"International Student Movement"

This is a reply to a semi-discussion which arose on the mailing list, to be continued here publicly.

Judging whether "workers' victories" are truly victories or not is problematic. It can be said that some improved working conditions is always a good thing. But have we not seen struggle after struggle lose momentum and even cease altogether after reactionary forces declare the battle 'won' so we should all go back to work and enjoy it. Being placated by this empty gesture and enraptured by these poisonous words we do so and momentarily realise our mistake just too late.

We're stepping close to the line each time, sensing the freedom and life on the other side, but caught up in this feeling we neglect to keep moving forward and end up settling for a raft of concessions instead of ever taking that last important leap, and so sink back and away from it until the next time where this tragedy is repeated. I think we need to stop festishizing these struggles as models of action. We should respect them for what they did do, but critically analyse how they failed and hopefully not make the same reformist compromises while maintaining revolutionary action in the future.

A point to note is that as working conditions may cosmetically 'improve' for the westerners, the end result seems to have been a degredation of conditions in other countries as mass-production is outsourced there. In order to keep this business, the governments of these countries are pressured not to enact similar regulations which have been paraded in the west, and so the same oppression continues unabated (usually by the same corporations!) but just not to us workers who apparently won a victory somewhere along the way. This system is slimy and unless we pin it down it will continue to function like this into the foreseeable future.

I also believe that 'tuition fees' and the standardisation and limitation of education to fulfil business greed are entirely logical under capitalism, in this currently proposed form or another. Emancipatory and free learning is totally opposed to what capital desires, and the education system has long been morphing (starting in the west) into institutions meant merely for preparing the work force to slot into industry.

I am not sure where exactly I stand on this. Irene is very right that we need to think about ourselves right now; a starving proletariat working 12 hour days with no education doesn't have much time for revolution! On the other hand, they have more drive to and the oppression's stench is not hidden behind the artificial perfume of this farcical democracy. It is definitely something we need to discuss further. What kind of balance can there be? Is this a false dilemma presented to us by those who benefit whichever way we pick? Is there another way? I'd like to hear your thoughts.

Solidarity,
Sam