WE HAVE BEEN HERE BEFORE

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32406, 19 September 1970, Page 16

WE HAVE BEEN HERE BEFORE

(By

WHIM WHAM)

“In many minds a student is a radical, a radical is a revolutionary, and a revolutionary is a bomb-thrower. —Senator Edward Kennedy, to a student audience at Boston University. When I was a Student, You’ve no Idea how Red I was, My older and more prudent Contemporaries said I was. My Revolution ended Where It started, in my Head. What old and prudent Men did Caused a World War instead. The Oldies of my Day, Sir, How clearly I recall! No Radicals were They, Sir, And Where did It get them All? Student Power was littler, When the Club or Boardroom Seer Cried, ‘What we want is a Hitler!’ The Oldies purred, Hear! Hear! The Country was agog, When Semple apologised for Calling Hitler a Mad Dog, Too soon, before the War. And Mussolini, Sir? He made Trains run on Time. Stone-deaf the Oldies were, To. Tales of Fascist Crime. And why should I hark back To ‘thirty-three or fourf Dusting the Bric-a-brac Of an ill-stocked Store? A century’s Afternoon, What will It demonstrate? The Oldies wrong too soon? The Student right too late!