When Lewis Elton, professor of higher education at University College London and staunch opponent of the research assessment exercise, called on academics to join him on the barricades at a meeting, they appeared reticent. Rather than cheer him on and shout "down with the RAE", the other professors merely sniggered at the examples of RAE absurdities he provided. This frustrated Professor Elton enormously. "Don't laugh, it's not funny," he snapped.
Perhaps they are too despondent to take up arms. One academic recommended that professors talk students out of an academic career by telling them what it's really like.