Sow winds, reap storms
It’s happened before and the government should have been alert, but instead it displayed the usual political inertia. In order to impose an inadequate education bill, it provoked social conflict. And the only tangible outcome is the revival of a directionless student movement. By participating in university sit-ins and rallies, an entire generation of students has received its baptism of fire. This is not just a party being thrown by the minority, the students have a tendency to relieve their insecurities about an uncertain future by overstepping the mark. The overriding feeling of failure by default is fueled by the existential urge of each generation to experience the feeling of collective «intoxication» and create its own events through which it can reach political maturity. Politics under the rule of authority is a turnoff for most young people. In contrast, politics conducted according to social developments is a reality. The explosive mix of social insecurity and collective existential angst does not just fuel the student movement, it also stokes the ranks of anti-authoritarianism and hooliganism. Many find comfort in the simplistic theory that the hooded yobs are just a group of provocateurs. And some of these hooded youths do aim to provoke. But if we did not take into account the aforementioned social insecurity, we would fail to grasp the reasons that prompt children of working-class and middle-class families to risk their physical well-being in clashes with armed riot police. When you sow winds, you can expect to reap storms. But this must stop. Unless, of course, the government is intentionally fueling this climate of conflict. By activating the conservative reflexes of society, New Democracy is making pre-electoral gains. But this is not the most responsible tactic. It divides. And there is no guarantee that it will not backfire.
