Saturday 27 November 2010

I predict a riot

Presently, the UK is in chaos. Hazardous snowy weather, jobless millions and a shaky coalition government trying to clean the mess its predecessor left behind.

After years of poor governing and escalating debts, the UK was in obvious need of an overhaul. Drastic cuts, increased taxes and political reform. It was on the cards and yet there was always going to be some who didn't like the hand they were dealt...

A few days ago, thousands stormed the Liberal Democrat headquarters to protest against one such increase -University tuition fees- and the anger of a broken promise. A promise from the Lib Dem leader, Nick Clegg, to scrap those fees completely.

But a seemingly peaceful protest descended into violence. Youths smashed windows with metal implements. A Police Van vandalised, people injured and, eventually, the protest bought to an abrupt end by hundreds of Officers.

Still, they wanted to shout for their cause. One sixth-form student said, '£9,000 a year fees are a joke. For three years, that's £21,000. It's ridiculous.' She's correct. It is ridiculous that after 18 years of education she still doesn't know her times tables.

Reader, I do understand their innumerate frustration. I was a student. I remember the struggle to find the £3,000 per year tuition fees, not to mention the thousands for accommodation and living expenses. University life adds up to one very expensive equation.

And sadly, for most young protesters there, University is not worth the math. They do not want an education. They want an easy ride; 4 lectures per week, booze-filled nights and 40% to pass the year. A three year gap before having to look for work.

But in that crowd, on shards of broken glass, there are those few. Those who articulate their peaceful protest, who have the common sense to know violence is never the answer. They are fuelled by a desire to be more. They want to learn and grow as human beings and show the world their potential.

What happens to them? Amidst the screams of pointless violence, who will hear their voices?

Reader, what say you?

9 comments:

  1. You heard their voices. That's a start. And some of us heard your voice.

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  2. Lou,

    I agree its truly shocking, the betrayal by Clegg, the highjacking of a peaceful protest by those who don't fully understand the implications of what is being proposed and the proposal itself.

    I'm still paying off the loan from my undergraduate...mine wasn't interest free either.

    Hope you've had a good weekend.

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  3. Agreed. I didn't go 2 university because i couldn;t afford it- i only wihed i could have.

    There is always some who hijack a peaceful protest though. It wouldn't be a protest without it.
    -Kate

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  4. It seems that the show has failed to attract the viewers and accumulate TRPs even after the replacement of the female lead. The show is reportedly going off air on December 9, much before completing even six month.

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  5. Thanks for all the comments. I feel like, perhaps, i wrote this post a bit too early, considering all that happened on thursday. I understand the students' annoyance and anger but desecrating our memorials in London is disgraceful. There are no excuses. Such a shame.

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  6. A gathered crowd is a dangerous thing--as I learned here. People are emotional and things get out of hands easily. It takes a lot of self control to have a peaceful protest, which speaks louder than violence.

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  7. I agree that those who wanted to protest peacefully are now lumped in with the rest of the screaming horde, and that's sad. The thing is, as you correctly point out, university 'education' ain't wot it used to be like innit.

    Most degrees these days are utterly bloody pointless wastes of time. Why should the government - taxpayers, rather - fund 75% of school leavers to go and do Media Studies or some such crap for 3 years ? What does the country gain as a result ? Bugger all.

    Time was - in my time, even - that uni degrees were *hard* and you had to be both bright AND bloody determined to graft to get one. I know there are still such courses to this day, but the push to get as many people to 'get a uni education' means pushing more and more idiots and as you say, those looking for a free ride.

    Such people are not going to knuckle down for a 3 year (or longer) slog to do hard stuff like medicine, engineering or the like. Kids are leaving school dumber and dumber thanks to decades of progressive(ly worse) leftist brainwashing, to the point where fewer and fewer kids are able to see the point of studying the complex stuff.

    There is far too much emphasis on having to get a university education anyway. As much as anything, what this country needs now is skilled workers if we're ever to re-establish ourselves as an industrial nation instead of one full of hairdressers and community outreach coordinators.

    The really funny part is so-called anarchists ranting and raving for more government control. The irony is of course lost on them.

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  8. Hello,
    About your grandfather and about life...
    I am 16 years old and my life is a terrible mess,
    your grandpa is no longer there, Mrs.X's husband is no longer there, and Mr and Mrs. P have just become parents to a new soul who has entered this world. I don't believe in God...but then God and Life are the same thing. See... your life changed when he died, but is not your life changing always, and is it not our rampant fear of this change our real problem? Life is like a river and the rainbow is shining onto every bubble in it, and your grandad, he is glittering with everybody and everything. Life is...what it is ...love, fear, insecurity, happiness, fidelty, but it is always there flowing...so go take the winter swim, and swim to the summer and shine up in spring !

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