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11 November 2010



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British Student Rioters Occupy Tory Headquarters

So, the violence against the British government's proposed budget cuts has begun. Yesterday, 50,000 students marched through London to protest changes to the way university education is funded, which could raise the price of a single year to 9,000 pounds. Of the 50,000, some 400 didn't get the memo from the National Union of Students stating that it was to be a peaceful protest. The 30 police officers who were quickly overwhelmed were clearly insufficient to keep the 400 out of Conservative Party headquarters. In addition to graffiti on the walls, the rioters threw projectiles, set fires and dropped things from the roof. The early arrest count was 35 and is likely to climb higher. In the end, the violence changed nothing.

In terms of societal benefit, the students are right. University education, and all forms of higher education and professional training, should be free. The argument is a simple one. The lower the price of a product, the more of it people will consume. Primary and secondary education are both free and have been for ages, which has led to greater literacy and numeracy. Postsecondary education is much more important for a society's economic well-being now that globalization is a reality. Surely, what applies to educating a 9-year-old is now as valid for a 19-year-old. Encumbering the youth of Britain with 27,000 quid in debt before they leave university with a bachelor's degree is counter-productive.

This is all the more disgusting because the politicians who are currently making these changes paid not a farthing for their own degrees. And this journal's support of the Liberal-Democrats, who promised to abolish fees altogether rather than collaborate with the Tories in raising them, is being sorely tested.

As in most western nations, the youth of Britain have every right to be upset with their elders. For a 17-year-old in the UK, getting a degree is about to become quite expensive, getting a job is problematic, and being able to get onto the property ladder is unlikely barring substantial family support. For Florence Rose Endellion Cameron, the Prime Minister's newborn daughter, such worries will not arise. Family money assures her of an education, job opportunities and home. The issue is why a society would not want to provide such opportunities for everyone. Leveling up is not a bad thing.

In a democracy, the right to protest government policy is protected, and protesting stupid government policy is an obligation. Allowing university's to charge huge fees is stupid. However, that is not an excuse for the violence seen in London yesterday.

This journal has no qualm about the use of force -- it certainly stopped Hitler. Moreover, pacificism is merely cowardice posing as a virtue. When the opposition is prepared to use force, one must be prepared to do the same, or surrender. The victories of non-violence are victories only because the opponents of Gandhi and King were not prepared to go beyond a certain level of violence. Neither would have succeeded against Stalin.

What does not make sense is violence that serves no useful purpose. That is merely infantile venting of frustrations. The Times put it best, as much as one hates to agree with a Rupert Murdoch lead article, "Yesterday, a group of students struck a blow. But they did not strike a blow for freedom, or for democracy, or for fairness. They just struck a blow. And shattered some glass. In the process, they proved nothing, and persuaded nobody." One would like to think they had been taught better.

© Copyright 2010 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Ubuntu Linux.

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