...add to that what has happened to the academy after the collapse of the Communist world: the popularity of Postmodernism, of Cultural Studies... all of which denigrate the study and pursuit of history as a grand narrative. And I think these people are now finding the resurgence of the Empire, and the fact that Bush and his Neo-cons are not scared of parading themselves before the world and saying: "We do this because We can, and We do this because We have to, and it suits Our interests, and that is What Matters". So the Bush Administration coming so nakedly, you know, dropping all of it's clothes and saying: "This is the Empire, naked and strong, love it or hate it, We are here to stay". And this is providing problems for that wing of the academy which had thought it could live in it's own world.
It wanted to be critical, but it was... also desired not to get involved in big debates: politics, history, these were Old Things; they were on to New Things, they would discuss tiny little fragments, tiny little episodes, they would discuss gender, they would discuss identity: these things were far more important. History has shown this is not the case, and that the academy has to become more critical if it's going to move forward...
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