From: Nickglais <nickglais@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Sun, Dec 5, 2010 at 1:49 AM
Subject: [** MAOIST_REVOLUTION **] The Student Struggle in Britain by Nickglais
To: MAOIST_REVOLUTION@yahoogroups.com
From Monument to Movement - revitalising the Left - make 9th December 2010 the birth of a movement and the destruction of a monument by Nickglais
It is very clear that our enemies have seen something new in the current student movement against the fees and cuts but have we ?
To often the Left in Britain is concerned with retaining its monuments rather than developing a movement.
The ritual demonstration from A-B is dead but so is the mechanical politics that led there.
When the bourgeoisie fails to incorporate or hi- jack a protest movement it calls on its labour lieutenants of capital to take us down the old social democratic road of the re-election of a Labour Government - old Labour of course !. This is precisely the mechanical dead end that Wedgewood Benn would take has down - but he is not alone a ragbag of trotskyists and revisionists follow the same well trodden path.
I praise the new youthful vigour of the teenage school students on the demonstrations not because I am bowing to spontanaeity but praising creativity - the seeking out of new paths to the future rather than back to the old routine of failure so epitomised by the old "wise" Wedgewood Benn founding father of the Coalition of Resistance.
We need to address the question of how we keep the path to a better future open and not become a monument to the past rather than a movement for the future.
This starts with a recognition of what is new and the politics of developing the new.
This is the stage of learning from the masses and unleashing their creativity to prevent the return of the Social Democratic trap - then the movement will flow - smash the monuments build a movement.
Toward a Mass Line for Britain.
The Student Struggle in Britain - Questions and Answers
1. Why are the Students in United Kingdom demonstrating ?
Because the Con Dem Government is tripling education fees for higher education students from 3000 pounds a year to 9,000 pounds a year and the 40% cut in education budget,4.3 billion is taken out of the education budget.
The Educational Maintenance Allowance has been also abolished by this government This allowance, which gives students from lower income families a weekly benefit of up to £30, has helped boost post-16 education by around 30 per cent since it was introduced six years ago. Almost 70 per cent of 16- to 18-year-olds receive the money.
The reason so many young school students are on the demonstrations is related to the government abolishing E.M.A.
2. What is the origin of the of the changes in British government policy for student support ?
At the end of October in the higher education review Lord Browne, former boss of British Petroleum recommended higher student fees in a speech he gave at BPP.
He said of fees, `if prices rise too high, there is room for new providers to enter the market and deliver higher education more efficiently'
The origin of the current policy is in the neo liberal policies of the last forty years which seek to marketise or commodify everything. The current policies are to increase the penetration of private companies into higher education.
3. Do the he students have support in the wider society ?
The National Campaign against Cuts and Fees is a principal organiser of the students. Trade Union's like the RMT ( Rail, Maritime annd Transport) have appeared on the student marches.Building a solid worker student alliance is widely recognised has a key part of developing the current struggle.
4. Is it only the students in London that are demonstrating in the UK ?
No, there is very strong student protest movement in all the major cities in the UK. In many cities direct action has been taken occupying Universities.Wales and Scotland have their own Education systems making for variation in educational provision in the British Isles. .
5. What can we do abroad to support the students in the UK ?
Follow the example of the French students who on the 19th November 2010 demonstrated in support of British Students outside the British Embassy in Paris.On Thursday 2nd December 2010 Greek students protested outside the British Embassy in Athens in solidarity with British students.
More specifically support the November 10th Campaign 2010 to defend arrested students for breaking into Conservative Party Headquarters and any other student arrested for exercising his democratic rights.
Link to Norwegian translation of this article at http://tjen-folket.no/start/view/
--
Palash Biswas
Pl Read:
http://nandigramunited-banga.blogspot.com/
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