I guess most of you heard about the protests/riots in the UK regarding student fee increases. This has lead many in the public to criticize the students for not "taking some austerity in these hard times" along with the rest of the population. In my opinion, this just means that the real culprits behind the economic crisis are getting exactly what they want - us peons turn against each other, while they continue enjoying their good life funded by the population that is getting screwed.

Similar things go on in many many Western countries, which is why I believe it is important to discuss even if you don't care about the UK in particular.

Let's put two and two together here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/10/world/europe/10britain.html?_r=2&partner=rss&emc=rss

"Under the new fees, which are to take effect in 2012, many students are expected to accumulate loans of as much as £40,000, about $63,000, during a three-year degree course."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11754621

"What's the most we could achieve? Right now the expectation is that banks in the City will pay out around £7bn in bonuses.""

So let's see... An industry which today is only viable due to massive taxpayer-funded bailouts is giving out £7 billion in bonuses to the actors largely responsible for today's crises, while students facing a jobless future are expected to take on large debt (probably owed to these same bankers who will make further profit from it). Divide £7 billion by £40 thousand and you could fund 3 years of education for 175,000 students in the UK.

Do you see my point?

I see your point, and I agree with you. There is not much that can be done though, not now at least. They play there game very smart. They do just enough to maybe create some riots here and there and some people will lose trust, but overall they still remain in charge. Someday though they might make mistakes big enough for the whole populace to rise against them.

To be honest the protesters dont seem to actualy been thinking about the big picture. just read this XD http://www.factsonfees.com/

yes the tuitions fees are being put up but you can also get bigger loans that are nicer to you. If after uni you are making over £21,000 then you have to start paying it back bit by bit. if you dont make abouve 21,000 you never pay it back until you do start earning about 21K (it expires after 30 yeas so the debt is auto cleared). yes its a weird system that will work and noit work for people but it wont matter how much money your family has. if your rich and get a good job should be no problem paying it back. if you get a bad job u dont have to pay it back. Tution fees in america are still something like 4 times as much in sone instances anyway XDDD

The sad thing is the riots have got out of hand-some students attacked a car carrying the Prince of Wales last night. If anything will turn public opinion against students, it's events like that. The government have already leapt onto it to claim the majority of the students protesters were violent yobs intent on causing havoc. Sad to say it, but I think a violent minority have ruined things for the peaceful majority. People who were discontent with the coalition governments policies won't back violent protesting like this. 

As a student I oppose the raising of tuition fees. The government claims its necessary due to the nation's finances, but as the OP points out, banks bailed out by the tax payers will receive obscene bonuses. Surely that money would be better off going back into our country? Raising tuition fees is going to expand the deficit in the short run, not decrease it. These raises and the cuts in budgets across this country aren't driven entirely by fiscal necessity as our government claims-they're ideologically driven. Deprive many so that the favoured few can reap the benefits, it's the same old Tory party being propped up by power hungry Lib Dems who've sold any principles they had in return for a seat in Parliament.

Whether they get the big picture or not, the country is getting screwed by taking things away from the general population into the hands of the corrupt and evil few.

Not realy (^.^) there just changing the system. it works better know for poorer people and slightly worse for richer

That doesn't make sense to me. The conclusion from your quote is that you either don't get a good job (i.e. you're screwed but someone else will carry the burden of your debt - taxpayers?), or you'll keep accumulating debt that will be bigger and bigger the long you go without a good job. Surely interest on the loans keeps accumulating, no?

The reason this is consirning people is tht any uni could charge the max amount. wouldnt matter if its oxford or some shitting uni in the middle of nowhere. the dif would be that people at the bad uni are less likly to get a high payng job then someone who goes tooxfored. So the person at the the poorer uni will have a chance of goign to uni knowing that they will either leave uni with an ok job and a debt they dotn have to pay or come out successfully with a debt they can easily pay.

I'm past being a student and and didn't come off with much of a dept because I lived at home but I am for the students in every way here (except the violence which I don't think is being done by the students, just thugs).

This is a country that once had free university tuition and grants. What happened?

And when are the MPs going to take a pay cut? This might be minimal for the amount of money they want to save but all of them taking a £5k pay cut will help restore faith in the,

What I'm concerned about most is that it will be a huge "brain drain" for our nations youth. I already have £13,000 debt from my days as an undergraduate and I feel as though that is a lot. £40,000 is something that would worry me to death.

If I had finished my undergraduate degree with that much debt I wouldn't have continued onto post-graduate studies. I would have wanted to get out of university and use my degree to clear the debt, instead of staying on and increasing my debt further; regardless of how strongly I wanted to continue.

Of course this isn't just a problem for the students, it has a knock on effect for Universities, the research they do and the technical and scientific skills the UK economy is beginning to rely on more and more.

I seriously feel as though this will reduce the amount of people want to do a masters degree, which will also mean that fewer people get to do research at PhD and post doctoral levels. I'm worried that under the new system in 10 years time we're going to be saying "Where have all the scientists and engineers gone?", and I think the answer will be pretty obvious. As a nation we're starting to rely on these people more often.

Although, when I mention this to people (or people who support the new system at least) they just tend to brush me off and say "I don't think that's really a problem we'll face", so maybe I'm wrong.

(I know this isn't particularly related to the OP, but I felt like a rant)