 |
| photo from Irish Times article (click below) |
I read this article today and I guess the protest was at the Daíl, which is just south of the river from our place...maybe five large blocks away. This is after last month when the student protest for raising the cost for college fees by €1,500 per year (double!). I'd like to say we are laying low and trying to be safe but to be honest we haven't been aware of any of this. I think I'll start buying newspapers because without a telly we have no idea what's going on. I'm sure it is similar to Greece when their protests were going on--it's only dangerous if you are in the mob and hurling random things at the gardai. We are just going about our lives for now.
The general sentiment I hear around here is that this is a rich man's crisis when the working man is being asked to foot the bill. At the same time I personally know a handful of 20-30 somethings who are in college as 'mature students' because the government pays their tuition while they are unemployed so they are choosing to live off the government instead of work. If that is an option, who wouldn't take it? It is similar to the recession in the US--not visible by the people who are still spending their money (and have it to spend) but it is hitting the low-income class harder and it is limiting the jobs for everyone--something I personally am dealing with.
It is interesting to be around anyhow. I am trying to think like a sociologist :)
No comments:
Post a Comment