Generation A

Just listened to an excellent interview with Douglas Copeland , regarding his new book, Generation A. He talked about how the printed word turned us into individuals, opening the door for Freud and Marx (bit of irony there). Think about all the hours most of us have spent alone, with books.
Earlier, I heard an ad from the sessional faculty at U of T, begging us to call the provost and tell him to start paying them more than $15,000 a year each for teaching 30 percent of the student body. Most have PhDs. The ad validated my decision to leave graduate school in 1970 because I felt stuck in a feudal institution based on sucking up to arrogant professors who could destroy you for no reason whatsoever. Think about it. If these students weren't hoping for tenure, they would tell the university to take those jobs and shove them. There would be no need to strike. Graduate students are powerless, and they accept that servitude for the promise of long term reward. Imagine an entire group of contract faculty quitting in the middle of the school year. Walking out with no intention of coming back. Unlike York, which locked out the students for almost an entire semester, the UofT would have no alternative but to hire a new group of feudal teaching peasants. Call the U of T provost, but call the Sessional Bargaining group and tell them to grow some backbone.