Anyone who doesn’t enjoy a good rant may want to look away now. I’m somewhat irritated by many of the candidates for UCD‘s Students’ Union positions. They’re about as politically capable as ST:TOS. “I’m rich, so gimme gimme gimme. Oh, and war is bad, m’kay.” Which is about the extent of their campaign literature. Being in a university it is of course entirely reasonable to think that most people are against the re-introduction of third level fees. And some people may even have reasons that go beyond greed. There are no doubt many people here who would not be able to afford the fees. But let’s face it, most of us could. The issue is infinitely more complex than a simple “I haven’t paid for this before, so it should be free.” Grants are issued based on parents’ incomes, but there are potential students whose parents could afford to, but won’t, fund them through college. Not to mention the students *cough*FARMERS*cough* who get grants they don’t need. How many of the people marching in ‘No to Fees’ protests have heard of the New Era program? How many of them care? They’re all for lowering the barriers into education when it means more money left for their month in Portugal, but programs like New Era are dreadfully under-funded and confined to designated under-priviliged schools. I’d gladly pay fees if it meant such projects got country-wide support. Everyone I know could afford fees if an interest free grant was offered to students, with payment starting only after a sufficient income level is reached. This would have the added benefit of reducing students’ financial reliance on their parents. Join the Yes to Fees Campaign.
There’s another issue raised by at least one candidate, the War on Iraq. What in the bluest of blue hells has that got to do with the Students’ Union? Just another rich tit trying to satisfy a synthetic social concience while Daddy pays his way through Uni. It’s not a relevant issue, but since he brought it up… No War is an admirable ideal, but idealists would have had Hitler left alone. My granny tells of Neville Chamberlain returning from Germany to the same pickets of ‘No to War’, and telling his people that the Nazis meant trouble. He went against the will of the vocal peace-nics and, long story short, the English still speak English. President Hussein isn’t trust-worthy. He is dangerous. And no reasonable person can have any doubt that he possesses the weapons of which the UN insists there is no evidence.