[Cicero]

I couldn't agree more. Academia is an abysmal mess, an unbelievable mess.

But how are you going to fix it when they are all turning out clones of themselves from graduate programs, and hiring clones of themselves as new colleagues?

I've seen departments put into receivership they were so lousy, and the committees brought in to do the hiring for them STILL couldn't manage to hire anyone decent. That happened at Harvard, it happened at Columbia, it happened at Duke after Stanley Fish left and the new guys made things even worse. I don't see this changing any time soon.

[Steely Tom]

But how are you going to fix it when they are all turning out clones of themselves from graduate programs, and hiring clones of themselves as new colleagues?

Ahhh... You might be looking at a big part of the fix, right at this very moment.

(steely)