"Off With Their Heads!"
The recent protests that have turned into violent episodes of rioting university students angered by a rise in tuition fees demonstrate rather amply just how civilized and civil entitled-feeling semi-adults represent themselves. The British parliament voted with the new coalition government - attempting to put the nation back on its balanced economic track - to take badly needed action to reduce the potential for the country's financial collapse.Any time government decides to take such drastic action which has the result of impacting on peoples' perceived and actual benefits in the public sphere, paid for through taxpayer funding, there is guaranteed to be an outcry of painful protest. Iceland bit the bullet and it is now, after its Pyrrhic economic collapse, the phoenix picture-postcard of successful recovery. Portugal and Greece suffered their uncivil violent protests as a result of economic stress.
British Members of Parliament voted 323 to 302 for the motion to increase university tuition fees. The response from student groups was swift and condemnatory, as would be expected. Anticipating that response, some Liberal Democrats and a few Tory MPs issued very vocal opposition to the move. But the country's Business Secretary owned to being "proud" of the government's resolve to cut the deficit.
It was, he insisted a "progressive" plan, one that would guarantee that universities could "maintain high quality universities in the long term". And, presumably, pay for that high quality without leaning too heavily on the public purse, already strained beyond endurance. 'Progressive' perhaps, in the sense that it doesn't get any better; the new package will permit English universities to treble fees after 2012.
So little wonder British university students are somewhat exercised over this threat to their ability to carry on with their education plans. They will certainly have to work harder to be able to afford their tuition in the near future. Those who took to the streets in their thousands to protest the vote hurled flares, sticks, snooker balls and paint balls at police, determined to break through the metal barriers.
They set afire wooden benches in Parliament Square and scuffled with police as they attempted to break through the police lines in protection of the Houses of Parliament. Yes, staid old Britain. Thousands of its incensed, enraged university students, those on the verge of complete adulthood anxious to attain a higher education level, succumbing to the baser emotions that belie reason and intelligence.
And then some of the rampaging crowds, thugs and ruffians posing cleverly as university students exercising their right of free speech and protest in a free and democratic society found the opportunity to present their outrage to the Royal House of Britain. Which does not itself pass and promulgate laws of the land. The Queen gives her assent to legislation which elected lawmakers determine.
The official vehicle transporting the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall to the London Palladium for a benefit concert was cut off from its protective guard by the raging protesters; isolated, surrounded and attacked with bottles and bins, and well-placed kicks and a can of paint. The startled passengers were shocked into the realization that their royal status meant little to the crowd which derided them as they were assaulted.
"Off with their heads!" came a rather unfriendly, Alice-in-Wonderland recommendation from some wit. There was no report in the news about the presence of hedgehogs and flamingoes and their intolerable manoeuvring, but obviously the students were invested in emulating the irascible Queen and her soldiery. For which travesty of fantasy fictionalizing reality the remedy could be as recommended above - aimed at the protesters.
The disappointed-entitled attacking the next-to-the-throne entitled and his royal consort. Liberal tolerance for free speech entitlements hitting hard up against a Royal Prince who, under duress, would never see any reason to deny that freedom of expression to his subjects.
"This has nothing to do with peaceful protest. Students are involved in wanton vandalism, including smashing windows in Oxford and Regent Streets. Innocent Christmas shoppers are being caught up in the violence and disruption." Scotland Yard spokespersonWell yes, yes indeed, that is most certainly so. Off with their heads!
Labels: Britain, Economy, Political Realities
posted by Pieface @ Saturday, December 11, 2010
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