Letter to the Editor in response to “iIf wishes were horses, beggars would ride to McGill”
Here’s some math for you, David: what’s more likely, that thousands of Quebecois students from all disciplines can’t do math, or that you don’t know what you’re talking about? It’s pretty apparent that the student strike was about more than just a tuition hike.
While at first it was a fight against tuition increases, it became a critique of access to education in a capitalist economy, as well as austerity measures in general. But you probably missed that part while you were being all smart and stuff.
Furthermore, your statement that “someone else’s budget has to be slashed instead, or the province increases its debt” shows a surprising lack of critical analysis, especially coming from a student of political science. Your fantastical thinking about the motives and operations of the state displays ignorance about how the real world works.
In 2007, the Quebec government cut over a billion dollars in taxes, which primarily benefitted those with a higher income. Is it fair that those with a high income are allowed to make even more money while those with a lower income face an increasing barrier to affordable education? When taxes are cut, public spending goes down, and every time tuition goes up, a larger percentage of the population is unable to access affordable education, often affecting minorities and women the most.
Your claim that there is a correlation between the student movement and program cuts misses the point of a critical evaluation of a neoliberal trend within the education system in Canada, as well as the reality that the state clearly serves economic interests as opposed to the interests of the people.
Nothing illustrates the interests of the state better than Bill 78, which was criticized by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights as a restriction of the rights of freedom of association and peaceful assembly. Rather than address the problems being brought to the table by hundreds of thousands of citizens, the government sought to repress dissent.
And before jumping to the ‘restoration of peace’ argument, do not forget that many of the rights enjoyed by people today were won with confrontational, even violent street protests. Perhaps you will be less quick to criticize once the $41 million budget cut to higher education in BC starts to affect our university experience. Your article, very unfortunately, does not take into account a historical socio-political context.
Also, some advice: before calling students ignorant, you should perhaps remember your audience.
Sincerely,
Joseph Lievdal
SFU student
