Hey, I think those of you who live in the US may know about what happened at Columbia University (one of the Ivy League Universities), where 109 students were arrested for peacefully demonstrating for gaza. I’m not American, I’m sensitive to topics like student movements and don’t particularly want to discuss them. At the same time I am pessimistic and critical of all student movements worldwide. For the US, one of the founders of SDS Tom Hayden went on to join the Democratic Party and live in Beverly Hills with his Hollywood star wife. Yes, it doesn’t make sense for students to be arrested, but their rich parents will pay bail to get them out. When these kids graduate, they will put on their resumes that they are “warriors against the power” and work for their parents’ NGOs. And certain American universities have been marketing themselves as “social justice warriors,” Columbia University, the University of California system, to name a few. Yes, it has happened in history that certain students and faculty have stood up, but that’s history. Has anything changed since 1968 because of demonstrations by rich white students? This time was no different, except that the faces in the demonstration crowd were a little more colorful. The essence is still American-centered self-touching. That’s what I think, and I’d like to know what do y’all think about this.
My conclusion after being radicalised in a student union (in France for context) is that generally speaking, students are doomers at best and arrogant petit bourgeois pricks at worse. There was a time where a lot of students could get political education with the youth wings of parties, but this time is mostly over thanks to the revisionists who were incapable of listening and build mutual trust with the youth.
I don’t believe in “generation war” per say but if there’s one little bit of truth to it is that if you’re not consciously radically open to the novelty that younger ones bring then the revolutionary potential is hard reset and you’re back to square one
