The "Youth of today"

It is tough growing up in the world today. The youth are under huge pressures now more than ever. With 1 million unemployed as we stand it is no wonder so many young people are angry about the situation they find themselves in.

Coupled with the fact next year the 9 thousand pounds a year of tuitian fees will be brought in. This as i have previously talked about on here will fule a new sense of anger in students as they look for alternatives and see very little.

The things that havent been discussed about the increase in tuitian fees is the added pressure that will go with that. The cut in higher education funding will affect the choices students and universities have in what courses they can do.

It is a bleak choice for students and young people at the moment growing up in a world where nearly every night there is bad negative news on the tv stating which country is needing a bail out of its debt next. They then hear how much debt they will be in if they do try and fulfill their ambitions at university . All this must make them feel like they are up to their neck in debt and no way out of this cycle.

This is not fair. On a young generation which hold the key to moving us all forward in many ways as they are the future are being victimised from all angles.



We see only this week even further evidence with the jailing of Charlie Gilmore from the magnificent students demonstrations last year in December. Many were arrested and detained against their will in kettles and there are legal proceedings going through against that and the police who kettled young students younger than 18 for excessive lengths of time and without food or water or toilet facilities. This is not on in my book it is bad enough to submit anyone to this sort of treatment but leta lone under 18's.

There is increasing attempts by the ruling class to clamp down on political protest from young people as we have seen with the handing out of harsh sentances to protesters who although acting a little stupid to say the least have been given harsh sentances. Like the 32 month sentance to Edward Woodwood for dropping a fire extinguisher off the top of Conservative HQ. Not excusing these students but i can totally understand the anger they feel and were hitting back due to their lack of opputunities from this government inflicting cuts and privatisation and less opputunities to them as a result.

What options are they left with when they feel they have no voice in a political sense. Not one of the main political parties speaks their language anymore. It was said the Lib Dems did support students and played very well on this fact last time at the election but this can no longer be true due to them selling out their pledges to vote with the tories for higher tuitian fees.

This was met with huge anger andaggression from many students and young people who just weeks before had seen their EMA decimated which is another vital component of a students life today giving them the chance to get to school and college and pay for their education materials.

We as socialists must show that there is a light and a chance for them to engage in class struggle but not turn to such dangerous tactics of anarchism. We would much rather they built up their anger and developed a good sense of collective power with their fellow students and took strike action, occupations and demonstrations on a mass scale. This is far more effective when organised properly.

The collective power of the organised working class cannot be underestimated. The trade unions and students need to merge into one now really as we aer all facing attacks from all angles and united we stand divided we fall.

The fact that there have been politically motivated arrests and jail sentances is all designed to put young people off protesting. This will not work as the harder they come down on them the stronger their views against the state will become. We must be there to channel that into a positive action rather than a negative one though.

This autumn many young people are reinacting the Jarrow to London march

"Youth Fight for Jobs is organising a march from Jarrow to London in October, in the footsteps of the unemployed seventy-five years ago. They marched for the right to work, to be able to have a job. It seems this government is forcing millions today to do the same. We will set off on 1 October, a day before the start of the Conservative conference, and arrive in London 5 weeks later on 5 November. We are calling on the anti-cuts movement, student activists, trade union members and unemployed workers to support our march."

Youth Fight for Jobs was launched in January 2009 to combat the effects of the recession on young people. It is supported by Unite, RMT, PCS, CWU, UCU, Bectu and many local trade union and student union groups.


We stand shulder to shoulder with these young people in their fight for a better opputunity in life.

THE RIGHT TO A DECENT JOB FOR ALL, WITH A LIVING WAGE OF AT LEAST £8 AN HOUR
NO TO CHEAP LABOUR APPRENTICESHIPS! ALL APPRENTICESHIPS TO PAY AT LEAST THE MINIMUM WAGE, WITH A JOB GUARANTEED AT THE END
NO TO UNIVERSITY FEES. SUPPORT THE CAMPAIGN TO DEFEAT FEES.


These are just some of the basic demands young people want today we as the working class must support them and make them feel they are not alone and we as the workers are all in this together and together we can win.