Student Morons

Via the ever melodramatic Penny Red*, an interesting comment from one of those idiotic students who rioted last week:

"Look, we all saw what happened at the big anti-war protest back in 2003," says Tom, a postgraduate student from London. "Bugger all, that's what happened. Everyone turned up, listened to some speeches and then went home. It's sad that it's come to this, but..." he gestures behind him to the bonfires burning in front of the shattered windows of Tory HQ. "What else can we do?"

What else can you do? Well, perhaps you could try negotiating in the year or so before these fee and cuts rises come into effect before you resort to violence.

See, there is this thing you might have heard of called diplomacy. It allows for people to talk, to negotiate with each other and come up with a peaceful solution. It is what countries do when they don’t agree on things – a dispute between rival nations tends to lead to further talk, rather than sending in the bombers.

What else could you do, Tom? You could have talked – tried to persuade the government to change their plans, or persuaded the people to back you in your dispute with the government. Instead, you and your idiotic ilk have managed to alienate pretty much all moderate people in this country at the same time as making the government – and the Tory party – into the victim in this little drama. The riot, the broken windows, the possible attempted murder charge – what you and your friends did, Tom Not Nice And Dim, is pretty much the worse thing you could have done. Any sympathy most people may have had has gone – and it is your fault.

*As an aside, check this article out for some more jaw-dropping hyperbole from Ms Penny - where the student rioters are compared to the suffragettes.