With no intention of offending any of my Marxist colleagues by the question, I ask if it is possible that David Brett is a rather too-literal-minded Marxist flexing his bureaucratic muscle?
In my first teaching job, the office next door was that of a Marxian colleague in the Government Department. One afternoon I was returning to my office from class and paused briefly to say "Hello" as I passed Bill's door. He said that he had been looking over the next semester's course offerings and noticed that I was to be teaching one course titled "Economic History" and another titled "History of Economic Thought."
"Why, yes I am," I replied.
"I don't understand this," Bill said. "Aren't they both the same thing?"
This led to a good laugh for the two of us, in contrast to what seems to be happening Down Under.
Sam Bostaph