OK but the 'unanswerable' question was the one I was talking about in the previous post, not the bigger one. And you misunderstand me if you think that I am making a criticism of the question over here in line with others' criticism of the situation over there - I'm not, because I only have others' opinion to go on. It is clear that your view is different to theirs and I am pleased to hear it. I have no personal stake in the matter. I only have observations and I readily admit that my observations of over here are likely to be much more accurate than my observations of over there. 

Not sure I understand your final two sentences below.

Cheers

Tim
  
On 2 Mar 2018, at 16:59, Jaime Robles wrote:

Well, that wasn’t the object of the email, Tim, and frankly I think the questions you pose below are unanswerable.

The object of the email was simply to address the continuing stated and implied belief that Creative Writing programs are part of an established (and conspiratorial?) academic (whatever that means?) system by giving some information about the American academic system, which is not likely known in the UK. There are also many people who make the same criticism about creative writing in US academia that is being made on the list. It’s a question about validity ultimately, but determining validity is based in entirely subjective views of an art form. I’m of the belief that any pursuit and expression of art is valid except Muzak.

The email was also meant to entertain.