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Australian philosopher, literary critic, legal scholar, and professional writer. Based in Newcastle, NSW. My latest books are THE TYRANNY OF OPINION: CONFORMITY AND THE FUTURE OF LIBERALISM (2019) and AT THE DAWN OF A GREAT TRANSITION: THE QUESTION OF RADICAL ENHANCEMENT (2021).

Friday, April 11, 2008

Another annoying thing about the Australia 2020 conference

Another annoying thing is this. Those of us who hoped to go, but missed out, were given an extremely short time to regroup, after being given the bad news, and to take the alternative route. In this case, the alternative route is to provide a written submission to the conference.

Submissions were due on 9 April and apparently this is being applied strictly. To be fair, I suppose we could all have prepared written submissions just in case, but we're busy people - at least I am - and it would be nice to know what ground rules to follow.

Anyway, I was stretched far too thin to meet that deadline. I imagine that a lot of people didn't even try: anyone who has serious pretensions to go to a conference like this is going to be a busy person.

In my spare moments (ha!) I have actually managed to put something together which at least summarises what I would have liked to have said to the conference ... or to have included in a written submission. If anyone is interested in this, you only have to ask for a copy. I can't think of what else I should do with it. Maybe save it as my response for when some sort of report emerges from the conference?

I guess the "second thousand" will eventually get our chance to have a say.

4 comments:

Brian said...

Hi Russell. Maybe post it somewhere online for all to see the breadth of your view :)

So, you're in the second thousand? If you just poison or otherwise dispose of a sufficient number in the first thousand you may get upgraded and be invited to the conference. I'm sure it could be justified morally as for the greater good.

I wonder what thousand I'm in? Probably after whatever group Shane Warne and Kath & Kim are part of in any case.....

Anonymous said...

Until catching up with your blog, I never actually considered anyone would take the 2020 conference seriously. I always just considered it to be a political stunt.

I guess my question is: do you actually think that what is discussed at the 2020 conference to influence public policy?

Anonymous said...

You could always contact the ABC. I believe ABC Radio are putting together an alternate 2020 gathering. Not sure what sort of inclusion or discussion they're aiming for, but it maybe worth looking into

Russell Blackford said...

Brian, maybe I'm in the thirteenth thousand. Who knows?

Stuart, I do think that something will come out of it, which is not the same as any one person having much influence on it.

Barelier, hmmm - interesting.

All, well I decided just to go ahead and publish here (and to cross-publish on my Betterhumans blog). The version in my next post will have to do for now.