The British student uprising grows

[marmar]

from the Guardian UK:



Tens of thousands of school, college and university students are expected to protest against education cuts tomorrow, in the third day of demonstrations this month.

By this evening, over 5,500 people had signed up for a day of direct action in London alone, where the national campaign against fees and cuts has organised a march on parliament, and where last week thousands of school pupils and students were "kettled" by police for several hours.

Over the weekend NUS president Aaron Porter apologised for his "spineless" lack of public support for last week's demonstration, when tens of thousands of students walked out of lessons, but today's protests will have NUS backing.On the nationwide Facebook page for the demonstrations, over 24,000 students had indicated they would be protesting across the UK tomorrow. "Direct action", ranging from walking out of lessons to rallies is expected in over 40 towns and cities, with crowds of around 2,000 expected in Manchester, Bristol and Brighton.

Some 32 universities are still being occupied following last Wednesday's protests, with most planning to keep a small group in the seized buildings while fellow students march. Around 60-70 occupants from Newcastle University intend to join students and pupils from local sixth form and further education colleges on a marching through the city centre, with some 1,700 had signed up to the Facebook page for the event yesterday, with the demonstration planned to culminate in a mass snowball fight. ..........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2010/nov/29/student-protest-biggest-education-cuts

[BrklynLiberal]

1. Wow. I can just picture that happening here in the US....NOT

Here, it seems, that people vote FOR their own demise....economic, and otherwise.

[leftstreet]

2. Not really. Half the eligible voters don't vote

But I see your point

[BrklynLiberal]

7. In these times, not voting is voting. The stupid and the fearful are being duped by the evil and

the greedy...

[stray cat]

5. Check out Berkley -

[leftstreet]

3. K&R

[Creative]

4. It appears people all over the world are having a hard time coping

with the fact that governments are out of money.

[Arctic Dave]

6. I think stems more from mismanagement theft and waste.

[Creative]

8. Oh, I agree. That's why people are unwilling let them have anymore

of their money.

[phasma ex machina]

9. It's a fact that banksters get all the money they want from government. nt

[Creative]

12. Yes, but the government has one thing going for them that banks do not.

Governments can print their own.

[phasma ex machina]

13. Governments need to give the money they print to the people instead of giving it to banksters. nt

[Chulanowa]

10. They're not out of money

They're just shredding social services in order to maintain their own purses.

[Creative]

11. Oh really...

http://www.brillig.com/debt_clock/

[Prophet 451]

14. Yes, really

That clock is for the USA, the article is talking about the UK. And the Tory government here are the most radically right-wing since WWII, slashing the social safety net and education while one of their first acts was to lower the rate of corporate tax. Also, 99% of their cuts is stuff they've been pushing for years, the economic situation is just their latest excuse for crippling cuts they were planning on enacting anyway.

[Creative]

15. You should know that corporations don't pay taxes.

Because corporate taxes are a direct cost of doing business. Thus, they are simply added to the bottom line and passed on to the consumer.

One thing's for sure, the UK doesn't appear to have room to cut defense, as that is only a tiny sliver of the pie @ 6%. If you are serious about cutting spending, you have to go where the money is.

[Prophet 451]

16. That presumes several things

Firstly, it assumes a need to cut which we don't. Secondly, it presumes our social protection budget is abnormally high, which it isn't. It's actually slightly below the OECD average and our "protections" are some of the toughest in the world (our test for disability is so overly strict that virtually no-one passes). Moreover, cutting spending has never ended a recession in history. Are there people abusing the social protections? Sure, a very very few. Are there enough to justify slashing the social safety net to ribbons? HELL NO.