A tent city was hastily constructed in front of University Hall
Wednesday night during a tense dialogue between “Occupy Harvard”
protesters and Dean of Student Life Suzy M. Nelson.
The occupation
followed a protest on campus involving more than roughly 350
participants sympathetic to the Occupy movement, during which Harvard
Yard was shut down by Harvard University Police officers and Securitas
guards.
The protest was intended to convey disapproval of the
University’s perceived complicity in growing income inequality across
the country. Participants included students, staff, faculty, and
community members.
Around 7 p.m., protesters were met with
increased security that would prevent Boston residents who were not
Harvard affiliates from entering the Yard.
Now as one who lived through the 60s and tear gas in the Square this is a bit disorganized and in my opinion demonstrates the collapse of our educational system. As one student is quoted as saying:
“I’m here because I think this is one of the most important social
uprisings in modern American history,” ..... said. “I believe deeply
that this is a moment in America’s history that requires such a people’s
movement. I’m happy to be part of it.”
Really, do they teach any real history at Harvard these days. Children of the Baby Boomers Revenge perhaps. Social uprising, at what? Yes perhaps Harvard had something to do with it, after all it was their economic types who both set up this mess and then made it worse, but they started at MIT. I can't wait till this migrates down Mass Ave.
I remember one night working late I believe in 69' in the old Building 20, the Rad Lab's wooden shacks, and we got a bomb scare since the SDS, I believe from Harvard, wanted to bomb the ROTC. Did any of us leave, no, did any of us join in, no, we just kept working, someone had to pay for all of this, thus we kept working to keep the economic engine working.
Also the students should note that at their head appears to be some "Dean of Student Life", one of the more than likely dozens if not hundreds of Deans of something or other. That and their staff drive up costs.
Now back to the student quote. What is the issue, what is your proposal, what are the anticipated results, how will you communicate than, how will you propose to implement it? Duh!
Revolutionaries, namely those seeking a fundamental change in a system, often have well thought out plans, for better or worse. "No Taxation without representation!", simple, not the abolition of taxes, it was understood that they played a necessary function, but let us have a say. Even Robespierre had his views, the Revolution was for Equality, Liberty, and some form of Brotherhood, vague as they were, it opposed the monarchy. Then the Terror.
Even Lenin had a well thought out plan. He wanted a communist state and the elimination of the Czar, and communist aka Marx and his tomes.
But what do these people want? Where is their Rousseau, Voltaire, Marx, Paine? Where is the Jefferson to write a precis, a list of complaints? It is not as if there was not enough history, West and East, to show how to make a movement like this function.
Then one must ask, who created and leads this? All too often students are followers, and they often are the ones to complain. Be a leader, that is how one gets to the 1%. Followers are doomed to the 99%.
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