Reclaim the public space

The road is a place of discussion like the entrances to buildings, pub, bars and the rest that concerns the public. It is in the public space that a public debate can have space. It is a place where the public can confront our elite caste of politicians and union leaders, Vice Chancellors and comfortable servant-journalists. All places where the elite caste talk, control and package the news, are monopolized and not accessible by university workers.

They are safe behind barricades of secretaries and direct phone numbers accessible only by the elite caste.

Journalists block other independent freelance sources from accessing conferences where pies are baked for the deep throats that are never satisfied. This is what happened to me when I tried last week to take some pictures and ask some questions to participants at the inaugural THES conference for strategic thought in higher education management in the prestigious insular world of Mayfair in London.

The elite caste of union leaders are always busy, but nonetheless punctually answer questions posed to them by the elite journalists, phoning or emailing about the latest happenings. It is not a loss of style.

It is a total degrade.

Now we also have the "capital puppets" consultants joining the caste. Illiterate and ignorant of the real problems of the base, they consult the university managements on the latest wisdom.

The amount of money spent by Vice and Pro-Vice Chancellors on consultancy is rocketing whilst spending on essential services for students and workers in the universities is falling and has been dramatically cut since the advent of Thatcher-Blair reforms of universities.

It is a privatization of space and time. The base is not made aware of the happenings and those who need to represent their voices, instead congratulate themselves on newspapers whose journalists are not to speak any language other than the one imposed by the government. They are able to speak through their policies; not able to make real information independent from their salaries and friendships within the caste.

It is a fall-out of representation and a usurpation of the spaces for debate from university workers.

By reclaiming the space for debate where no agenda is fixed, items of discussion can always be put under discussion. It is in the public space that important items should be discussed.

Reclaim the public space!

Resist, Rebel and Revolt against the elite caste!