Last month in Greece thousands of students took to the streets to vent their anger against a society which has consistently been letting them down. The demonstrations got me thinking about how Maltese students and the population in general express their views about decisions and situations they collectively oppose.
While I don't condone the violence in Greece, I can understand it, and even admire certain elements of it. Yes, a few 'anarchists' took advantage and wreaked havoc, mostly on symbols of authority - faceless riot police (an easy target, since their helmets hide any trace of emotion and humanity) - and capitalism, such as American franchises like McDonald's and Starbucks'.
It should be mentioned that true anarchism is not about violence and destruction. The vast majority of protestors were frustrated and disillusioned youths, fed up with their government's incompetence, widespread corruption and sheer lack of job opportunities.
Many Greeks go to universities in the UK and elsewhere, in the hope that a foreign degree and a second language will increase their chances of employment when they go home, but even these find it hard to find a job, because finding a job is based on nepotism and having the right connections. The reason why they decide not to continue their education in their own country is because it just isn't good enough, since lecturers have themselves escaped in search of better wages and working conditions. Sound familiar?
Here in Malta, and all over the world I suppose, from an early age we are taught to obey and conform. Something which I think exemplifies this is when, as children at pre-school and the early years of primary, we were given pictures to colour in, rather than being encouraged to draw things ourselves. I don't know if this is still the situation today, but I hope a few things have changed since my childhood.
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