Oops. Let me change that to "they don't belong in a [Western] nation" then.

Even there. There's few better ways to send a message that'll actually be heard by the wealthy politicians who don't have to worry about putting food on the table than angry people in the streets.

It's just that it doesn''t work that way anymore. In the past desperate people were rioting on the streets but ever since the 1960's protesters aren't really angry and desperate. They're middle class who are well off economically. They're just intellectuals, anarchists and socialists who want to bring the nation down. Since they can't garner enough support in political elections (just watch those pictures of the rioters, the majority are clothed like hippies and commies) they take advantage of the street protest tradition.

I think a lot of people need to re-look at the news footage of what happened yesterday. What started as some minor acts of thuggery escalated into mob violence due to police over-reaction. What could have been a mostly peaceful protest descended into complete anarchy. When I was watching it on BBC News 24 there was footage of riot police bashing students with batons when they were already on the ground. 

It's a shame that all people see on the news is the violence because there have been many peaceful protests, sit-ins and walkouts over the last few weeks.

And they did show the pink stripping storm trooper on TV. I remember thinking "WTF?!" :P

Rioting has always happened when the rich-poor divide becomes more and more apparent. The rich get ridiculously richer and the middle classes that asprire to become rich realise they are unlikely to ever reach that level.

When the bankers cause an economic crisis but then appear to have recovered rather quickly; rioting occurs. It's not really new. Similar things have been happening since the times of Anchient Rome (actually, probably before that thinking about it). Bankers are just the new aristocratic class. This is history repeating itself albeit in a modern European society.

That's the classic socialist analysis. "Bankers the new aristrocacy"... lol that is so cheap.

It's wrong. It's actually a narrow group of people that protest on the streets. A fairly strong group. The weakest groups in society never go out on the streets (the sick, the crime victims, the piss poor, the abused, the addicts, the discriminated, the orphans, the lonely).

God, I hate socialist analysis of society.

It's not really a socialist analysis, merely me applying what I currently know of human history to the modern day (and it's probably somewhat simplified). And it rarely matters who goes out to do the riots, as they tend to happen anytime a crisis highlights the rich-poor divide. All it usually needs is a catalyst such as a political decision or some charismatic speaker. 

If you want my personal analysis of society it's that humans are incapable of governing themselves as everything seems to fail miserably.

I'm gonna stop before I start quoting Deus Ex... wait, I think I already did...

Haha.

Pretty well actually.  Though the last thing I saw was cuts to the univercities by the state rather then tuition increases.

Your ignoring the point... we do protest.  We just don't find it a good idea to bust peoples heads in at the time.

Honestly most of the Universities I want to attend cost like 40K per course. Thats really high and I believe I heard it was cheaper to go to school in the U.K. If you want a good education at a prominent school you have to pay for it. Yes I think prices internationally are far to high but heck these schools charge for their repuations and credability.

I could take a similiar course at a community college for about 10-20K but it wouldn't be the same quality and I probubly wouldn't find a job.

Honestly I gave up on school, wanted to major in buisness and marketing, or game development. But have come to the realization if I failed the course I would never be able to repay the loan. I just don't have enough faith in myself to risk failing. Also with the buisness degree what could I do? If I couldn't find a good job I'd have to start a buisness something I've always wanted to do but then I'd be out another 40k or so and man I'd be digging out of debt the rest of my life.

My mom took out a 45K student loan and finished school in the early millenium. She's been working for years at 32K a year and she still hasn't repaid her loan. I don't want to be in debt most of my life thank you. So no loans for me.

When I can make enough to pay that tuition then I'll go back to school. But I'm not going to gamble with tens of thousands of dollars. Especially in a recession with many high qualified people being jobless.