Student Protest

[Arsen]

I think most student protests are a combination of the following factors:

- The inability to grasp the reality behind adult decisions.
- Immaturity.
- A mindset that Rage Against the Machine was/is cool.
- That the hippies in the 1970's were/are role models.

Usually they are half-assed gestures at getting something they otherwise lack a true understanding about.

 

[Shivarage]

I think most student protests are a combination of the following factors:

- The inability to grasp the reality behind adult decisions.
- Immaturity.
- A mindset that Rage Against the Machine was/is cool.
- That the hippies in the 1970's were/are role models.

Usually they are half-assed gestures at getting something they otherwise lack a true understanding about.

so... you think students over 21 (legally adults) are childish and immature?

 

[Arsen]

I think most student protests are a combination of the following factors:

- The inability to grasp the reality behind adult decisions.
- Immaturity.
- A mindset that Rage Against the Machine was/is cool.
- That the hippies in the 1970's were/are role models.

Usually they are half-assed gestures at getting something they otherwise lack a true understanding about.

so... you think students over 21 (legally adults) are childish and immature?

Getting old is one thing. Growing up is optional.

 

[Orcus The Ultimate]

i'm totally with you dude !

 

[Orcus The Ultimate]

I think most student protests are a combination of the following factors:

- The inability to grasp the reality behind adult decisions.
- Immaturity.
- A mindset that Rage Against the Machine was/is cool.
- That the hippies in the 1970's were/are role models.

Usually they are half-assed gestures at getting something they otherwise lack a true understanding about.

so... you think students over 21 (legally adults) are childish and immature?

Getting old is one thing. Growing up is optional.

This should be in a motivational picture...

 

[Valenza]

It's not like the violent protesters will be going to a university. They're probably there because they hate "the man".

Ah well, it's not like I voted for the current government. Not like I could.

Exactly this. You get those people who just like to be all anarchic, and it spoils the whole point of a damn protest.

I'm sure the majority of students there had the basic common sense to know that causing mayhem would probably convince MPs we're pretty much savage apes and shouldn't be in higher education at all. Then they'd raise fees without second thought, which is surely the opposite of what every student wants.

It's a major protest in Britain. This was going to be an eventuality. Shame, because other than that it looked like a blast. Wish I could've gone.

 

[Shivarage]

I think most student protests are a combination of the following factors:

- The inability to grasp the reality behind adult decisions.
- Immaturity.
- A mindset that Rage Against the Machine was/is cool.
- That the hippies in the 1970's were/are role models.

Usually they are half-assed gestures at getting something they otherwise lack a true understanding about.

so... you think students over 21 (legally adults) are childish and immature?

Getting old is one thing. Growing up is optional.

hmm... fair enough

I went to a crappy uni and realized it wasn't worth final debt, the lecturers were lazy and disorganized and the students were all as dumb as the ones I knew in school who never even gained qualifications

Now, looking at education from the outside... it doesn't often transfer to real life at all :/

 

[ninetails593]

Arg. Me American brain no understand foreign currency.

 

[deonte9109]

There was a protest back in ATL about them raising the tuition prices and supposedly there was a large number of people that turned up. Peaceful demonstrations are only useful if you want the change you specifically want but at a slow pace. If you want your results sooner but probably suffer some consequences then go with limited violence.

 

[Hollock]

do you think peaceful protests are effective?

Ask Ghandi.

 

[BenzSmoke]

I had no idea about these protests. Now that I do, I'd say I support them.
Everyone should have the right to a good education, not just those who can afford it.
Though most of the time non-violent protest is more effective.

 

[firedfns13]

Hey everyone, to catch up none UK residents and people not watching the news....

First of all in the UK the government is raising the annual fee of £3000 to £9000 for university students, this has caused a lot of anger and today a protest turned a little violent today.

Students stormed the Millbank tower and began protesting there. Windows were smashed and bonfires lit but no one was seriously hurt. The media is up in arms about it and everyone is calling it a disgrace. But is it?

I mean as far as i know no ones been hurt and the most violent thing i saw was window smashing and its gotten the nations attention, unlike every other "peaceful" protest so maybe something will now be done.

So topic for discussion.. If youv been following this on the news are you for or against this protest? If you dont live in the UK/dont know wtf is going on, do you think peaceful protests are effective? Or is it sometimes good to cause a stir to raise awareness for an important cause

p.s just to state its important to remember there have been no serious injuries, obviously very violent protests are always wrong

Oh so you ONLY have to pay $15000 a year for university? Suck a fat one. Any state university in America costs at least $20,000 depending on which state; Mine $30,000.

*edit: whoops, I did the math wrong. For some reason I thought you meant Euro which I rounded to $1.50.

**Edit2: Asked wolfram alpha, came to $14530.

You lucky bastards.

 

[firedfns13]

I had no idea about these protests. Now that I do, I'd say I support them.
Everyone should have the right to a good education, not just those who can afford it.
Though most of the time non-violent protest is more effective.

Double post, but Welcome to America's educational system. We get robbed.

 

[VuvuZelaMan]

Arg. Me American brain no understand foreign currency.

A pound is usually around $1.60~$1.85 IIRC.

OT: Here I thought that the Western European countries had an understanding as to the importance of education for the masses. For shame, British people who want this.

Oh, aren't these students the ones who will be contributing the most to the social welfare programs (via taxes) when the current workforce (the ones who, I'm guessing, are behind this bill) is retired?

 

[II2]

- A mindset that Rage Against the Machine was/is cool.

Rage Against the Machine was never cool, ever, under any context.

On topic, I'm glad nobody was seriously injured over a very troublesome, but ultimately petty issue.

 

[photog212]

9000 pounds a year? at the current exchange rate between the USD and BPS that totals to $14,553.80 I pay the equivalent of 13,900.20 British pounds PER SEMESTER. Thats 27,800.40 per year in British pounds.

And last i checked the consensus is that the quality of higher education in the UK is better than here in the US. Still think you guys are getting a raw deal?

I thought the same thing. We're getting boned.

 

[photog212]

do you think peaceful protests are effective?

Ask Ghandi.

And Martin Luther King Jr.

 

[VuvuZelaMan]

do you think peaceful protests are effective?

Ask Ghandi.

And Martin Luther King Jr.

Do strikes count as peaceful? If so, also ask union leaders.

 

[photog212]

do you think peaceful protests are effective?

Ask Ghandi.

And Martin Luther King Jr.

Do strikes count as peaceful? If so, also ask union leaders.

Depends on which on. Some got pretty heated.

 

[justnotcricket]

Aren't we meant to have a right to a free education?

Wouldn't that be nice? Unfortunately, universities are supposed to be research institutions, not teaching facilities (I know, it sounds odd, but the reality is that these days more an more people are going to university for just an undergraduate degree. This is great, but it's not technically all, or even most of what universities are supposed to be there for - they're there to manufacture graduate students like me, the indentured slaves of academia =S...)

The problem is that research is cripplingly expensive, especially in medicine, science and engineering, where pushing the frontiers of the discipline costs millions and millions and millions of dollars. Additionally, while a subject like, say, English literature may not generate much revenue in the form of patents or industry collaboration, the university still needs to support the discipline by paying the professors, purchasing, for example, library and media resources, and financing visiting scholars. All this money has to come from somewhere.

Unfortunately, governments are notorious for cutting funding for research, because a lot of university research is 'blue skies', which means it may not provide any return to the investor. When the government cuts funding, the universities are left at the mercy of external funding agencies, which can and will only fund certain kinds of research, sometimes, for a certain amount. And only a small percentage of applying researchers will get a grant each year.

What's the easy solution? Increase student fees. It's the easiest way to keep the university coffers full, and the university gets to tell you that you're paying more to attend a better, more prestigious (read: more research heavy) university.

Let me just say that I in no way like or support fee increases. I think student loans are the most ridiculous burden you can place on a young person financially, and I do support *peaceful* opposition to fee increases.

I will also add, however, that I understand why universities do what they do, when the government turns its back (as it so often does) on education and development.