instead for programs leading to jobs in homeland security, parks and recreation and health care. As a percentage of all bachelors degrees, those three disciplines jumped to 17% in 2015 from 9% in 2005, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

I cant argue against practicality, especially with the high cost of universities today (also the fault of liberalism). But on the other hand, there is a use for people training properly in the liberal arts. Just ask the Israelis:

Mossad looking to hire humanities majors

Liberal arts majors can finally stick it to all those naysayers who said their degrees had no employment prospects Israels Mossad spy agency is hiring.

According to a post on the Mossads website, the agency is looking for candidates for intelligence officers with at least a bachelors degree in philosophy, history, law or communications, as well as political science, international relations, Middle Eastern studies, security studies, conflict management and resolution, economics, communications, business management or any of the exact sciences.

The Mossad describes the position as a challenging and influential role at the heart of the organizations activity, that includes responsibilities over producing intelligence reports, formulating intelligence and operational recommendations and turning them into reality.

I doubt theyll want to hire people marinated in postmodern nonsense. My interview screen would be simple: Give me five minutes on Thucydides.

The rest is here:

Can the Liberal Arts Be Saved? - Power Line (blog)

A month after Malcolm Turnbull rolled Tony Abbott for the prime ministership, there was another coupin the Liberal Party.

The scene was Paddington, the affluent suburb in Sydney's eastern suburbs inTurnbull's electorate of Wentworth.

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Ahead of the release of a report into the 2016 election, where the Liberal Party scraped home, the party's director Tony Nutt has resigned.

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Police report that a missing boy, taken from a Brisbane hospital, has been found in Newcastle.

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The 17-year-old has been charged with 74 offences over a series of school bomb threats across three states. Courtesy Seven News Melbourne.

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Police provide details of a missing boy taken from a Brisbane hospital.

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Long-time friend Mark Soper reads out a eulogy Andrew Chan wrote about himself before his execution in Indonesia.

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The Federal Police admit to illegally accessing a journalist's metadata while investigating allegations of an internal leak.

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The government now says it can't guarantee gas prices, a day after the Prime Minister said they should be halved.

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With ANZ, NAB, MQG and WBC all reporting earnings in the days ahead, will the numbers and outlook breathe further life into a sector that is clearly outperforming. (This video was produced in commercial partnership between Fairfax Media and IG Markets).

Ahead of the release of a report into the 2016 election, where the Liberal Party scraped home, the party's director Tony Nutt has resigned.

Turnbull's son-in-law James Brown, an armyveteran turned academic, seized control of the Liberals' Paddington branch from long-time president and Woollahra councillorPeter Cavanagh.

Working with Brown behind the scenes was his close friend Andrew Bragg, a fellow branch member.

"I know he was backing James," Cavanagh said."Ibelieve he helped him to getpeople to turn up and vote."

Last Friday, the Liberal Party announced Bragg as the party's acting federal director following the resignation of stalwart Tony Nutt.

Unless something goes wrong duringhis probation, Bragg is expected to receive a permanent appointment inthe middle of the year.

That would put the little-known 32-year-old who has never run a state or federal election campaign in charge of theLiberals' organisational wing at one of the most challenging times in its history.

A damningofficial review of the last federal election campaign found the Liberals were comprehensively outgunned by Labor. The party's finances were so dire that Turnbull had to tip in almost $2 million of his own money to keep the campaign afloat. And the Liberals aretrailing in the polls, withBill Shorten increasingly confidentof winningthe next election.

The Liberal Party needs a hero andis set to turn to Bragg.

"People were a bit shocked," an insider close to Bragg said of his appointment.

"Everyone agrees we ran a terrible campaign in 2016 so it seems bizarre to put in someone without any nuts and bolts campaign experience.

"Not everyone thinks it was a wise decision."

Bragg's resume looks thin compared to his predecessors. When Brian Loughnane took the job he had beenchief-of-staff to two Liberal leaders and run the Victorian division of the party.Lynton Crosby had run the Queensland division. Andrew Robb had led the powerful National Farmers Federation and served as deputy federal director.

Bragg, by contrast, worked in senior policy roles at the Financial Services Council for seven years before joining the Liberal-aligned Menzies Research Centre as policy director.

"He's been considered more as a think-tank guy than a campaign director," a Liberal MP said. "But there was an absence of other candidates."

Federal directors are only chosen withthe blessing of the prime minister and that'strue of Bragg.

"The PM trusts Andrew and respects him," a Liberal source said. "He has complete loyalty to the PM and loyalty is important to Malcolm."

For several years Bragg, who declined to comment for this piece,was secretary of the Wentworth Federal Electoral Conference, thefundraising and campaigning vehicle in Turnbull's seat.

As well as being good friends with Brown, he was best man at the wedding of long-time Turnbull staffer David Bold.

While one confidante questions whether Bragg is"too close" to the PM, others point to his allies across the party.

Robb, who conducted the recent election review, is said to back his appointment as well as frontbenchers Josh Frydenberg and Alan Tudge.

Menzies Research Council executive director Nick Cater said: "A lot of people talkthe talk but he actually gets things done.

"He may not have the experience of a party insider but he certainly has the right skill set."

Cater has been impressed by Bragg's organisational skills, framing of policy issues and knowledge of digital media.

Businessman Tony Shepherd, who has worked closely with Bragg, said: "He's dynamic, has tonnes of energy and is strong on policy.

"He's a can-do person who brings a younger perspective to the job."

Bragg grew up in Shepparton in regional Victoria, where he attended the local Catholic school. While other students took gap years to travel overseas, he worked on the floors ofthe local fruit packing and dairy factories to save money to study accounting at the Australian National University in Canberra.

Many close to him express surprise he would take the backroomjob given his obvious ambitions to become a politician. Bragg unsuccessfully ranfor a Senate spot last year before narrowly missing out on preselection for theVictorian seat of Murray.

Victorian senator James Paterson, who entered the Senate at28, said Bragg is a "great liberal intellectual" who will one day enter Parliament.

"It's terrific to see the party place its trust and faith in a young person with ideas, energy and creativity," he said.

Another Liberal source, without excess optimism, said: "If we win the next election he can have a Senate seat in any state he wants."

More here:

Andrew Bragg: Can an inexperienced 32-year-old save the Liberal Party? - The Sydney Morning Herald

Another strong indication that Premier Stephen McNeil will soon be sending Nova Scotians to the polls is promotional material obtained by CBC News that says May 30 will be election day.

The advertisementwasuploaded to a section ofthe Liberal Party's websitethat is not public facing.

The adshows a relaxed-looking McNeil in an open-collared shirt posed next to the slogan "Bulding on a Stronger Nova Scotia." Building is misspelled but the image carries a second message: "On May 30th vote Liberal."

A videotaped, minute-long advertisement was also uploaded to the Liberal Party'sYouTubechannel. Itwas viewable on Friday, but quickly became unavailable.

"I know it hasn't always been easy. But we're stronger now than we were four years ago," McNeil says in the ad, wearing the same clothing as the other promotional material.

"So let's keep building on a province with opportunity for everyone. Let's keep building on a stronger Nova Scotia, together."

The ad ends with another voice: "On May 30th, vote Liberal."

The premier refused to confirm the election date when questioned by reporters on his way to a reception in honour of J.J. Grant, the outgoing lieutenant-governor of Nova Scotia.

"You saw an ad that was a mock-up of an ad," he told reporters. "I wouldn't read too much into it. As you could tell it didn't even go through spellcheck."

"There's a number of stuff that obviously the campaign has been doing but I wouldn't read too much into it."

Asked to confirm the date of the vote,McNeil suggested the May 30 date was only one of a numberbeing contemplated.

"Well there was a number of dates, some in and around now. Some are much later in the year."

Nova Scotia's election law states that the minimum length for a campaign is 30 days. McNeil has repeatedly said he is going home to Upper Granville, N.S., for the weekend, but has refused to say whether he willreturn to Halifax to call the election.

If McNeilwere to visit with Lt.-Gov. J.J. Grant on Sunday to ask him to dissolve the current House, the May 30 vote would come exactly 30 days later, within the prescribed minimum campaign length.

Opposition LeaderJamie Bailliesaid the campaign material gaffe wasn't funny.

"This is what happens when a premier concocts a scenario where he pretends it's a real budget and he's really beenplotting for an election all along," the PC MLAsaid Friday.

The budget and any other bills currently before the House will die on the order paper when the House is dissolved and the election campaign starts.

Read this article:

Liberal promotional material points to May 30 election - CBC.ca