On top of me not proof-readin my blog posts, I do a poor job of not updating my blog on a regular basis. It's been a little more than a month since my last post and things continue to happen. Well, life goes on whether or not I update my blog, but since I do not keep journals or jot down notes, I would like to look back on something when I return to the States and I am feeling nostalgic. I have since returned to work and the students are still going strong. I feel sometimes the protests have become more aggressive. When I say that, I do not mean the students themselves, but there are people who like to infiltrate the peaceful movements and (excuse my language here) fuck shit up. There may be one or two students who act stupidly as well, but the majority of people who destroy city property and throw molotov cocktails are hooligans. They are people who do not want change, but just need a reason who cause havoc. I have heard of stories where these people loot stores and when they are done with that, they will set things ablaze. This is not the work of the student demonstrators.
The students who protest are doing so for a purpose. They want better schools. They want more money to be pumped into the education system. Socialism is not that bad, people. The people in American government who think socialism is bad, who think it is just another name for communism, do not understand the true definition of socialism. I am not a fan of "Super Congress" or government telling me who I can or cannot marry, but I am also not a fan of government privatizing and selling everything nor am I a fan of welfare or Affirmative Action (I may be center-left, but there are things I do not agree with the Left). There has to be a balance somewhere in the middle.
The Piñera Administration refuses to put any more money into education because they feel it is not their responsibility to do so. They also refuse to put money into other social programs as well: Firefighters, Police, Streets and Sanitation. What would American conservatives like Michelle Bachmann, Rick Santorum, and Rick Perry say in this instance? This is not their responsibility? As much as they may think Socialism is wrong, this is an aspect of Socialism. American conservatives (not all, but a number of them) turn to Chile saying Free-Market Capitalism works. Privatize everything. They only see what they want to see (Hear No Evil, See No Evil). The American Public Education System is not that much better than the Chilean Education System, but to call the Chilean education system "terrible" is an understatement. There are so many kids not getting the attention they need and they are slipping through the cracks. There are so few in this country who can afford a private education and it is so difficult for those who cannot afford a private education to receive a decent education. There is a huge gap between rich and poor in this country just like in the United States and it is even more difficult in this country to move up from one socioeconomic class to another. It is difficult to try to better one's situation. I am exhausted of having to deal with the protests on the a weekly basis and I am tired of having to deal with tear gas when I am walking to work or when I am on the train, but hopefully these protests will not be in vain. Hopefully, they will have a great impact. The Arabs have their Spring, but the Chileans have their winter. As the darkness and cold go away, we can only hope and await for light.
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